Gratitude and Your Heart

Why a Thankful Mind Can Help You Live Longer and Feel Stronger

Here’s something amazing — your heart doesn’t just respond to love or heartbreak. It also responds to your thoughts.

Researchers have found that people who regularly practice gratitude tend to have higher heart rate variability (or HRV). That might sound technical, but here’s what it really means: HRV is a measure of how flexible and resilient your heart is when responding to stress.

A higher HRV means your body can easily shift between activity and rest — you can handle challenges without staying stuck in stress mode. A lower HRV, on the other hand, can signal that your body is stuck in fight or flight mode, and that can cause exhaustion, anxiety, and even inflammation.

For women in perimenopause and menopause, this matters more than ever. Changes in estrogen, progesterone, and androgens can make our bodies more sensitive to stress, and that can make our cardiovascular system work harder during this stage of life–increasing our risk of life threatening heart disease. Gratitude helps counteract that by sending calming signals through the nervous system — gently teaching your heart to relax, recover, and stay strong.

🌿 Try this heart-centered gratitude ritual:
Before bed, place a hand over your heart and take three slow, deep breaths. Think of one person or moment from your day that made you feel thankful. You might even notice your heartbeat slowing down — that’s your nervous system resetting.

Over time, this practice doesn’t just lift your mood; it strengthens your resilience — the ability to bounce back, stay calm, and thrive in your body’s new rhythm. 💖