Blog

Nov 28

We've all experienced the emotional power of certain words. Whether the negative bite of a sarcastic comment that hits too close to home or the positive boost we feel when someone we care about recognizes a job well done, something is amazing about how certain strings of letters can prime our actions and shape our behaviors. 

According to a research team from Virginia Tech, it starts with brain chemistry. In January, they found that certain words had the power to kickstart a wave of chemicals known to influence our mental health, regulate our emotions, and prompt us to act. They were the first to show that neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are released in varying parts of the brain and in differing concentrations depending on the words used and whether they were positive, negative, or neutral (aka "valence"). While the list of tested words wasn't readily available, it did make me wonder if expressions of gratitude, something known to impact on the brain as discussed here, made the list. If so, it may further explain why the annual ritual that many of us participated in yesterday can be so much more than turkey and stuffing...

It's easy to think of "thank you" as a simple and often superficial gesture of politeness, something we might teach our kids to do by the age of 2 or 3 years. However, as has become popularized over the last several years, there's more to it than that. Inwardly, feelings of gratitude can impact a wide variety of personal health metrics and precursors. Interestingly, this 2020 review of research found even improved sleep quality made the list of benefits...but it doesn't have to end there.

A new review published in July suggested passing it on, that is, the moments when we allow our inward appreciation to overflow into a genuine outward expression toward someone deserving a "thanks", acting as a critical communication signal, greasing the cogs of trust between humans. Originally referred to as the "find-remind-bind" theory in 2012, expressions of thanks help us to identify the right people to connect with, keep them (and their positive traits) front of mind, and further solidify the strength of those relationships. They go on to say that when used in socially oriented settings like the workplace, outward expressions of gratitude not only benefit the members of the exchange but also those who witness the act, increasing the odds of positive contagion (social cascade) by priming others to join in (collective emergence). However, there is some fine print. The authors of the review point out that while gratitude as a practice can be powerful, gratitude as a "program" could be something closer to a tightrope walk. If it feels forced, fake, or otherwise phony, it's likely to backfire. 

In a world where chaos and calamity sell, there's never a bad time to have a moment to reflect, reset, and ready...in this case, for the final push of 2025. We hope you had the chance to do so and were able to both give and receive the brain boost that comes with expressed positivity. But just in case one more wouldn't hurt...on behalf of our entire team - thank you - we could never complete our mission without every single individual who strives to live a stronger and happier life. We hope you'll pass it on.

Have a great weekend,
Mike E.