It is only two small words.
But saying ‘thank you’ to others could be the key to beating depression.
A new study claims that the most basic act of courtesy can keep the blues at bay as it generates a glow of gratitude for the little things in everyday life.
US researchers quizzed 352 men and women aged between 18 and 58 about their personalities.
Questionnaires helped build a profile of each participant, revealing the degree to which they often feel depressive or grateful and also how they deal with stress and other people.
The team discovered that being thankful is linked to cognitive reappraisal - the ability to take a difficult situation and turn it into something more positive.
Meanwhile, depression was more common among those who suffer from ambivalent emotional expression (AEE) – the fear of showing others how you truly feel.
The study - by the universities of Houston, Texas and Pennslyvania State plus the Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Centre - concludes that getting into the habit of saying ‘thank you’ could prove to be an effective tonic.
[For more of this story, written by Mark Howarth, go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/hea...n.html#ixzz4YhrLsQcb]
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