#538. The Neuroscience of Gratitude: How Thanksgiving Rewires Your Brain, Improves Team Chemistry, & Reduces Risk of Depression

The BluePrint with Dr. Erik Korem

Did you know that expressing gratitude physically reshapes your brain? In this timely episode, I dive deep into the fascinating neuroscience behind gratitude and thanksgiving, revealing how these practices can transform your life, relationships, and leadership.

Drawing from neuroscience research and personal experience, I explore the subtle but powerful differences between gratitude, thankfulness, and thanksgiving, unpacking how each uniquely contributes to our wellbeing.

Learn:

• How specific brain regions activate when we experience genuine gratitude
• Why gratitude acts as a natural antidepressant in your brain
• The surprising link between thanksgiving and team performance
• Simple practices that build stronger neural pathways for positivity
• The hidden difference between being thankful and practicing thanksgiving

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Quotable moments:

"If you have a group of people that are truly grateful, they're going to work harder for each other." - Dr. Erik Korem

"Gratitude isn't just a feel-good thing. It actually involves specific neural mechanisms in our brain." - Dr. Erik Korem

"When we practice gratitude regularly, we're building stronger neural pathways, reinforcing those positive thought patterns." - Dr. Erik Korem

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ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PODCAST:

The BluePrint Podcast is for busy professionals and Household CEOs who care deeply about their families, career, and health. Host Dr. Erik Korem distills cutting edge-science, leadership, and life skills into simple tactics optimized for your busy lifestyle and goals. Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.

On a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life, Dr. Erik Korem is a High-Performance pioneer. He introduced sports science and athlete-tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football over a decade ago. He has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense.

Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of AIM7, the #1 pickleball health and performance app that helps pickleball players win more, recovery faster, and prevent pain and injury.

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