Giving thanks isn't just for Thanksgiving. Science is proving that feelings of gratitude create fodder for health and happiness year-round.

Taken together, studies since 2001 show clear results; science is catching up to what religion and spiritual philosophies have long known: The most beneficial attitude is gratitude.

One long-term study by the University of California-Davis called "Dimensions and Perspectives of Gratitude" included 2,000 men and women in different parts of the U. S. and eight years of research. Simple, daily thoughts of gratitude can make you happier, healthier, more popular, and more successful. Researchers found correlations between grateful feelings and quantifiable benefits (both observed and self-reported in journals), besides just plain feeling good:

* Gratitude feeds itself. Most people report feeling grateful; of those who do, the average rating is 6 on a 7-point scale.

* Happiness - People who focus on gratitude report higher levels of positive emotions, energy, attentiveness, life satisfaction, and optimism.

* Less stress - Thankful feelings correlate with lower levels of depression and stress.

* Better exercise - Those who kept weekly gratitude journals exercised more and reported fewer ailments, as compared to those whose journals listed negative or neutral life events.

* Less illness - This means more than fewer colds. In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in higher energy, positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, and better sleep.

* Higher-achieving - Participants who kept gratitude lists made more progress toward attaining (academic, personal, and health) goals. Children who practiced gratitude (encouraged by their parents and "gratitude lists") did better in school.

* Friends - People with a strong disposition toward gratitude tend to be more empathic and seen as more generous and helpful, hence more relationship satisfaction and more friends.

* Less materialistic - Grateful people are less likely to judge success by possessions, less envious of those with more, and more likely to share possessions.

* More spiritual - Those who feel grateful are more likely to regularly engage in spiritual activities such as church attendance or reading religious/spiritual material. Grateful people are more likely to report a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and responsibility to others.

Note: Gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feelings more than it diminishes unpleasant ones. Feeling thankful may not erase life's problems, but it sure it makes them feel less overwhelming. It's amazing how powerful perspective can be.

Wishing all a very happy, very grateful, Thanksgiving each and every day.

"Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving." - Khalil Gibran

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at sholeh@cdapress.com.