Don’t forget those around you: While it’s never expected for others to raise you up, it is always nice. Give thanks to those around you and you’ll lower your own stress and theirs.

“Many people may think of gratitude as a ‘passive’ gesture — you wait for something good, then feel grateful,” said David DeSteno, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University in Boston. DeSteno studies the effects that thankfulness can have on people’s behavior.

“Gratitude isn’t passive reflection. It’s active,” DeSteno said. “And it’s not about the past. It’s there to help direct our behavior in the future.”

Philly Voice