YOU'RE AMERICAN, YOU HAVE MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR:

The formal study of gratitude's benefits is relatively young, but researchers have found that gratitude can enhance well-being and improve romantic relationships, among other benefits. A 2011 study published in the journal Heart International, found that acute cardiac patients who had positive psychological interventions actually had better outcomes than those who didn't.

"The people for whom gratitude is more of a trait than a state, we see that those people tend to be healthier. They tend to be happier. They have stronger social connections and stronger relationships. There's some evidence that people who are more optimistic or have a grateful attitude have higher immune functioning," says clinical psychologist and Columbia University assistant clinical professor of Medical Psychology, Erin Olivo. Olivo is the author of Wise Mind Living: Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Life.

With those wide-ranging benefits, who wouldn't want to be more grateful? Experts say it's possible to train yourself to become more grateful so it's not just an occasional state, but a regular habit.

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