Liz Weston: How gratitude can help your financial life

By LIZ WESTON of NerdWallet

Gratitude can increase feelings of joy, hope and connectedness, leading to better physic al and mental health. Focusing on the things we have — rather than the ones we wish we had — may also help reduce things like economic impatience and resentment. When it comes to handling money, research has found that gratitude helps couples weather financial stress. It can also build the conditions that enhance people’s feelings of financial self-efficacy, which is a belief in the ability to accomplish financial goals. Plus, it’s free and it can be learned.