Gratitude gets a lot of air time and rightfully so. There’s plenty of research and anecdotal evidence that spending a few minutes thinking about something you’re grateful for every day results in tangible benefits.

Shawn Achor lists gratitude among 5 or 6 other “happiness hacks” in the “Happiness Advantage“, (one of my favorite books, btw). Studies show that gratitude heightens well-being across several outcome measures including positive affect, emotional, interpersonal and physical. Another study showed that writing just three letters of gratitude over a three week period increased happiness and life satisfaction and decreased symptoms of depression.

Gratitude is great but includes an element of having overcome an obstacle or avoided something unpleasant.

“Appreciation”, in my mind, removes the baggage and feels a little bit lighter.

I might feel grateful that the sun is shining but it feels like I’m actually glad that didn’t rain or isn’t cloudy.

Appreciating the sunshine feels slightly different and easier to collect other things to appreciate.

Either practice primes your brain to notice more things throughout your day to feel good about which leads to more. I prefer that momentum over a negative spiral any day.