We know how taxes, bills, and inflation impact our finances. And sometimes, there's little we can do about these external forces. But there is one simple way you can gain more control over your finances: by having more gratitude. 

“Gratitude allows an individual to be okay with their life, and it plays a primary role in people accepting their financial situation,” says Dr. Ashley Lowe-Simmons, DSW, LCSW-C, certified financial social worker. "When gratitude brings acceptance, that translates to either acceptance to improve the situation or acceptance of where you are, financially." 

Here’s a closer look at the role gratitude can play in your financial health, and ways to practice having more of it. 
Gratitude counteracts materialism 

“Research on gratitude has shown that people who are more grateful tend to be less materialistic and are more satisfied with their life,” says Dr. Traci Williams, board-certified psychologist and certified financial therapist.¹“The belief behind this is that when we are grateful for what we do have, we do not feel compelled to accumulate more.” 

In addition, one study found that people who are more concerned with material items tend to be less happy than their peers.² Another found that these people experience more negative emotions and diminished meaning in their lives.³ The only thing materialism does seem to do is convince us to spend more money. 
Gratitude can help curb instant gratification

It's all too easy to buy what we want instantly, which often spells bad news for our finances. Research shows us that gratitude is an effective tool for reducing our likelihood of selecting smaller rewards now for instant gratification.⁴

“Financially healthy people regularly practice delayed gratification,” says Dr. Williams. “For example, they put aside money that could be spent today to instead save for the future. Or when we responsibly invest money, delayed gratification comes from seeing its compounding over time.” In general, giving into temptation at the moment may initially feel good, but in Dr. Williams’ experience, it often creates feelings of guilt and regret. 
Gratitude reduces stress about money

Gratitude allows our brain to release two of the four major neurotransmitters—serotonin and dopamine—often referred to as our “feel good” hormones.⁵ Regular gratitude exercises can help us to improve our mood, and "it helps to formulate our attitudes towards making better financial decisions," says Dr. Lowe-Simmons.

If we can be thankful for what we have while working towards what we desire, “this can potentially reduce our stress, and shift our mindset from worry to positivity,” says Dr. Lowe-Simmons.
How to incorporate more gratitude into your life

Try one or more of these gratitude practices to reap the emotional and financial rewards.

• Regular journaling. Create a gratitude journal and carve out time to document the aspects of your life that you are grateful for. 
• Notice the good. State one thing you are thankful for upon waking and name three good things that happened for the day each night before you go to sleep. 
• Implement affirmations. Make a list of gratitude affirmations that you can use at any time. "I am thankful for a roof over my head,” is one example. 
• Appreciate others. Express appreciation for people in your life. 
• Practice gift-giving. Deliver a gratitude gift—like a letter, poem, song, or memento—to someone you appreciate. 
• Meditate. Practice mindfulness meditation.