Do you feel grateful for anything or anyone in your life? As you’ve gotten older, have you become more appreciative and thankful for the relationships you have or the good fortune you may have received? According to a new research study in JAMA Psychiatry, if you’ve got that “attitude of gratitude,” hang on to it and cultivate it. Because gratitude appears to be an important factor in lowering your risk of death and extending the length of your life.

The study involved 50,000 female nurses between the ages of 69-96 (average age of 79), who were followed for 3 years. They were given a 6-item questionnaire to gauge how they felt about gratitude in their lives and then followed to determine if positive attitudes about gratitude conferred any health benefits. What researchers determined was that the stronger one felt about gratitude, the longer one was likely to live. Having a “thankful” outlook seems to result in positive health benefits, especially for your cardiovascular health. In fact, participants who expressed strong gratitude had a 15% lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who did not have that strong attitude. So slow down, consider what makes you thankful, and read more here.

If you’re not quite feeling that sense of gratitude or appreciation, or you need some help in cultivating it, there’s a lot of guidance out there to help. Beyond the potential longevity benefits, it’s well-established that feelings of thankfulness and gratitude can have positive physical and mental health benefits. It can get you out of a negative place and help you see your world with more balance and perspective. To get started, there are a few questions you’ll want to consider as you begin to cultivate your own gratitude. For example, do you feel as though there are people or circumstances in your life that you are grateful for? If you jotted down a list, what would be on it and how long would it be? Have you had moments recently where you realized how appreciative you are of someone or something? Writing in Psychology Today, Dr. Kurt Ela, an associate professor of psychiatry at Georgetown, states that he recommends that nearly all of his patients practice gratitude as part of their treatment. And how can you “practice” gratitude? It’s as easy as taking a few moments out of your day and reflecting on whatever it is you feel grateful for, whether it’s the delicious muffin you’re eating or the dry, cool weather that’s breaking up this hot summer. Almost all experts agree that you’re best off not only contemplating what you’re thankful for but also writing it down in one form or another. Jotting it down will record your thoughts and make them available for future use if you need some reminders about what’s good in your life and allow you to reminisce with loved ones later on. While you can make notes on your phone or any available pad, it might be nice to make your moments of gratitude more of a ritual and use a lovely journal as a way to collect and preserve your thoughts. For more on gratitude journaling, take hold of your pen and click here.

However you can, carving out those few daily moments to take stock and feel grateful is likely to enhance your emotional and physical well-being and perhaps help you to take pleasure in the age you’ve reached. As writer Anne Lamott recently wrote in The Washington Post, “To a great degree, in older age, ambition falls away. Such a relief. Appreciation and surprise bloom many mornings: Yay — I like it here.”