A recent article from NPR highlights a benefit of being grateful: heart health. Gratitude is a common theme as we approach Thanksgiving, but it is something that should be practiced throughout the year.

Paul Mills, a professor at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, completed a study to find the impact of gratitude on health. The findings? “It turned out the more grateful people were, the healthier they were.”

This article points out that “Mills isn’t sure exactly how gratitude helps the heart, but he thinks it’s because it reduces stress, a huge factor in heart disease. ‘Taking the time to focus on what you are thankful for,’ he says, ‘letting that sense of gratitude wash over you — this helps us manage and cope.’ And helps keep our hearts healthy.”

So as you contemplate what you’re grateful for this week, try continuing the trend and incorporating gratitude into your life on a regular basis. And while you’re at it, spread the joy and encourage others to focus on what they’re grateful for as well.

Read the full NPR article here.