Believe it or not, just counting five things you are grateful for each day will make you happier and could create an upward spiral of positive emotions.

Researchers link gratitude to a surprising range of benefits.

Gratitude should be part of your work culture and routine at home

It might sound like pop psychology, but several peer-reviewed studies over the last 10 years have established the health benefits of expressing gratitude.

Gratitude should be an attitude of our work and home lives - not just a one-off or occasional event.

Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough asked students to keep diaries to what made them feel grateful. Some examples:

Those who counted their blessings were happier, slept better, were more optimistic and more involved in their relationships at the end of the study than those who were asked to record hassles or simply events.

But wait, there's more…

Let’s add the benefits for your team and family. If your gratitude includes the things that your colleagues and family do for you, and you let them know, that's good for you, them and your relationships.

Gratitude encourages us to be connected to others, rather than self-focused. Strong relationships with others are a foundation of good health.

Perhaps gratitude should be our first strategy when we are stressed or unhappy – if only because it is so easy to do. Why not carry a list of ‘Things I am most grateful for’ in your head?

Make it a routine with your children as you tuck them into bed: ‘And what were the best things about today?’