Jancee Dunn is out this week. I’m Christina Caron, a reporter on the Well desk, filling in. Nowadays the practice of letter writing feels almost quaint, but when I examined the science behind gratitude in June, I learned that expressing it doesn’t need to be time-consuming. Cultivating a grateful outlook, and taking a few minutes a day to count our blessings, can also reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, increase self-esteem and improve life satisfaction. As one expert put it: “Gratitude seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.”In that spirit, we asked New York Times readers to tell us how they practice gratitude, and we received nearly 800 responses.

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Persons: Jancee Dunn, I’m Christina Caron Organizations: ”, New York Times Locations: California