4 Easy and Powerful Ways to Practice Gratitude Daily
On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your mental health?
Have you in recent times thought about how well is your mental health?
Pause. Take a minute and think about how you have been feeling lately.
Stressed?
Anxious?
Miserable?
Be honest with yourself.
It is crucial that you take care of your mental health. Even during difficult times.
Regular practice of gratitude is one way to boost your mental health.
So, what are the simple ways to practice gratitude every day?
Stick around to read more about what is gratitude and 4 ways to practice gratitude daily.
The word gratitude originates from the Latin word gratia which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.
Gratitude means being thankful and appreciating the good things in your life. You can be grateful about the people in your life and also, about yourself. Gratitude helps you to acknowledge the positive aspects of your life which are usually taken for granted.
Practicing gratitude helps you to focus on what you have and be happy about it. It helps to change your perspective. It helps you to remember that ‘hey, there are things in life to be happy about no matter how small or big.’
Practicing gratitude during tough times just seems paradoxical, isn’t it?
What can you possibly feel grateful about when life is hard?
Well, there is always something to be grateful about. The fact that you are alive, have access to the internet, and have a smartphone, tab, or laptop on which you are reading this blog post is something to be grateful for.
Related: 170 Simple Things to be Grateful for in Life
Research has found that the practice of gratitude has made people optimistic and better about their lives. Gratitude practice is found to improve sleep, mood, and immunity.
Convinced about the benefits of gratitude?
Here are the 4 different ways to practice gratitude every day for a healthier and happier you.
Gratitude journaling involves consciously reflecting on the things you are thankful for and documenting them regularly.
Here is how you can practice gratitude journaling:
Begin by experimenting with gratitude journaling during different times of the day. Observe what time and setting is comfortable for you.
Don’t just blindly follow the internet.
It is important to commit to a fixed time to be consistent. So that gratitude journaling becomes a habit.
Set reminders on your phone or place sticky notes that remind you to do gratitude journaling.
Choose your method for gratitude journaling. How would you like to journal?
Using digital apps or in a simple notebook or notepad. The choice is yours.
Choose a method that is comfortable for you.
Take a moment to genuinely reflect on the good things in your life. Both big and small. The things that bring you joy and that you are truly grateful for.
There are different ways to write in a gratitude journal.
a. Gratitude list
The first method is to list out the things you are grateful for. Just 3 to 5 things would be enough.
In the beginning, it might be difficult to come up with 3 things to be grateful for every day. What happens is that the list becomes repetitive and mundane. This beats the very purpose of gratitude journaling.
Your list might be like this: I am grateful for my friends and family, I am grateful for having food on my table, and I am grateful for being alive.
Instead of this try to:
I am grateful for my family. How could you descriptively write this? I am grateful for having supportive parents who always stand by me no matter how bad the situation is.
2. Don’t repeat your list
Challenge yourself not to repeat your gratitude list. You could challenge yourself not to repeat your list for 7 days, 15 days, or 30 days.
This challenge will force you to identify different things to be grateful for each day. Isn’t that awesome?
3. Time Ferris method
Tim Ferris has his method of gratitude journaling. He asks himself what he is grateful for under four categories which are:
a. An old relationship that helped you
b. An opportunity you have today
c. Something great that happened yesterday
d. Something simple near you or within your sight
He picks his favorite three from the above for the day and journals about it.
You could try using this method.
b. Paragraph method
Describe what you are grateful for in a small paragraph. Use details such as how it feels, how it smells, how it sounds, and so on. You could make it descriptive in whatever way you want it to.
Descriptive gratitude journaling helps you to be mindful. It helps you to fully savor and appreciate the positive things in life.
So how do you do it?
Example: I am grateful for today’s weather
You could do descriptive journaling for the above as:
Today I feel happy because the weather is so amazing. The sky is super clear, and there’s a gentle breeze blowing. The sun is shining so bright outside. I can see it through the window of my balcony and it makes everything look golden. When the sun shines down on me it feels so good. I’m grateful for the chance to experience such beautiful weather today. It puts me in such a good mood and makes everything feel better.
This method is super challenging, especially for beginners. But aren’t challenges a great way to have fun and become a better person?
c. Journal Prompts
Some days no matter how hard you try, it might feel impossible to find something to be grateful for. Or maybe in the beginning of gratitude journaling you might feel it is a difficult task.
Don’t give up yet.
Because journaling prompts are there for your rescue.
Use journaling prompts if you are finding it difficult to get started or on days when you can’t find anything to be grateful for.
Having a really bad day? Don’t skip gratitude journaling.
Use journal prompts on such days. It will help you to acknowledge the good that you might have missed or forgotten.
Anything becomes boring after a certain time.
To make things fun mix up all the above methods once in a while.
Do the list method for a week, then do the paragraph method for another week, and then use journal prompts for another week. You could mix it up the way you want to.
Try to have fun and bring variety. Because once it feels to be boring you are going to stop. Don’t let that happen.
Once in a while, go through your gratitude journal. Appreciate yourself for finding the good things in life to be grateful for.
If you feel comfortable, share your gratitude journey with others. Explain to them the benefits that you have experienced by gratitude journaling.
Encourage them to start their gratitude journal and be accountability partners.
Every day on a piece of paper you write down the things that you are grateful for. And put that paper in a jar. It’s a fun and simple way to practice gratitude.
Here is how to do it:
Gather your supplies which are a jar, paper and pen. To make it fun and personal do some DIY decorations on the jar. You could also buy a gratitude jar online.
Write on colorful paper or with a colorful pen. These little things will make this activity more interesting.
Personalize the supplies to your choice.
Just like gratitude journaling, choose a time that works for you, morning or night.
You could use the ideas from the gratitude list method of gratitude journaling mentioned above.
Consistency is the key. Always fill in the jar no matter what happens.
Empty the jar as it fills and review what you have written. It will remind you of all the good things that have happened in your life.
Make this a fun family event. Have a gratitude jar for every member of your family.
This will motivate everyone to fill in the gratitude jar.
As the gratitude jar gets filled, make it a family activity where everyone reads together their gratitude list.
This can be a fun family tradition that brings happiness and positivity.
Replacing complaining with gratitude involves shifting your perspective. It helps you to see the positive in things rather than dwelling on the negatives.
Here is how to do it:
Most of the time we complain about things without being aware of it. As the first step, start noticing when you are complaining. Try to notice any patterns or things that trigger you to complain.
Before you complain, take a minute to pause. Breathe and think whether there is anything to be grateful to be about in this situation.
So, how to replace complaining with gratitude?
Example: I can’t believe I have to work late again. This job is so demanding, and I don’t have free time for myself.
Even though I have to work late tonight, I’m grateful to have a job that challenges me and provides for my needs.
The practice of gratitude is not the same thing as toxic positivity. Toxic positivity suppresses negative things and involves over-emphasis on the positive things.
Gratitude is not that.
The goal here is to acknowledge the negative things while still trying to find the good hidden among them.
You can express your gratitude to anyone who has positively impacted your life. It can be friends, family, colleagues, or even strangers. Expressing gratitude to others helps to strengthen relationships, boost happiness, and improve positivity.
Here are the different ways to express your gratitude:
Express your gratitude to the person directly. This can be done verbally or through a simple handwritten note.
Try to be specific about what you’re grateful for. Keep it short and simple or express your gratitude in a way that feels authentic and meaningful to you.
Another way to express gratitude towards a person is by acknowledging it publicly. It’s a powerful way.
You can do this by sharing your appreciation through social media or in a public event or family and friends gathering.
Actions speak louder than words. Gratitude can be conveyed through acts of kindness too. It can be done by helping them with a task or treating them to a meal or coffee.
Giving a thoughtful gift is another way to express gratitude. The key is to choose something that shows that you’ve put effort into buying the gift. It doesn’t have to be extravagant.
Practicing gratitude every day is simple yet powerful to bring about positive changes in your life. You can start your gratitude journey by choosing to do any or all of the above ways to practice gratitude. Make the practice of gratitude a part of your daily routine and see how it brings more joy and positivity into your life.
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