Practising gratitude is, at its heart, very simple. It’s just acknowledging the things in your life that you are grateful for. But if it’s so easy, how come so few of us do it? I think it’s because it’s not something we do unless prompted. Unless we proactively seek to express or acknowledge what we are grateful for, we don’t take the time to do so. So below is a list of 10 ways to practise gratitude – to help you build a habit of gratitude so that it becomes part of your everyday life
1. Use an app
I use one called “Grateful”, which you can get on it’s own or as part of The Growth Bundle. There are lots of other apps out there though that do the same thing. The beauty of an app is that it easy to do, you can set it to remind you to use it and we are so used to doing everything else on our phones so why not this too?
The Grateful app has prompts to help you come up with ideas of what you are grateful for. So things like, what was the best thing about today or what you are looking forward to. This can help when you are struggling to come up with something.
2. Use a notebook
If you prefer getting out a pen and paper then find yourself a nice notebook to write down the things you are grateful for. There is definitely something therapeutic about writing and, if, like me, you are a notebook-addict, it’s a great excuse for another one! Or a good way to use one already in your collection. It’s also nice to be able to read back through it.
Have a think about how you will use your notebook. Did you want to use it to list out three or maybe five things that have been good that day? Or use it to write letters of gratitude to people who have had a positive impact on your life? Or even letters to yourself? There is no set way to do it so just go for whatever works for you.
And make sure you keep it somewhere you see it so you remember to use it.
3. Use a dedicated gratitude journal
Similar to the above, there are actually dedicated gratitude journals you can buy. For example, this Year Long Gratitude Journal. The benefit of having a dedicated journal is that they include prompts to help you express your gratitude. They will also often encourage you to delve deeper than simply listing out your top three things you are grateful for that day.
4. Gratitude jar
This is a great way to introduce children to the concept of gratitude. Although you can buy “proper” gratitude jars, you really just need a clean, empty jam jar. You then write on pieces of paper what you are grateful for and pop them into the jar.
And when you need a bit of a mood boost, pick one out of the jar and give it a read.
5. Set a reminder on your phone
One of the hardest things to do is to actually remember to think about what you are grateful for. So set a reminder on your phone to prompt you at the same time each day.
6. Share around the dinner table
Another one that is lovely to do with the children. Boost your dinner table conversation by asking everyone to say what they are grateful for. If that is a bit too abstract, especially for younger children, try using different prompts. For example, what was the best thing that happened that day. Or what made them laugh.
And you don’t have to go for every meal time if that’s too much to aim for, particularly to start with. You could make it a Sunday lunch thing or Friday night dinner at the end of the week.
7. Do while brushing your teeth
Linking your gratitude practice to an already established habit will help you to also turn gratitude into a habit. Use brushing your teeth as a trigger to think about what you are grateful for. Or grab your journal or open your gratitude app when you sit down for your first cup of tea or coffee of the day.
Or make it part of your kids’ bedtime routine – a lovely way to send them off to the land of nod.
8. Start small
Like anything new, practising gratitude can take, well, practice! It takes time to turn something into a habit. It also takes time to change your mindset into one that is always looking for the positive. When you have had a tough day it can be challenging to come up with one, let alone three things to be grateful for.
So don’t beat yourself up if you can only think of one thing a day to start with. Or if you don’t manage to practise every day. Start off small and build it up and after not too long it will become second nature.
9. Challenge yourself to be original
It’s easy to trot off the usual list of things we are grateful for. Our children, our other half, our family, our health, our home… And of course, if they are all good in our life, they are things we should definitely be grateful for.
Being more specific though deepens the sense of gratitude. It makes it more personal and relevant to us as individuals. So instead of being grateful for your home, try and think of specific details. Do you love the way the light falls in the kitchen in the morning? Does the stack of cushions you have on your bed bring you joy?
And try not to repeat the same things each day. It is easy to fall into the trap of picking the easy ones. Like hugs from my children – I love these and they do make my day and I am extremely grateful for them. But not letting myself use that as one of my things to be grateful for every night forces me to think of other things. Like seeing my son’s face as we reach the climax in the story we are reading together. Or my daughter sharing the detail of her day with me – rather than getting the usual three word answer, “it was good”.
10. Send a gratitude letter
Another powerful way to express gratitude is to write and send a letter of gratitude to someone. This has the added benefit of being a great act of kindness and the perfect way to show someone you appreciate them. And if a letter feels too much of a challenge, a simple “thank you for being there” note or card is enough. It is sure to brighten the lucky recipient’s day and give you a huge boost of positivity.
So there are my top 10 ways to practise gratitude. Don’t feel like you have to chose just one of the above and stick to it. If some days you find you get into bed without writing in your gratitude journal, just take some time to think about what you would have written. Don’t use it as a reason to not express gratitude.
And experiment – try out any that appeal, or even those that don’t! And see what works best for you. While some people prefer to keep their expression of gratitude private, other people enjoy sharing with others. Whatever you choose to do, the important thing is that you enjoy it and feel the benefits. And there are several benefits to practising gratitude, from reducing stress and boosting your immune system to helping you make healthier food choices.
I’d love to hear any other ways you practise gratitude so please do share them in the comments below.
I'd love to hear your thoughts