Buzz
There is a reason why many believe that people who nurture gratitude are often happier and healthier than those who don’t practice this habit. A person with gratitude appreciates what they have instead of focusing on what they lack. They express thanks to others and often receive much gratitude in return. They view each day as a new opportunity to welcome happiness rather than as a challenge to overcome. While many may naturally be aware of gratitude, don't assume you cannot cultivate this quality in your life. It’s not easy, but you will be thankful for your effort!
Steps
Practice Gratitude in Every Moment
Take a moment to appreciate life. Sometimes, pausing is the most effective way to recharge and feel better. You’ll need to identify things you’re grateful for, and sometimes, simply resting is something worth appreciating.
- When you’re at work or school, take a stroll around the building or step outside to breathe in fresh air, quietly thanking yourself for the chance to rest, stretch your legs, and feel the sunlight, etc.
- Take some time to notice the small things you’re grateful for, like your morning coffee or the pillow you sleep on every night.
Express your gratitude to someone. Life can get so busy that we often forget to let others know how much we appreciate them or how much their actions mean to us. Taking the time to thank someone fosters and spreads gratitude. For example:
- If your wife prepares lunch for you, call or text her saying: “My love, I know making lunch for me is a small task for you, but I truly appreciate it, as it helps me so much every morning.”
Talk about gratitude with your family. Dedicate some time, such as during dinner, to share what you're grateful for that day. Each family member should also take turns mentioning something they appreciated.
- Make it a habit for everyone to share at least one thing they're grateful for before the meal.
- Try to be specific when expressing your thanks. For example, instead of saying, "I’m thankful for everyone being here," you could say, "I’m thankful for everyone helping me care for the garden every weekend."
Send a thank-you note. Sending a simple thank-you note carries a lot of weight. A note of thanks shows appreciation when someone gives you something (whether it’s time, effort, or a gift) that they didn’t have to, and you’re grateful for it. You don’t need to write a long letter—just a few lines acknowledging how their gift, time, or effort means to you will do.
- Text messages, emails, or voice messages are great ways to send thanks, but handwritten thank-yous still hold a special meaning.
- Your thank-you note could simply be a quick note on a sticky pad or you could write it in a notebook, adding a little drawing like a flower or heart.
Giving back is also a form of gratitude. Gratitude isn’t only expressed in words—it’s shown through actions of giving back to the community and friends. This doesn’t mean you’re repaying a debt, but rather doing something good for others because it’s a beautiful gesture, and it brings you a sense of fulfillment.
- If you know the person, help them directly. For instance, you can take your grandmother out for a day or help a friend move.
- If you don’t know them, continue their good deed. For example, you might pay it forward to someone who helped you during your college years by supporting another student.
Recognize the kindness behind what you receive. When someone does something nice for you—whether it’s gifting you something, bringing you a warm meal, or volunteering to proofread your essay—acknowledge their effort to bring something positive into your life. They’ve given their precious time, money, or energy to do something kind for you.
- Recognizing this helps nurture and spread gratitude through your actions and words, especially when you have children.
Say “thank you” regularly. Thank the coffee vendor, thank the person who holds the door for you, thank the customer service representative who helped you identify the problem with your phone. Expressing gratitude can help you develop a deeper appreciation for life.
- Say "thank you" as if it were a prayer or a mantra. You can thank specific things, or repeat your gratitude for yourself continuously. For instance, you might thank the breakfast you had today, the rain that watered the plants, or the umbrella that kept you dry.
- By nurturing gratitude (and expressing it through words), you can calm anger, anxiety, depression, and other health issues.
- When you express gratitude to someone, look them in the eyes and smile so they can feel your sincerity.
Find reasons to be grateful, even in difficult times. Sometimes, it may be hard to feel grateful for life. However, these are the moments when nurturing gratitude becomes essential, as it helps you overcome hardships more easily than by becoming angry or dissatisfied.
- To nurture gratitude in difficult or boring jobs, you can list the positives: it provides you with the means to buy food and have a place to live, it gives you the chance to catch the bus into the city and enjoy the early morning sun, etc.
- In situations such as breakups or losing a loved one, give yourself time to mourn and process the sadness. Gratitude doesn’t mean you have to deny emotions like sorrow or anger; it simply helps to soothe those emotions. After the grieving period, list the lessons the relationship taught you and the things you are thankful for now that it's over.
Develop a habit of gratitude
Keep a gratitude journal. Write down the reasons you feel thankful every day to help embed them in your mind. No matter how difficult life seems right now, there will always be things you can be grateful for. Finding these things will help you face other challenges in life.
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for every day. They might be simple things like "morning sunshine" or significant events like "receiving a marriage proposal".
- Take a few minutes each day to reflect on what you are most grateful for. You’ll soon realize that there are more than just five things to appreciate.
- If you need a reminder, download a gratitude journal app for your phone to receive daily notifications.
Review your gratitude journal when needed. Whenever you're going through a tough period, revisiting what you've written before can be very helpful. When struggling, try focusing on the small things you're grateful for.
- For example, even when facing a serious illness, you can still be grateful for things like someone cooking for you, a warm bed, or your pet cat curling up beside you. These small things can make the pain of illness more bearable.
Find a companion on your gratitude journey. Share your goal of nurturing gratitude with a close friend or family member and ask for their support. Choose someone you feel comfortable discussing your gratitude with, and who will empathize when you slip into complaining.
- Ideally, the relationship should be reciprocal - meaning both of you help each other to grow into deeply grateful individuals.
Change your perspective on challenges. The lives of those who are grateful for what they have aren’t necessarily easier than yours. In fact, people with deep gratitude often go through many hardships, but they understand that it’s not the circumstances themselves that matter, but how you perceive them that makes things easier or harder.
- For instance, if you have to work extra hours to pay for college tuition, think about the lesson in responsibility that the job teaches you, rather than lamenting the lack of free time.
Use appropriate language to describe your life. Using negative language or labeling situations can make things harder and prevent you from expressing gratitude. For example, calling it 'my horrible disease' creates a more negative view than simply saying 'the illness I’m experiencing'. The second phrase doesn’t turn the illness into ‘your possession’ and uses neutral language rather than a negative one.
- Express gratitude along with the words you use to describe life. For example, you could say 'Although I’m dealing with this illness, I am grateful for the excellent treatment and the support from my family.'
Develop a positive view of yourself and others. Criticizing yourself or others will make it harder to genuinely feel gratitude. When you catch yourself thinking negatively about yourself or others, pause and shift your perspective. For example, if you think 'I’m terrible at math', tell yourself, 'I’m just struggling with this particular problem.'
- A small shift in language and perspective can change the situation by removing the focus from you, meaning the issue becomes something you can overcome.
Foster gratitude for both mental and physical health
Choose a healthy eating plan. You need to nourish your body with foods that help you feel positive and more inclined to express gratitude. Opt for vegetables and fruits like kale, bell peppers, and bananas; healthy carbohydrates from brown rice, whole grains, oats, and protein from salmon, nuts, lean meats, and eggs.
- Balance and variety are key. Your diet should not consist only of fruits and vegetables, but also include good sources of protein and carbohydrates.
- Avoid refined sugars and salt as much as possible.
Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Water is an essential part of keeping every part of your body and mind functioning efficiently. Take small sips throughout the day, and drink water before you even feel thirsty.
- Be grateful every time you turn on the tap or open a bottle to drink clean water. Remember, millions (perhaps billions) of people around the world still lack this luxury.
Don’t skimp on sleep. Sleep is crucial for maintaining health and happiness—two things that help foster gratitude. It may be hard to feel grateful when anxiety keeps you awake, but getting enough sleep can make it easier to cultivate gratitude.
- Make a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time, creating a restful sleep environment, and turning off all electronics before bed.
Establish a regular exercise routine. Regular exercise releases happiness hormones like endorphins, which help regulate mood and make you feel better. Positive feelings not only give you reasons to be grateful, but they also motivate you to practice gratitude.
- Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This can include simple activities like jogging, dancing to music, or practicing yoga.
Meditate regularly. Meditation is another effective way to address mental health issues and feelings of frustration in life. It also helps you strengthen and practice gratitude.
- Find a quiet place and meditate for at least 15 minutes each day. Simply sit in a comfortable position, take deep breaths, and focus on your breathing. When stray thoughts capture your attention, acknowledge them and let them fade with each exhalation.
Practice mindfulness. By being present in the moment, you challenge your brain to stop racing with thoughts and worries about future plans or getting lost in the past. This is a way to practice gratitude because you are fully present in the here and now, allowing you to express thanks for the "present moment" itself.
- Practice mindfulness while eating. Focus on the food you're putting into your mouth: Is it hot or cold? What is its texture like? Is it sweet, sour, or salty?
- Try this while taking a walk or simply sitting outdoors. Notice the color of the sky and the shape of the clouds. Use your nose to sense the fragrance, and listen to the rustling sound of the wind through the trees.
Advice
- Remember that sometimes you will have bad days where you feel irritable and dislike everything. This is completely normal. Don’t blame yourself for not always living in gratitude. It’s a goal that many people are working towards.
- Practicing gratitude will not prevent bad things from happening or protect you from being affected by life’s events. Gratitude simply helps you face challenges more easily without harming your mental well-being.
- You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can learn to control your reactions to everything that happens.
- Occasionally thanking others for the small things they do for you will make them feel appreciated. Even small gratitude can make someone's day brighter and help you feel better as well.
