When you build strong gratitude, it’s easier to find, feel, and see more gratitude. Here are twelve ways you can practice gratitude. The more you practice the stronger it gets. Practicing can take 30 seconds and last a lifetime.
Write it. List five things you are grateful for every morning, night, or both. Alternatively, write about one thing you are grateful for and all the reasons.
A variation on this is to have a gratitude box. With a gratitude box, you take any paper around—cards, shopping lists, post its—and write in detail one thing you are grateful for, then drop it into a box (you can also use a jar or similar container). When needed, pull one out and read it.
On days I don’t have time to write, I speak out loud what I’m grateful for.
See it. Find pictures that make you feel gratitude and put them where you can see them often.
Touch it. Stand on your feet, feel a breeze, or cuddle with a soft, furry animal. Figure out what types of items inspire gratitude in you and keep them close by.
Others use items such as a wooden pen, jewelry, and a rock to remind them and help them feel gratitude. One client even finds gratitude in a sleek, silver melon baller that she keeps in her office near her computer.
It doesn’t matter what the item is or whether it makes sense to others. All that matters is that it brings you gratitude.
Game it. Count the times you say or write “thank you” or otherwise show appreciation each day. Can you beat yesterday’s number? (Also note how often others express gratitude or say thank you to you.). Track it, using it as part of a habit tracker.
How many people are you grateful for? Do they know it? Have you told them?
Take the People Challenge: For each person you interact with, always verbalize one thing you are grateful for about them.
For bonus points, do the same for people you despise, dislike, or find repulsive. What are you grateful for about them?
The challenge is to be authentic in your appreciation.
Watch it. Watch a movie, TV show, or documentary. Go on YouTube and try TED talks, and other videos that embody gratitude.
Some movies that my Facebook friends say make them feel grateful include:
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- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Blindside
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Good Will Hunting
- Pay It Forward
- The Untouchables
- A League of Their Own
- Harold and Maude
- Forest Gump
Listen to it. What songs make you feel grateful? I have a whole playlist of them. When I hear it, I smile. Here’s my gratitude playlist on Spotify.
Read It. Pick a fiction or nonfiction book, or read blogs, poems, and lyrics that inspire gratitude. If you have a more analytical side, read about research on gratitude. The great good is a starting point: How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain, or the references I used in my book, (Leading with Gratitude) are here: BookListReferences.pdf
Biographies are another option as well. Though I find Night by Elie Wiesel hard to read, it always makes me feel grateful. There is also the Chicken Soup series, of which there are currently over 250 titles
A lessor known book you may like and one that is often compared to the Chicken Soup books is Epiphany: True Stories of Sudden Insight to Inspire, Encourage, and Transform by Elise Ballard.
Move to it. Dance, walk, or run. Take a stroll in nature, or walk a “Grace Trail,” a concept explained in Anne Jolles’ book, Grace Trail: Find Your Footing and Move Toward the Life You Were Meant to Live, where she shares that Grace stands for:
G – What am I Grateful for?
R – What do I need to Release?
A – What is calling out for Acceptance?
C – What is my next Challenge?
E – What can I Embrace as much as possible?
As you walk, use Jolles’ questions to ask yourself about grace.
Meditate. You can do this by yourself or, if you’re unsure how to do it or need a little help, you may want to try guided meditations.
I use a free app called Insight Timer. Calm is another popular meditation app.
Volunteer. Donate your time for something you believe in or to help those less fortunate than yourself.
My first experience with volunteering was in high school, when I answered phones for two years for CODE, a drug and suicide hotline.
It was life-enriching and educational, and it made me so grateful for things I had taken for granted, like food, shelter, education, and family.
Do without. Stop using something that makes your life easier.
For instance, if you drive a car, take public transportation instead. Or give yourself a weekly food budget that is half what you’d typically spend.
Socialize it. Create a social media game with friends to list 10 things you are all grateful for. Or, instead of a book group, create a grateful group. Or create a text chain of friends to share what you are thankful for daily.
Make it a new tradition where, every time you meet with a friend or family member, or before you eat a meal, you say what you are grateful for.
What ways do you practice gratitude?
