The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude

The benefits of practicing gratitude in your daily life can have a significant impact on your well-being and mindset.

Even if there is nothing significant happening in your life today, it IS a new day. One that you can participate in what ever way you are able. Sometimes expressing gratitude simply for a new day is enough to change your attitude and perspective. Gratitude, however, is more than just saying “thank you.” Practicing gratitude is appreciating the goodness in your daily life no matter how big or small. There is always something to be thankful for even if some days you really must look for it. The benefits of practicing gratitude in your regular routine, can provide you with physical, mental, and emotional gains. It is a powerful tool for helping us balance out negative thought patterns and can strengthen relationships by recognizing and valuing the good in others.

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.” -Maya Angelou

There are some exercises you can try to incorporate gratitude into your daily life. Try some of these and hopefully you’ll find one that works for you.

• Gratitude Countdown
  • Rapidly list 10 things you are grateful for. This is also something you can do with a partner or solo.
• 24  hour reflection
  • take time to scan your thoughts and say three things out loud that happened in the last day that your are thankful for.
• Gratitude Journal
  • In a notebook, jot down something you are thankful for each day
• Gratitude Letter
  • Sent a letter, email, text, or call someone that has significantly impacted your life and express that to them in words.
• Walk
  • Take a walk and intentionally notice and appreciate the world around you by using your senses.
• Meditation
  • Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Then begin to shift your thinking to things you are grateful for and feel the warmth and joy that brings to you.
• Gratitude Jar
  • Write things you are grateful for down on a slip of paper and drop into a jar. Whenever your feeling low or need a pick-me-up, read one of your entries and rediscover that wonderful feeing.

Give some of these practices a try and notice the shift in your mind and attitude. If you practice something daily, it then becomes a habit. This is a healthy and beneficial habit that will pay you back over and over.