The 5 Best Ways to Practice Daily Gratitude
There are a lot of joys experienced in parenting from witnessing you child’s first smile, to goodnight hugs, and graduations. But sometimes the feelings of anxiety, fear and exhaustion that come with being a parent can overshadow the joy. As a parent, you want to feel more of that joy. But how do you do that?
Gratitude is the act of being grateful or appreciative. According to Brené Brown, the author of Atlas of The Heart, it is not joy that makes us grateful but it is gratitude that brings joy (interview). Research is showing a multitude of health benefits from practicing gratitude as well. On a personal note, I have been practicing gratitude with journaling for almost 3 years now, gratitude has definitely boosted my feelings of happiness. So practicing daily gratitude can help cultivate more joy in your life.
Key Takeaways:
Research shows there are lots of health benefits from practicing daily gratitude.
Five ways to practice gratitude include a gratitude list, gratitude journal, gratitude meditation, 30-day gratitude challenge, and words of appreciation.
Tracking and creating a habit of being grateful is important in achieving more joy in your life and the full health benefits.
Health Benefits of A Gratitude Practice
Gratitude is one of life’s positive qualities and is now being studied more than ever. In psychology there is a branch called positive psychology where researchers specifically study ideas like gratitude to better understand what people need to do to build a meaningful and happy life.
Practicing gratitude can improve your overall well-being and mental health.
- It helps you stay more connected with the present moment
- Blocks negative emotions
- Creates resilience in stressful situations
- Lessens anxiety
When gratitude is practiced habitual over time, it leads to physical health benefits according to research.
- Improves heart health
- Decreases stress or the fight, flight or freeze response of your nervous system
- Improves sleep
Five Ways to Practice Daily Gratitude:
Gratitude List
A gratitude list is writing down what you feel grateful for in that moment. This is to help train your mind on thinking of things you are grateful for versus negative thoughts. When writing your list, consider focusing your gratitude on experiences and people.
Gratitude Journal or Grateful Diary.
A gratitude journal or grateful diary is similar to a gratitude list. However, it offers the opportunity to use additional prompts or go into more detail about the things you feel grateful for. For example, you may write about three people who love you and why you are grateful for them in your life. Check out our Gratitude Journal or become a member to get it free.
Gratitude Meditation.
A gratitude meditation is the practice of feeling the appreciating of things, people and experiences in your life. You can find guided gratitude meditations to listen to on YouTube. You can also take 3 to 5 minutes a day and just sit quietly to think about the things you are grateful for in your life, feeling the sensations of your body as you think grateful thoughts.
30-Day Gratitude Challenge.
A gratitude challenge is when you practice gratitude for a full 30-days. You can follow a gratitude calendar like this free one here. A DIY 30-day challenge would be to cut up 30 pieces of paper each one listing something you are grateful for on it. Then place them in a jar and draw one out each day. You can also simply commit to practicing gratitude journaling or meditation for 30-days too.
Words of Appreciation.
Words of appreciation are words that express gratitude, thankfulness or appreciation towards someone or something. Some examples are I appreciate what you do, I value your work, thank you for your support, and I am thankful for you in my life. Check out this list of words of appreciate to help you practice gratitude to those around you more regularly.
Creating a Habit of Gratitude
Creating a healthy habit of gratitude is the best way to get all the mental and physical health benefits. Some tips for cultivating gratitude as a habit include:
- Schedule it into your day and set a reminder on your phone
- Use the buddy system and practice gratitude with someone
- Track it on a habit tracker activity sheet like these FREE ones
- Use a gratitude app like Gratitude, Presently or Appreciation Jar (for couples)
Gratitude Resources
Books
Gratitude: A Way of Life by Louise L. Hay and Friends
In this book Louise L. Hay collected the stories and wisdom from her teachers and writers who have cultivated gratitude in their own lives. The different perspectives, stories and opinions about gratitude helps the reader to reflect and create a deeper meaning of gratitude.
Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks wrote this book at the end of his life. It is a compilation of four essays that explores the gift of life, aging, sickness and making peace with his own impermanence.
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
Brené Brown shares her personal experiences, as well as, her research findings about wholehearted living in very practical steps. She calls them the 10 guideposts to wholehearted living in this book to help guide the reader to living a happier, authentic and more grateful life.
Online Courses
The Science Behind Well-Being Online Free Course
This online course was created by Laurie Santos from Yale University and is available free on Coursera. It offers a great opportunity to learn about the science behind happiness and gratitude. It also helps you to practice and learn tools and skills to cultivate healthier habits that are proven to increase your overall well-being. It is a self-paced course that is not graded.
30-day Challenge
Mayo Clinic 30-day Discover Gratitude Program
The Mayo Clinic Health System offers a free online 30-day gratitude program. You simply register and are provided with videos and tools you need to develop and practice gratitude for 30-days.
TedTalks on Gratitude
1. David Steindl-Rast: Want To Be Happy? Be Grateful
David is a monk and scholar who believes that happiness is born from gratitude. In this 14-minute talk, he explores the source of happiness and how it relates to gratitude.
2. Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.
In this 10-minute talk Louie shares his love of nature through film. He says, “we protect what we love.” He talks of gratitude, beauty, love, inspiration and more.
3. Brian Doyle: 365 Days of Thank You
In this 8-minute talk, Brian shares his story of a near death experience, and how that led to him committing to thanking people for 365 days. He talks about how it shifted his perspective and his relationships.