How to Practice Gratitude

Are you interested in practicing gratitude? Have you heard about the benefits of doing so, but you’re not sure where to start? 

Let’s talk about gratitude. Gratitude is actively noticing and appreciating aspects of your life that you are thankful for. It’s sometimes like second nature to focus on the negative. When you think about the negative, it’s easy to forget about the things that you’re grateful for. So how can you overcome that tendency and shift your focus to one of gratitude? Here are some tips to increase gratefulness in your life: 

1. Try the three good things exercise –
At the end of each day, jot down three good things that happened that day in a gratitude journal. These things do not need to be anything monumental; they can be as small as “I had my favorite ice cream today” or “I finally got my car fixed.” Pick out something that went well or that made you feel content, even momentarily. The point of this exercise is to focus on gratitude—even from the most seemingly mundane or bad days. 

2. Practice gratitude through your challenges –
Life’s most challenging moments can highlight the reasons to be thankful. You can pull things to be grateful for out of challenging times. Consider the lessons you’ve learned from a struggle or a challenge that you never would have imagined yourself overcoming.  What have life’s difficulties taught you? For example: If you fail a test and realize that you need to study harder for the next one, that challenge gave you renewed focus—and possibly new study skills too. 

3. Practice gratitude in your relationships –
If you feel thankful for something that your friend or family member did for you, tell them. Let them know how their good deed touched you. This will make your loved ones feel appreciated, and in turn will make you feel good as well. Focusing on and acknowledging what you’re grateful for in your relationships can increase your satisfaction with those relationships. 

4. Cultivate mindfulness –
Mindfulness can increase gratitude by being present in the moment and noticing what brings up feelings of gratefulness. Mindfulness skills don’t develop overnight; as your thoughts tend to trend negatively, it will take a conscious effort to pull your focus towards positivity instead. Practice strengthening the awareness of your thoughts. When you recognize that you’re thinking negatively, gently guide yourself towards positive thoughts, like things that you are grateful for. You can also practice mindfulness meditations that are centered on gratitude in order to improve this ability. 

Practicing gratitude can increase positivity and feelings of contentment. It helps to shift your perspective from a primarily negative outlook to a more positive perspective. In a world where there are constant comparisons, negative news headlines, and self-criticisms that may drag you down, practice a little gratitude for what you have in life. It can go a long way for you and your mental health in the days ahead.