Gratitude is a means of expressing thankfulness and appreciation. We can choose to express gratitude internally via our thoughts or express it outwardly to those around us. Research shows that the simple act of regularly expressing gratitude significantly improves mental, physical and relational wellbeing.
By taking the time to be grateful, even it’s for the smallest thing, you will begin to experience the world in a more positive light, and this can eventually create a ripple effect into your physical reality.
Research shows that people who regularly practice gratitude have lower blood pressure, less inflammation, experienced lower levels of pain and better sleep.
Practising gratitude also promotes increased levels of serotonin —the happiness hormone—which leads to positive relationships with those around you, and yourself, which in turn results in a decrease in thoughts of depression. From that state, it gets even easier to continue to be grateful! The result of giving gratitude is not temporary, the effects of this practice are long-lasting.
If you’re after further guidance on how to practise gratitude in your daily life then here are some of my favourite ways:
Ask your waitress how her day is going
Be a mentor or teach someone
Be an active listener
Call your friends or family
Change “I have to” to “I get to”
Do a form of movement you love and thank your incredible body
Do something unexpected for someone
Donate some of your possessions to a charity
Feed your body nourishing foods
Get to know your neighbors
Give a shoutout on social media to a company you love
Give genuine compliments to those around you
Host a gratitude dinner party (Thanksgiving isn’t the only day to be grateful over a good meal)
Hug more
Keep a gratitude jar filled with notes on life’s blessings
Keep a gratitude journal and write 3 things in it each and every day
Laugh more
Leave encouraging words for someone
Make a vision board of all the things you are grateful for in your life
Make eye contact
Make handmade gifts
Pay it forward: Buy someone a coffee
Place positive post-it notes and quotes around your house
Practice positive affirmations
Read a book and share it with someone
Say thanks before each meal
Share hand-picked flowers
Share positive reviews
Shop at a local farmers market and give thanks to your farmers
Smile
Stop, smell and absorb nature. Give thanks for the air in your lungs and admire the beauty around you
Take three deep breaths
Take time to do something you love each day
Take time to fill your cup
Tell your partner what you love about them every day
Thank people for their service
Think of three things you’re grateful for before you go to sleep
Try a guided gratitude meditation
Turn complaints into an opportunity for growth
Visit your family
Volunteer for a cause you believe in
Walk a little lighter—reduce your plastic consumption
Watch more sunrises and sunsets, recognize each day as a gift
Write a handwritten thank-you note
How do you practice gratitude? Sit with that for a moment and think about which of the above suggestions YOU can begin to incorporate into your day-to-day life. You’ll notice the difference, trust me!