Cultivating gratitude can be an excellent way to increase happiness and contentment, so here are some helpful steps that will enable you to incorporate this practice on a regular basis.
Awareness is the first step of gratitude, in which you recognise all the positive elements in your life, like a shorter coffee shop line or someone’s smile at work.
Make a list of things you’re grateful for.
A daily gratitude practice can provide a tremendously powerful boost to both your mood and sense of well-being. Simply pause for a moment to acknowledge and thank those things or moments that bring happiness or comfort into your life. The benefits are many, including better sleep, decreased depression levels, more willpower, and enhanced resilience.
Counting blessings is one of the best ways to practice gratitude, but there are other strategies. Visualising blessings before sleep may help improve quality of life, while prioritising gratitude during meal times can reduce overeating.
Research has proven that writing down a list of things we are thankful for can increase our happiness, likely by forcing us to pause and reflect on all of life’s positive elements. You could also use apps like Calm’s Gratitude Breaks as reminders throughout the day to take quick gratitude moments.
Reframing experiences, including difficult ones or feelings that you find uncomfortable or upsetting, can also be useful in cultivating gratitude. Consider whether they have helped you develop or learn something about yourself by viewing them realistically or positively, if possible.
Engaging in acts of service or kindness can help strengthen a sense of gratitude by reminding you to appreciate all you have been blessed with. Giving back can also strengthen community ties and foster healthy relationships.
Cultivating a spirit of gratitude can have an incredible effect on both yourself and others in your life. It can help build trust, foster more healthy relationships, and foster other virtues, so make it a point to regularly reflect on what you’re grateful for, sharing those moments with those close to you! You may just find the results worth your while! This practice can benefit you year-round, not just around Thanksgiving or Christmas! Best wishes from Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Maryland College Park; Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry, also at the University of Maryland College Park
Reframe your experiences.
Instead of simply reflecting on what you have to be grateful for, actively shift how you view yourself and your life experiences. For instance, if you tend to interpret things negatively—for example, feeling like an inadequate mother or worker—try instead believing you’re an understanding and capable person; this will help bring focus back onto positive aspects of yourself and life.
Using mindfulness is an effective way to change your thoughts. Tuning into all five senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste—enables you to take notice of small things that might otherwise go unnoticed, such as shorter coffee shop lines or knowing your body can support working out.
Embrace the positive aspects of challenging circumstances as an additional advantageous tactic. Studies show that doing so can make us feel more thankful in the present by giving us perspective and appreciation of where we are in life. Furthermore, doing this reduces feelings of discontent, which often stem from comparison to others and the inadequacy that it breeds.
Reframing requires practice and may initially be challenging to identify negative thoughts, but once you do recognise them, it should become easier to challenge them with more empowering and accurate perspectives. Just say to yourself, “That is an interpretation,” before providing alternative thoughts that are more accurate or beneficial.
Gretchen Rubin, a happiness expert and author of several books, including The Happiness Project, suggests setting daily prompts or reminders to reframe experiences throughout your day. She recommends setting an alarm each morning or turning off lights at night as a prompt to reflect on gratitude, set positive intentions for each day, and set an intention that’s sustainable with your personality and situation. Alternatively, apps like Calm can assist in creating daily gratitude prompts, allowing users to pause, reflect on the positive aspects of their lives, and set gratitude prompts. Ultimately, the key is setting an automatic habit that works sustainably over time for you and yourself and that works with your unique personality and situation!
Savour the moment.
Savouring positive experiences increases our gratitude. Research has proven that savouring involves focusing on the sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations of an enjoyable moment, and mentally retaining those pleasant emotions for an extended period, thereby promoting well-being and contentment.
Savouring can help you discover joy in seemingly everyday experiences, like your morning cup of coffee, a stroll through nature, or a warm embrace from someone close. Furthermore, this practice can remind us to see beauty even in the face of difficulties, such as work setbacks or personal hardship.
Acknowledging both the good and difficult aspects of life is essential for building resilience and increasing appreciation for your journey through them.
Studies have demonstrated the benefits of gratitude for well-being. Studies show it can lead to higher levels of contentment and happiness, reduced mental health issues, and enhanced relationships. People who practice gratitude also tend to be kinder and more supportive of others.
An everyday gratitude ritual, such as writing in a gratitude journal or sharing it with someone, can help create the habit of appreciating everything you have and enjoying every aspect of life. Experts recommend making this part of your daily routine, for example, first thing in the morning or before bed.
Writing down gratitude can be helpful, whether through an app, a journal, or simply reflecting on it throughout your day. Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project and Happier with Gretchen Rubin suggests setting an alert on your screensaver or passcode to remind yourself to write about your gratitude; she also encourages writing by hand, as research shows it helps students retain more knowledge.
An ideal way to add more focus and purpose to your gratitude ritual, gratitude meditation involves actively seeking out good things in your life by using all five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
Practice gratitude.
Gratitude may sound corny, but it is an effective tool that can be utilised in various ways to uplift moods, find relief from negativity, and build stronger relationships. Integrating gratitude practice into daily life requires consistent effort, but reaping the rewards can be achieved. A gratitude practice could include writing a journal entry about what you’re thankful for or saying “thank you” more frequently, as well as practicing meditation or prayer. Don’t forget yourself either; be kind to your personhood and worth!
Though toxic positivity may be easy to slip into, when we focus on gratitude instead, we don’t just focus on what’s good and ignore what’s bad; rather, gratitude creates a framework that allows us to appreciate both difficult experiences and pleasurable ones. Starting small may feel daunting at first; start off slowly, maybe just one minute per day at first, before increasing as you gain comfort with gratitude.
As it helps to be specific about what we’re thankful for rather than making a long list, being more specific with what and why you are grateful is more effective than making generalised lists of things to be grateful for. According to one study, depth over breadth proved more fruitful; taking time out to write specifically about an experience or person can bring greater gratitude than simply totaling up more items on a list.
One way to enhance your gratitude skills is to look for positives in challenging experiences, like dealing with an addiction. Each time something difficult arises, take some time to reflect on what this experience has taught you about yourself or other people, and then use this knowledge to develop healthier relationships in the future.
Think back on those who have supported and guided you during difficult times, and then take time to thank them. This can be done formally or more informally, such as by writing them a thank-you note or asking loved ones to thank them too!
