When people share their experience with gratitude, you can expect them to tell you about how much it’s bettered their lives. Even current studies support this claim, suggesting that gratefulness is highly associated with increased happier emotions. While it’s easy to say we should practice being grateful every day, where exactly should we start?
There are several ways to practice and slowly incorporate gratefulness in your life. One of them is to follow a daily gratitude list. They can work as your guide and provide you a variety of practices to choose from. Gratitude lists usually contain prompts or ideas to try out. But before anything else, it’s important to know what gratitude is really about.
The Key Concept of Gratefulness
We tend to aim to live the happiest we can be each day. The strongest weapon we have against negativity is gratitude. It allows us to become more positive through the acceptance of both good and bad experiences.
Choosing to see the blessing in every day lets us learn how to accept life for the way it is. And so, we can feel more understanding of what happens around us. Even when a situation would create negative energy, gratitude keeps it from affecting us negatively.
Practicing Gratitude Every Day
Gratefulness is a practice that turns into a habit. The more you apply gratitude practices to your daily life, the more your mind will condition into that way of thinking. When that happens, you’ll find yourself surrounded by more positivity because your mind starts focusing on those instead, even amid a problem.
Having a grateful list for each day is helpful to keep on track of your practices. The following are lists and exercises to help you kickstart your gratitude list:
List of Gratitude Practices
- Accept the Good and the Bad
The first step to practicing gratitude is to learn to accept both positive and negative situations. Balance plays a vital role in being grateful. Gratitude is a choice, and so, it allows us to choose to focus on the good around us even among the bad.
2. Give Yourself Reminders Each Day
An easy practice is to think up three blessings you are thankful for every day. In doing this, you can learn to remember that there is something to be grateful for each day, no matter how big or small it may be.
There are platforms available to help you keep track of this practice, such as Three Things Daily. It comes with an app where you can post three things you are grateful for today. Their community shares their insights through the gratitude wall, which other members can check out. Three Things Daily also has a blog containing posts about discussions on gratitude.
3. Keep A Gratitude Journal
If you want to keep records of your progress, you could start a gratitude journal. With practice, you have the freedom to choose how to express your gratefulness. It can be by writing entries about your day, asking yourself questions, or making gratitude lists. It is also helpful in looking back at previous days to remind you that every storm will eventually pass.
4. Learn to Express Appreciation
Building gratitude as a part of your life includes learning how to express it. This practice promotes sharing positive emotions and giving rather than only receiving. Being grateful is an emotion to communicate even when you are the one who gives. It builds stronger relationships while keeping the positive energy around you constantly.
It also applies to being grateful for what you have and what surrounds you, from fulfilling your daily needs to the beauty of nature.
22 Gratitude Prompts and Questions to Build Your Gratitude List
The following questions include gratitude list examples for you to use as a basis for your own. There are many things to be thankful for, but here are a few to get you started:
- What are you looking forward to today?
- Write about your favorite thing in the world. It could be a hobby, person, or object.
- What would you like to thank nature for?
- Write about a memory you hold close to your heart and why.
- What do you have now, that you didn’t have a year ago, that you are grateful for?
- Who are the people you are most thankful for this year?
- What accomplishment made you feel the proudest this recently?
- List three things you feel grateful for today.
- Who are the people you admire? List down what you want to learn from them.
- What makes you grateful for your friends?
- List three things that will always put a smile on your face.
- What’s the highlight of your day?
- Write about an experience you had trouble with in the past that you have overcome today and how you were able to get through the challenge.
- What made you laugh recently?
- Write about something or someone that warmed your heart.
- What good did you do for someone else recently?
- Are you happy with the way your day turned out?
- What do you think is your best feature or characteristic?
- List three things that irritate you. What can you do to avoid feeling that way about them?
- Write down three ways you can express your gratitude for the people you love.
- Write about the most beautiful place you’ve been to.
- Did you make someone smile today? Write about it.
Final Thoughts
Gratitude is a game-changer, and it makes a remarkable impact on our mental and physical well-being. A gratitude list is a simple exercise anyone can follow. Along with other practices for you to try, you will be able to find yourself understanding the concept of gratefulness deeper. Whether you choose to write a daily gratitude list or use a platform like Three Things Daily, you’re sure to get good results as long as you are willing to make the change.
