Are you looking for ways to practice daily gratitude? Maybe you’re searching for ideas on how to better yourself and really appreciate life. There is so much uncertainty in life and it can become completely overwhelming at times.
Taking the time to show and feel gratitude is an important part of your self care routine. Keep reading for some inspiration to practice gratitude daily, gratitude journal ideas and why showing gratitude is one of the most powerful things you can do to live your best life.
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What’s Inside…
What Is Gratitude?
In its simplest form gratitude is truly appreciating something. Simple enough on the surface, but when life is hard that can be easier said than done.
When difficult situations continue to present themselves and life feels overwhelming it can be hard to find things to be thankful for.
It’s also common to feel guilt because you aren’t grateful for the simplest of things. In those dark moments, finding the things that you are truly appreciative of just isn’t happening.
First, let’s just clear up that you aren’t alone. As humans we are prone to fall victim to frustration about any number of things. The important thing is you are obviously wanting to practice gratitude or you wouldn’t be here.
So let’s just take a deep breath and dig into some fun, simple and still creative ways to practice gratitude.
How To Practice Gratitude
First and foremost let’s just accept that life is going to happen. There are plenty of things that will happen around us or to us that we have zero control over.
BUT, the other thing that will never change is you still have control over two things, your thoughts and your actions. No one can ever take those away from you.
There may be times where it doesn’t feel like you have control of those things in your life. Just remind yourself that you and only you can control your thoughts. Your actions are yours and yours alone. The most important step to take in practicing gratitude is to claim control of your mind. It’s amazing the difference having a positive perspective can make on how you handle a situation.
Clear Your Mind
Practicing gratitude is all about having a clear mind and intentionally seeking out the things that you are thankful for. Even the simplest of things.
When you’re sitting drinking your coffee in the morning and trying to find something you are grateful for, start simple. You’re enjoying your morning cup of coffee so you could even start with consciously being grateful for the ability to make yourself a drink that morning.
Once you’ve started to show gratitude let your thoughts have a natural flow.
Gratitude Exercise
When you want to practice gratitude but just aren’t feeling it try letting your natural flow of thoughts take you to a place of being truly grateful.
Even if those things are the most basic and simple things in your life. You have to start somewhere…
- I’m thankful for this cup of coffee
- The blanket on my lap is so comforting, I’m thankful for that.
- As you remember purchasing the blanket you are grateful for the store you bought it at. It’s your favorite place to find cute things for your home.
- I love the wall art I found there too. It makes me smile when I see it.
- You look around the room and realize you are thankful you have a home that meets all of your needs.
You see, just allow your mind to go through the process of moving from one thing you’re grateful for to another.
30 Days of Gratitude Challenge
Want to really challenge yourself to make practicing gratitude a part of your daily routine? Start a 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge.
I have a whole post on gratitude challenges. You can read it here!
There’s no better way to make showing gratitude a habit that you naturally and instinctively do than to challenge yourself to do it everyday.
Get started with our FREE 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge today!
Gratitude Journal Ideas – Inspiration
- Something that made you smile
- Your “go-to” song that lifts your spirits
- The weather
- What you appreciate about your job
- Holiday that you are grateful for
- Something you use every day that simplifies your life
- A good thing that happened today
- Your favorite food
- The thing that always lifts your spirits when you’re feeling down
- That quote, saying or scripture that reminds you everything will be OK
- Your favorite clothing that just makes you feel good
- A habit you have that makes your life better
- Something new you’ve learned
- What you learned from a difficult experience
- Something you do that is unique
- A friend that you can count on
- People in your life that challenge you to grow
These gratitude journal ideas are designed to help you get a solid start on writing in your daily gratitude journal.
Gratitude Journal Printable
Using a gratitude journal is a great way to intentionally carve out time to focus on the things you are grateful for.
It’s important to use it every day. Even on days when you aren’t feeling like showing gratitude for much of anything.
Actually, those are the days it’s most important to use your journal.
Creative Gratitude Journal Ideas
There are so many ways you can express yourself through your journaling. Sometimes you just don’t feel like writing a traditional journal entry.
Here are some creative gratitude journal ideas for you to try.
- Try bullet journal entries
- Draw something you’re grateful for (stick figures are TOTALLY OK)
- Make a collage of images or cutouts from magazines, ads or your favorite posts
- Create a word wall of things you are grateful for
- Deviate for a day and make a vision board to show gratitude
- Hang a gratitude quote on your wall to remind you to focus on things you are grateful for daily
How to Appreciate Life
If you’re really looking for the secret sauce in how to appreciate life, how to practice gratitude has to be in the mix.
Showing gratitude, even for the things you aren’t all that excited about, helps you have a positive perspective, embrace the beauty of life’s lessons and is truly critical when you’re really figuring out how to better yourself.
Self growth, showing self love, self worth and living a fulfilled life are all part of what makes us grow to be better people.
Is it painful sometimes? Definitely!
Is it worth it? Absolutely!
The hardest situations and times in our lives have the ability to set us back or learn the most powerful lessons. If I look back on my life I could have easily taken on a victim mentality. There are several devastating situations that occurred early in my life.
I’m so thankful that even as a teenager I chose to focus on what I could take from an experience to improve myself. It would have been so easy to blame others and fall into the trap of negativity.
Practicing gratitude wasn’t a conscious thought at that stage of my life. I’m eternally grateful for divine intervention that truly allowed me to see I had the power to shape my own future. For that I will be eternally grateful.
No matter how difficult or monotonous life feels right now, just remember, you and only you have the power to choose your thoughts and your actions.
You, and you alone, determine your future. Practice daily gratitude to empower yourself to live your best life!
Self Care, Productivity, Personal Growth and Healthy Mindset Coach
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Be sure to comment down below on how you practice daily gratitude. What do you struggle with? Let’s encourage each other through the process of self growth and self improvement.
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