September 11, 2024

10 Habits That Promote Living In Gratitude

Living with gratitude is essential for your entire well-being. When you approach life with gratitude, you’re not only helping yourself feel more appreciative of everything you have, but you’re also spreading positivity to others around you. If you are ready to begin living a life filled with gratitude, consider adopting these ten habits.

Keep a gratitude journal and update it regularly.

Regularly write down things you are grateful for in a journal. This simple practice can shift your focus toward positive aspects of your life and enhance your overall sense of thankfulness. As a bonus, when you need a positive boost of energy, you can revisit past entries in the journal for an instant dose of gratitude.

Express your thanks and appreciation to others whenever you can.

Don’t let life pass by without telling the people you love and appreciate how you really feel about them. Take the time to express gratitude to the other people in your life. Whether through a simple thank-you note, a message, or in person, acknowledging the contributions of others builds a culture of gratitude.

Start and end the day with a few moments of intentional gratitude.

Begin and conclude your day by reflecting on the things you are thankful for, such as positive moments you experienced during the day. This sets a positive tone and encourages a mindset of gratitude, which is a wonderful way to either start the day off right and end the day on a positive note.

Practice being more mindful.

Incorporate mindfulness practices into your daily routine. Mindful people are far more likely to be grateful because they are living in the present moment and aware of their feelings. Being present in the moment and appreciating the small joys in life can deepen your sense of gratitude because you are fully aware of what you’re experiencing in real time.

Focus on the positives in life.

Shift your attention away from what's lacking or negative, and consciously focus on the positive aspects of your life. Practice actively pausing when you have negative thoughts and replace it with something more positive and productive. Over time, this practice will feel less awkward and more normal, helping you build a more positive and gratitude-oriented attitude.

Volunteer or give back to your surrounding community.

Engage in acts of kindness and service by volunteering your time, money, skills, or resources to others or causes in need. Volunteering or helping others in need provides a sense of purpose in your life and reinforces feelings of gratitude for what you personally have.

Create a gratitude jar.

Keep an empty jar and some slips of blank paper handy. Start a gratitude jar and regularly drop notes inside expressing moments of gratitude as you experience them. Over time, you can revisit these notes and reflect on the positive aspects of your life. The act of jotting down little moments of gratitude to revisit later not only helps you remember everything you have to be grateful for, but it also helps you to be more aware of when you’re experiencing gratitude in the present moment.

Celebrate all of your wins in life – even the little ones.

Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small some of them might be. Taking the time to recognize all your accomplishments promotes a positive mindset and gratitude for your efforts. You’ll recognize how hard you work to do well and really appreciate the positive impact you’re able to make in your own life.

Limit comparisons between yourself and others.

Avoid comparing yourself to others, especially in a way that fosters feelings of jealousy. Instead of spending your time steeped in comparisons, focus on your unique journey and the positive aspects of your own life. When you stop comparing yourself to everyone else around you, it is much easier to appreciate everything you already have.

Surround yourself with positive influences.

Build relationships with positive and supportive people and surround yourself with their good vibes and energy. The mindset of those around you can influence your own perspective and reinforce feelings of gratitude and positivity within your own life. It’s much easier to recognize gratitude when you are surrounded by other positive-minded, appreciative people.

dhf

If you liked this article, check out my Substack Newsletter post, "How To Harness The Power of Positive Thinking" at: https://theunreliablemind.substack.com/p/how-to-harness-the-power-of-positive