5 Gratitude Practices to Cultivate More Happiness
These 5 gratitude practice are designed to unlock magic and miracles in your life.
Gratitude has the power to transform your life; it dissolves difficulties, eases pain and provides freedom from suffering.
When used daily, gratitude will align you with the highest frequency of all, the frequency of love.
“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” Amy Collette
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is a mindfulness practice rooted in appreciation of the here and now. When you are grateful for what you have now, in this moment, you open yourself to receive more in which to be grateful for.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish in good experiences, improve health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
Establishing a daily gratitude practice connects you with the gifts, magic and miracles present in each day. Recalling moments of gratitude associated with ordinary events, your personal attributes, or valued people in your life gives you the potential to interweave a sustainable theme of gratefulness into your life.
9 Benefits of Practicing Gratitude Daily
Improves self-esteem
Reduces stress and anxiety
Improves relationships
Creates more resiliency
Ability to deal with adversity better
Leads to being more generous and forgiving
Improves quality of thoughts
Boosts overall happiness and optimism
Enhances present moment awareness
5 Gratitude Practices to Unlock Happiness in Your Life
1. Gratitude Journaling
Rejoice in what you have. Counting your blessings brings abundance into your life.
Grab your journal and write down 10 things that you are grateful for. Feel free to use the following example or create your own.
“I am so blessed and grateful for _______________ because _______________.”
Be sure to write out the whole sentence each time as this will infuse the feelings of gratitude into your experience. When you bring your attention to WHY you are grateful for a particular thing you deepen your connection with the feeling of gratitude.
Studies report that five minutes of daily gratitude journaling can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10% and increase optimism by up to 15%. A daily gratitude practice may also reduce materialism.
2. Gratitude Rock
Find or buy a small rock, crystal, stone or other small object that you can place in your pocket or bag. This is your gratitude rock.
Carry your rock with you and every time you reach into your pocket, handbag, feel or see your rock, take a mindful moment to pause and look around, or close your eyes and go within; think of something that you are grateful for and welcome feelings of gratitude to infuse your heart.
3. Gratitude Walk
Go outside and take a walk. This can be some place in nature or simply take a leisurely stroll around your neighborhood. As you are walking around, note the things you see around you in which you are grateful for.
Say, either to yourself or out loud, “I am so blessed and grateful for _____.”
Examples may include: I am grateful for the sun on my skin, the beautiful flowers in my neighbor’s garden, the sound of the birds chirping, etc.
Feel into the experience and add why you're grateful for each thing as this will cultivate an extra feel good boost.
Fun Fact- 10 minutes of walking releases endorphins, feel-good chemicals in the brain. It eases depression and enhances happiness levels.
4. Goodnight Gratitude
Gratitude is a safe and free sleep aid.
Do this practice at night, right before you go to sleep.
The key is what’s on your mind as you’re trying to fall asleep. If your mind is distracted with worries or anxiety, the level of stress in your body will increase, reducing sleep quality, keeping you awake, and cutting your sleep short. If your mind is thinking about a few things you have to be grateful for today, it will induce the relaxation response, knock you out, and keep you that way.
If you're sleeping with a partner you can do this together, each person taking turns to share, or if you’re doing this practice solo, grab your gratitude rock from practice 2, and hold it in your hands as you do the practice.
While lying in your bed, close your eyes and think back over your day, as though you’re watching a replay or movie of your day and think of 5 things that you’re grateful for that happened today.
Pause on each moment and remember it in as much detail as possible, be sure to include the WHY in which you’re grateful for it.
Studies show that gratitude may increase sleep quality, reduce the time required to fall asleep, and increase sleep duration. In other words, gratitude can help with insomnia and improve your sleep.
5. Practice Gratitude on Social Media
The easiest way to get started with practicing gratitude on social media is by writing short gratitude post. You can share an image of something that you are grateful for and pair it with a quote, inspirational text or short caption.
When you share gratitude with your community, you create a ripple effect that reaches others. You never know who is watching and who you may inspire.
Another way to practice gratitude on social media is to choose three people from your friends or followers and slide into their DM's with a short, yet sweet and sincere, message expressing your gratitude for them.
Did this person help you find a solution to problem? Did they recently share a post that inspired you? Did they say something nice or do something nice? Or, it could be something about them. Are they just generally a kind person? Are they funny? Do they always support your posts and show love to your page?
Try to get in the habit of sending these messages more often. You could even remind yourself to do it by adding your weekly tasks list or schedule random calendar reminders.
Cultivate More Happiness with Gratitude
These 5 gratitude practices have the power to unlock love and happiness in your life. Using the above practices daily can transform your life. Listening to gratitude affirmations is another powerful way to redirect your thoughts and energy to align with gratitude. Listen to these gratitude affirmations to amplify the magic of gratitude in your life. Listen Now