You can quickly improve your mood with some gratitude. 🙂
There are so many things to be grateful for in life and we should all focus more on gratitude practice to feel more fulfilled and happy. When you are feeling down, it can sometimes be tough to find things to be grateful for although there will always be something.
Let me help you find more things to be grateful for so that you can feel the warmth that comes from practicing gratitude!
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What is gratitude and how do you practice it
What is gratitude?
Gratitude is an attitude of showing that you are grateful for all kinds of different things in life.
When you receive a present, most people will automatically be grateful or when you get some help with something you are struggling with it goes without saying that you will be grateful (or that’s what I hope at least). These things are only logical to be grateful for, as there are actions that ask for appropriate thankful reactions. But there are so many more things to be grateful for than only things you receive.
The less obvious or maybe always present things sometimes get forgotten or taken for granted. For example, your mother who is always there for you, doesn’t she deserve some gratitude once in a while for just being there for you? Little things like enjoying a moment of self-care or the sun that is shining that day, as it brightens your day, deserve a little bit of gratitude.
How to practice gratitude
When you want to reap the benefits of gratitude practice, you should be doing it regularly. The best thing to do is to make it a daily habit. You can choose to start your day off with some gratitude, end it with it, or maybe even do both!
There are different ways on how to do it. You can keep a gratitude journal, where you write 3 to 5 things down that you are grateful for that day. This is very intimate and you can make it as personal as you want. There are journals that you can buy that have already guidelines in them so that they are easier to fill in. But an empty notebook can do the trick if you use it for your gratitude practice only.
You could also make it a moment with your family, where each one of you expresses their gratitude for something at dinner time. This can become a moment of gratitude but also a connection with each other.
Another way to practice gratitude is by saying the things you are grateful for to yourself. You could even just think about the things that you are grateful for, as long as you make it a habit to do it daily.
Personally, I think that writing things down will help you look back at all the things to be grateful for when you are not feeling so great. This is a great reminder that there are always things to be grateful for even when it doesn’t seem like it.
If you think about a person that you are grateful for in your life, it’s also always a good idea to let them know once in a while. Everybody loves to hear that you appreciate and love them. You will make their day and feel good about spreading love and kindness. Most of the time, we don’t say these things enough.
Why you should practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude will boost your mood like you didn’t know it could. If you want to feel better and more hopeful, you should start practicing gratitude daily.
Things to be grateful for are all around you, even when you don’t feel great, they are still there, you just need to look a little harder to see them.
When you are down, depressed, or anxious, thinking about everything that happened that day or week that deserves some gratitude on your part will let you see that everything isn’t as dark as you experience it at that moment.
Looking back and reading the things you’ve written down from the past days, weeks, or even months can also fill your heart with warmth when you need it.
You will notice that there are plenty of things to be grateful for if you start looking for them. And the good thing is, the more you practice gratitude, the easier you will find things to be grateful for and you will start to notice even more things without any effort.
Gratitude is an attitude and you can change the way your mind thinks by training it every day with gratitude practice. Wonderful! Happier life here you come!
25 things to be grateful for in an inspirational list
1. Your wonderful family
Family is always worth cherishing. There might be moments when you can strangle your sister or give your father a big sigh of annoyance. But in the end, your family loves and cares for you, and they deserve your gratitude.
2. Your lovely friends
Those friends who are always there for you or support you during difficult times deserve appreciation. Even the friends who you just like to hang out with for fun who aren’t very close to you are worth your gratitude, as they bring happiness into your life.
3. Your cute pets
Fluffy furry animals make every day a lot more joyful. They spread love (especially dogs) and they do it because they genuinely like you. Give them a treat or a pet to show them your thankfulness every now and then.
4. Your cozy home
There are also many things to be grateful for, that aren’t people or pets. The roof above your head is one of them. Be grateful that you have a place to live in every single day. It protects you from the sometimes harsh outdoors.
5. Your good health
Most people only appreciate being healthy when they are sick, then you remember that even being able to breathe to your nose is a nice thing. Try to think about it more often when you are in good health, be thankful for your healthy body, treat it with kindness, and feed it properly. Don’t take your health for granted!
6. Sunshine
Another thing to be grateful for is the sun shining bright. When you see nothing but sunshine in summer, this can be easy to take for granted, but when winter comes and every day is grey, you will appreciate every little ray of sunshine. It gives you more energy and happiness, and maybe even a nice tan.
7. Beautiful nature
We all need to appreciate nature, as it was there long before we were on this earth. It is so beautiful and gives you rest and peace just by looking at it. When you take a walk in nature or look out the window to see a tree with some birds in it, be thankful that you can enjoy its beauty and sounds.
8. Yummy food
I think this is one of the things to be grateful for that speaks for itself, who doesn’t love delicious food? When you eat something you love, give some attention to every bite and savor every moment. Be mindful while eating and you will enjoy it even more.
9. Amazing music
Listening to a song you love feels amazing. If you can dance to it or sing along even better for your mood! Appreciate good songs and the artists that created them.
10. Fun surprises
With the emphasis on ‘fun’. Surprises can be so much fun and are often appreciated because someone probably put in a lot of effort to organize a surprise for you. Always be thankful when someone does something nice for you.
11. Someone’s smile
Share a smile with someone and they might smile back at you. Receiving a smile from another person feels great and smiling itself can even lift your mood, just by moving your smile muscles.
12. Getting help
When you need help with something and someone is willing to help you, be extra grateful. Give help to people who need it so they can be grateful for you as well.
13. A comfortable bed
A good night’s sleep is so important to feel like a functional human being, and therefore, a comfortable bed comes in handy. When you are tired from the day and you can get into a nice and cozy bed, you can embrace its softness and warmth and finally relax.
14. Nice clothes
With nice clothes, I don’t mean fancy designer items. I mean comfortable, not itching and easy to wear clothes. Clothes can make you feel great about your appearance and also protect you against very cold environments. Be thankful for them.
15. Energizing walk
Having the ability to walk is something we all take for granted, except for people who never could walk. When suddenly you aren’t able to walk because of an injury, you will notice how nice it is to walk. Walking gives you energy and relieves stress. Go for a walk and be thankful for your powerful legs.
16. Relaxing bath or shower
Another good way to lose tension and stress is to take a warm bath or shower. I am so grateful that I have a bathtub at my parent’s house because I love bathing as it is so relaxing. Let your worries melt away in a bubble bath with some lavender-scented bath salt.
17. Caring coworkers
When you have caring coworkers, you have hit the jackpot at work. Okay, maybe the jackpot is only hit when you also have a very nice boss. The connection you have with your coworkers is important because this determines a big part of whether you are happy at work or not. Compliment them once in a while to show your appreciation or give them a little gift. This keychain is amazing to give to your coworkers that became your friends.
18. Meaningful job
There are more things to be grateful for when it comes to your work life. Having a meaningful job where the work you do every day contributes to a better world is amazing. Even if you don’t feel like your job is that big of a deal to society, because you are contributing by paying taxes and helping a certain company, you are still helping out, which is great!
19. A steady income
A steady income is worth mentioning because it can give you peace of mind and take care of your basic needs.
20. A vehicle to take you to places
This can be a car, public transport, a bike, etc. It doesn’t have to be fancy, as long as it gets you where you need to be. You can travel the world thanks to different kinds of transportation or just get to work and get your kids to school.
21. Learning something new
Learning is a lifelong journey that starts when you are born and ends when you die. You can learn something new every single day. Learning something new was never easier, as we can find so many fun things to learn on the internet. Don’t forget to learn things from your grandparents and parents as well, as they have a lot of knowledge to teach.
22. A cup of coffee
A cup of coffee is the first thing I want to see, smell, and taste every single morning. Some people call it a hug in a mug. I love it and appreciate it every single morning over and over again.
23. Me-time
Every day you should be able to have a little bit of me-time. Time for yourself is sacred and allows you to reload your batteries. Enjoy some time in solitude and recharge, you deserve it.
24. A day off
A day off or maybe even a vacation, asks for much gratitude! The freedom that comes with having a day off from work is amazing. You can do what you want to do when you want to do it and enjoy every moment.
25. Books
And last but not least on this list of things to be grateful for are books! Books can bring knowledge, an escape from your day-to-day life, or just a moment of quiet time. I’m especially grateful for the library that rents out these wonderful books for a very small fee.
Conclusion
Things to be grateful for are unlimited. This list only gives you some inspiration to get you started, but every day you might notice a different thing to be grateful for, which is awesome!
Start to actively look for things to be grateful for and practice more gratitude every day to live a more satisfied life. I hope you have tons of things to be grateful for, and if you think you don’t, you might just need to look a bit better.
Gratitude is a part of a happy life, share it with your family and friends to spread this warm feeling.
I am very grateful to everyone who is reading my blog! 🙂 Lots of love xoxo.