Attitude of Gratitude

Did you know that the simple act of journaling for five minutes a day about what we are grateful for can enhance our long-term happiness by over 10% (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005)! Another study on gratitude showed that participants experienced a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms for several weeks, while those practicing gratitude journaling reported a similar reduction in depressive symptoms for as long as the journaling continued (Seligman et al., 2005).

A couple of ways we practice gratitude in our house:

1. We have a gratitude jar. The whole family writes down at least one thing that we are grateful for each day. On days when gratitude seems a little harder to come by we reach into that jar, grab one, read it & try to remember as much about that day as possible.

2. We have a bullet journal that allows us to see five yrs of entries on each page. We write three or more things we are grateful for each night in that book. Then each year we can easily look back & review the past years entry. 

Here are a few other ways to practice gratitude:

• Tell someone you love them and how much you appreciate them.
• Notice the beauty around you.
• Smile more often.
• Watch inspiring videos that will remind you of the good in the world.
• Include an act of kindness in your life each day.
• Volunteer for organizations that help others..
• Give compliments.
• Write a card to someone you haven’t seen in a while and tell them something nice.
• Add to your gratitude list daily, at least one more thing each day.
• When you think a negative thought, try to see the positive side in the situation.
• Meditate with your gratitude list, giving thanks for all your good fortune.
• Thank the people who serve you in the community — the shopkeeper, the bus drivers, etc.
• Say thank you for the little things your loved ones do for you, things you normally take for granted.
• Post quotes and images that remind you to be grateful around your house.
• Embrace challenges and turn them into opportunities to grow.
• Send love to your enemies or people you dislike.
• Be thankful when you learn something new.
• See the growth opportunity in your mistakes.
• Help your friends see the positive side to life.
• Make a gratitude collage, cut out pictures of all the things that you are grateful for.
• Practice gratitude at the same time every day to make it a habit.
• Share the benefits of gratitude with family and friends.
• Share gratitude each day by posting a tweet, Facebook post or Pinterest.

Here’s a 2.28 min video on why gratitude journaling doesn’t work 😉