20 Powerful Ways to Practice Gratitude Daily and Transform Your Mindset
Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools you have for creating real, lasting change. Gratitude isn’t about denying life’s difficulties. Rather, it’s a mindset shift that fuels positive change regardless of your circumstances. Gratitude transforms how you see the world. By practicing gratitude, you rewire your brain to focus on what’s good, rather than what's lacking.
Here are 20 ways you can practice gratitude.
1. Write it Down
Keep a gratitude journal in a physical notebook or in an app on your computer, tablet or phone. Write down 2-3 things you’re thankful for each day. I use Day One on my iPhone.
2. Take a Gratitude Walk
Go for a walk and take in the sights, sounds, and smells around you. You can either write down 2-3 things you’re thank for or say them out loud.
3. Color Your Gratitude
Some people color mandalas or other patterns to practice mindfulness. This is one of my regular habits. When you’re coloring, jot down a few things you’re thankful on the sides or bottom of the page.
4. Verbally Express Your Gratitude
Commit daily to telling someone in your life why you’re thankful for them. Make it simple. It doesn’t have to be awkward. It will positively impact you and the relationships you have with the people in your life.
5. Write Thank-You Notes
Maybe you’re not as comfortable speaking your appreciation for another, but it might be easier to write it out. I realize this is old school, but it still carries power. The more genuine, the better.
6. Start a Gratitude Jar
This is great practice for families, roommates, or work teams. Keep a jar somewhere central to your community with blank slips of paper next to it. Encourage people to write something they’re grateful for on a slip of paper and put it in the jar. Have them practice doing this once a day. Set a time to read those slips of paper as a group. This fosters an environment of gratitude.
7. Take a Mini Gratitude Retreat
OK, maybe the word retreat is generous. Regardless, take a few minutes out of your day to do some deep breathing and reflect on 2-3 things you’re thankful for.
8. Link the Practice of Gratitude with Stress Triggers
Whenever you feel stressed, take a few minutes to stop and express gratitude for 1-2 blessings in your life. This is a great way to calm your amygdala and refocus your brain.
9. Stack the Habit of Gratitude onto an Existing Habit
Think about 2-3 things you’re thankful for when you’re brushing your teeth, taking a shower, driving to work, making your coffee, or going for a run. When you stack a habit onto an already existing habit, you increase the likelihood that the new habit will stick.
10. Start a Gratitude Challenge
Encourage people to practice gratitude every day for 30 days. You can do this with your spouse, partner, kids, or friends. Create a group message so everyone can share.
11. Practice Gratitude Through the Alphabet
This is good if you’re feeling stuck. Start with the letter A and think of one thing you’re thankful for that begins with A. Move on to B. And so on. I advise skipping Q and Z!
12. Practice the Habit of Gratitude with Photography
Take pictures of things you’re grateful for and keep a photo journal of gratitude. Once again, Day One is a great app for this.
13. Use Complaining as a Reminder to Reframe with Gratitude.
When you find yourself complaining, challenge yourself to find one thing you’re thankful for in that situation and say it out loud or write it down. This helps redirect your focus from the negative to the positive.
14. Surround Yourself with Grateful People
You become like the people around you. If you want to be a grateful person, it’s important to surround yourself with grateful people.
15. Create a Gratitude Playlist
Add songs that remind you of the things and people you appreciate in life. Listen to it at a set time each day and verbally express 2-3 things you’re grateful for.
16. Practice Gratitude When you Wake up Every Morning
Before you get out of bed, think of 1-2 things you’re grateful for and either speak them out loud or write them down in your gratitude journal. This is a great way to set the tone for your day.
17. Do an End-of-the-Day Gratitude Check-In
Before you fall asleep each night, think through your day and note 2-3 things you’re thankful for. Say them aloud or record them in your gratitude journal. This is a great way to end your day on a positive note.
18. Set a Daily Reminder to Practice Gratitude
Use technology to make yourself more grateful. Set an alarm or reminder for the same time each day. When it goes off, reflect on the past 24 hours, and either state or write down 2-3 things you’re thankful for.
19. Write Social Media Gratitude Posts
If you’re a social media person, post 2-3 things you’re thankful for each day on social media. Not only is it a great way for you to express your thankfulness, it’s also great a way to influence others to practice the habit of gratitude.
20. Create a Gratitude Vision Board
Gather images, quotes, or objects that represent things you’re thankful for—people, places, experiences, or even simple joys. Put them together on a vision board and hang it in a place you will regularly see it. Seeing this daily reminder will help create and reinforce a gratitude mindset.
When you make gratitude a daily habit, it changes your mindset. With consistent practice, gratitude becomes a lens through which you see possibility, hope, and joy.
If you’re serious about creating the life of your dreams, start with gratitude. It’s a small, daily habit that has the power to change everything.
