I think the habit of gratitude is something beautiful and I think gratitude is worth practising every day, making it a worthy habit for your toolkit. It helps you to be mindful of the small things that often get overlooked. It also allows you to remember to appreciate the big things you might take for granted like your family and your friends. Sometimes it may not seem like it but there are always many things to be grateful for everyday.
The simple habit of gratitude quiets the inner critic and opens up a world of appreciation. For me, gratitude is something that improves my mood. When I’m longing for something new in my life, I try to remind myself of what I already have. I do think it’s good to be ambitious but if you don’t appreciate the things in your life that already make it great, will the new things you desire make you any happier?
Perhaps those new things will also be taken for granted at some point.
When I sit down and think about it, it’s the usually small things that actually make my life worth living. It’s the tiny things that I don’t always remember are happening.
And it’s not just my own experience that makes me think the habit of gratitude is important. Research also backs up the benefits of gratitude in daily life.
In multiple studies, the practice of gratitude has been shown to have positive effects on participants’ moods, especially when practising practical gratitude exercises. But I really don’t think you have to look at research to appreciate there is a link between practising gratitude and improving your outlook and mood.
When I was designing my gratitude worksheets for adults, I got to thinking about all kinds of things we often take for granted, the kinds of things that without them, our lives would be much, much bleaker.
These are the kinds of things we don’t think twice about but that we use every day. They are the kinds of things that we’d miss dearly if they ever disappeared.
So what if we reflected on them now, before they’re gone? Perhaps this practice would help us shine a light on how important and precious these things truly are in our lives today.
For example, here are the main things I think about being grateful for every day;
- Having a roof over my head, whatever that looks like
- Having an income that supports me and my family
- Having a healthy family
- Having a reasonably fit body
- Being able to have access to healthy food
- Having the option to decide what I want to do
- Being able to relax in my free time
- Being able to exercise without pain
The list goes on and on because when I begin to consciously think this way, I begin to notice just how many good things there are in life to be thankful for.
So with that in mind, here are 109 things to be grateful for everyday. You can use these as inspiration for your own gratitude practice whether that’s taking a moment for pause each day or as prompts when writing in your journal.
The morning
- A beautiful sunrise
- The smell of a clean pillow under your head
- Waking up with new opportunities
- That first sip of a hot drink
- Stretching out your body, ready to take on the day
- The warm shower water running over your skin
- The smell of clean clothes
- The morning sun on your skin
- The sound of birds singing as the world wakes up
- A hearty meal to begin your day
- Exercise to get your blood pumping in the morning
Your body
- The ability to think and create ideas
- Able arms and legs that allow you to do so much
- A beating heart
- Your eyes that allow you to see this colourful world
- Your hands that act like tools, allowing you to do almost every important physical task.
- Your lungs that allow you to breathe fresh air pump oxygen around your body
- Your strong muscles that allow you to move around injury-free
- Your joints that allow you to twist and turn, bend and move
- Your stomach that works hard to break down your food and keep things flowing well
- Your liver that filters toxins and keeps you healthy
- Your mouth and the ability to communicate with others easily
- Healthy food that nourishes your body
- Exercise and the ability to do it in many different ways to keep your body functioning well
- Fresh water to fuel your cells
- Your nose that allows you to smell the beautiful aromas of perfume and foods
- Your ears that allow you to hear beautiful music and the voices of your loved ones
People
- The teachers that had a big influence on you
- Your parents for bringing you up and teaching you lessons
- Your best friend who always seems to be there for you
- Your extended family you know you can count on if you need them
- Your group of friends that you’ve known for years
- That one friend who is more like a brother or a sister
- The loving embrace of your partner
- The opportunity for love all around you
- The one person who keeps you humble
- Your children and their love
- Watching your children grow up
- A warm hug from a loved one always makes you feel better
- Being able to talk openly with your loved ones
- Your family support network
- The chance to tell those you love how you feel whilst you’re both still here
Natural world
- Your pets that you receive so much love from
- Green spaces you can visit to clear your head
- The calming noise of falling rain
- A day on a beautiful beach with clean, sea air
- The ability to go for a calming walk in the woods
- A planet with a rich, diverse array of amazing animals
- A stunning sunset at the end of the day
- Beautiful new places and countries you can visit
- The feeling of warm sand under your feet
- Feeling a cool breeze over your face
- The cold falling snow that feels like it resets everything
- Sitting by a calming lake and having the time to think
- Taking a walk through a beautiful forest for no reason other than for the experience
- Seeing animals interact without a care in the world
- Walking in the hills and mountains, remembering how small you are in all of this
Moments
- The pure feeling you get when something unexpectedly good happens
- When someone tells you they love you
- The moment you realise you’re capable of overcoming something difficult
- The moment you finish reading a challenging book
- The joyful moment you and a friend start laughing for no reason
- The moment the rain becomes gentle and a rainbow forms, reminding you that you’re part of something larger
- The moment you lay in bed with your partner and embrace each other
- The moment the sun seeps through your curtains in the morning after a good sleep
- The moment someone does something kind for you out of the blue
- The moment you see your child smile and it reminds you not to take everything so seriously
- The moment your team wins a match
- The moment you reach a personal goal
- The moment you try on an outfit, it looks great and you get a boost of confidence
- When you get home from work after a long day and settle down for a rest
- When you look around you and your family all seem happy doing what they’re doing, causing you to smile
- When you’re driving on an open road, the sun is shining and your favourite music is blaring
- The moment someone tells you something that touches your soul and truly resonates with you
Yourself
- Your achievements, no matter how small they may be
- The opportunity to learn new skills and flourish
- The option to say how you feel freely
- The chance to change and grow as a person
- Everything you have overcome and the lessons you’ve learned along the way
- Getting out of bed even when it’s hard to do so
- Getting through uncomfortable things like job interviews
- Finding the strength to face the world on difficult days
- Being willing to accept your wrong about something
- Persevering with something even when you’re not sure if it will pay off
- Your hobbies and interests that allow you to flex your creative side
- Being able to say “no” when you know you need to
- Your health and everything that comes with it
- The love you feel within yourself for the special people in your life
- The things you own that make your life that little bit easier
- The kindness you share and get back from others
- Your job that allows you to buy the things you need to live the way you like
- Your weekends and the fun things you like to engage in
Things you own
- Your car that allows you to move around easily and freely
- Your home, the place you rest and recharge
- Your utensils that allow you to cook healthy meals
- Precious photos you cherish from the past
- Your cell phone that allows you to do countless things at the press of a few buttons
- Your computer that allows you to communicate with people easily
- Cleaning materials that help to keep your environment clean and therefore healthy for you
- Your clothes that allow you to dress in the way that you’d like
- If you have one, a garden that gives you the opportunity to feel the natural elements on your skin
- Your television, connecting you with hours of cheap entertainment
- The internet, a productive tool that has changed all of our lives in many ways
- A washing machine that keeps clothes clean week after week
- Books that give you new ideas about the world
- Your bed, the vitally important place where you recharge
- Your shoes, protecting your feet from the outside and that allow you to play sports comfortably
- Artwork that inspires you to think and be creative
- Electricity that powers all of our modern gadgets
How you can incorporate the practice of gratitude into daily life
In my experience, practising gratitude can be as simple as taking a pause each morning or each evening to reflect on something special in your life, something you’d miss if it were gone or something that you feel makes your life better. It can be a small thing like your phone or a big thing like a loved one.
Take two or three minutes to do this when you have a spare moment. It can also be useful to tie this with meditation. Again, you don’t need to spend a lot of time meditating to do this.
When you go to bed & when you rise
You could even do this when you get into bed. As you close your eyes and ready yourself for sleep, replace your unwanted thoughts with thoughts of the good things that happened that day.
This is a great way to meditate in silence without distraction because it’s a time in the day when you can easily find stillness. Let your mind wander to all the things that make you smile or focus on one thing or one person that has been there for you recently. Think about the impact they have had on you and why they mean so much to you.
Similarly, you could practice this when you wake up before you open your eyes and get out of bed. It’s a great way to start your day.
In a journal
You could even open up your journal or your notepad and make a note of something you’re grateful for on a particular day or week. Describe why you appreciate that thing, how it makes you feel and why it’s important in your life.
If you decide to start a gratitude journal, try and make it a habit by leaving it next to your bed, for example. Or you could even keep it at work on your desk. Just try to keep it somewhere you won’t miss it.
Download gratitude worksheets
If you want a simple structured exercise to practice gratitude, consider downloading these gratitude worksheets for adults that will allow you to explore the many different things in life that make your life meaningful.
Above all else, don’t worry about how you practice gratitude, there’s no one right way to do it. Try and do it for a week, notice how it makes you feel and if you see the benefits, try a week, a month or even a year.
Practice gratitude with these simple worksheets & your own gratitude journal template
Sean C is a writer, passionate about improving one’s self by maintaining healthy habits and doing the things that make life more meaningful.