10to Practice Gratitude

10 Simple ways
to practice gratitude

It’s November. A time when our family focuses on gratitude. The science of gratitude goes beyond simply thinking intentionally. A consistent practice of gratitude can actually rewire the brain, activate the pre-frontal cortex, and empower us to see the world differently, even if our circumstances stay the same.

Any gratitude practice can be meaningful. I’m offering a 10 ways to practice gratitude to either enhance the gratitude practice you already have, or to get one started.

1. Each morning, write down three experiences from the day prior you are grateful for. This is so powerful for seeing gratitude within the short-term, everyday moments.
2. Practice a week-long gratitude focus on hard experiences. First, identify 3-5 hard experiences in your life. Over the week, ponder these questions: what did you learn from those hard experiences? How did they shape you into who you are today? Why might you be grateful for those hard experiences?
3. Practice a week-long gratitude focus on people in your life. First, identify 3-5 individuals who inspired you. Over the week, ponder these questions: How did they inspire you? How did it shape you into who you are today? What from their example do you want to apply in your own life? Consider writing them a note of gratitude.
4. Practice a week-long gratitude focus on nature. First, identify 3-5 places in nature that inspire you. Over the week, ponder these questions: What feelings do these places generate for you? Why? How are these places a gift to be enjoyed? How might you show gratitude for these places? Maybe go on a gratitude walk and simply notice the nature surrounding you with a lens of gratitude.
5. Practice a week-long gratitude for your physical body. How does your physical body enable you to read these current words? What about your physical body enables you to move, breathe? What are you able to enjoy or experience in life because of your physical body? This could also be repeated for your mind and spirit as well.
6. Make a list of 100 things you are grateful for.
7. Each evening, write down three feelings you are grateful you experienced in the day. While naming the positive feelings might seem like the obvious option, how might learning to find gratitude for the negative feelings serve you? What did you learn from those negative feelings? How did you process through them? Naming feelings and seeing how they all contribute to who you are as a person is powerful work.
8. In a yoga practice, use sun salutations to practice gratitude. Choose one person whom you are grateful for and focus on them for the entire sun salutation. Repeat 5-10 times, each with a different focus.
9. Build a habit of a daily gratitude prayer.
10. Practice the affirmation “I am grateful.” See what comes up as you breathe these words intentionally in small moments throughout the day.

The power of a gratitude practice isn’t in doing it perfectly, it’s in practicing it consistently. Miss a day? Give yourself permission to start again. Practice leaning away from a “to do” mindset and leaning toward a “to be” mindset where gratitude is a tool to connect you to the present moment. A simple inhale, an intentional focus, and an exhale is enough to generate a gratitude mindset.

What is your favorite gratitude practice?