Unlocking Happiness: The Art Of Practicing Gratitude For A More Joyful Life

Gratitude has played a huge role in my life over the last few years. I used to be quick to find the negative in a situation while overlooking the many things to be grateful for. As I started meditating and really paying attention to my thoughts and emotions, I began to see how negative I was and how it was keeping me from fully recognizing and experiencing the beautiful, joyful moments in my life. 

As I began to intentionally practice gratitude, my life began to change. I began to look for the silver lining in situations that I would usually just complain about. I began to find gratitude for small things, gestures, and moments that I typically would not have noticed. I valued the relationships I had with family and friends more, and began expressing how much my loved ones meant to me. 

WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

Now that you’ve read some of the ways gratitude has impacted my life, what is gratitude? Gratitude is a positive emotion that deals with appreciating and being thankful for someone or something in your life.

In a 2019 Frontiers in Psychology article, researchers Lúzie Fofonka Cunha, Lucia Campos Pellanda, and Caroline Tozzi Reppold state that, “…gratitude stems from the recognition that something good happened to you, accompanied by an appraisal that someone, whether another individual or an impersonal source, such as nature or a divine entity, was responsible for it.”

THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING GRATITUDE

Practicing gratitude has a wide range of benefits for mental and physical health. These benefits include:

• Increased Happiness. People who are grateful are more likely to experience more joy and contentment.
• Improved Mental health. Gratitude is associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It helps to move the focus from negative thoughts to positive ones, which can lead to a more positive outlook on current circumstances and on life in general.
• Better Physical Health. Gratitude is associated with better increased physical health. Studies have shown people tend to engage in healthier behaviors, like exercise and a balanced diet. 
• Improved Sleep. Engaging in gratitude practices before bed has been proven to improve sleep quality. 
• Deeper Relationships. Grateful people can form stronger connections with others because they are more able to recognize and express appreciation.
• Increased Resilience. Practicing gratitude helps people to cope and respond to life’s challenges and move through difficult circumstances with more grace and ease.
• Improved Self-Esteem. Being able to acknowledge and celebrate one’s own qualities and successes can lead to higher self-esteem. 

HOW DO YOU PRACTICE GRATITUDE?

There are many ways to practice gratitude daily. Here are 6 ways to bring more gratitude into your life:

1. Gathas
2. Meditation
3. Beauty Checks
4. Gratitude Letters
5. Gratitude Visits
6. Gratitude Journaling

Gathas

Gathas are short poems that help to bring mindfulness and gratitude to everyday activities that we often ignore or take for granted. I start each morning by silently saying my favorite gatha by Thich Nhat Hahn:

Waking up this morning I smile.

There are twenty-four brand new hours before me.

I vow to live each moment fully,

and look at all beings with eyes of compassion.

Saying these words each morning before I get out of bed helps me to become aware of what a blessing it is to wake each morning, to get another chance to live the day fully, connect with myself and with others. To experience  the beauty, joy, and wonder of this world, of my life. 

Meditation

Another great way to practice gratitude is meditation. Meditation supports you in being more grateful by providing you with time to slow down and appreciate all the beautiful things in your life. Here is a simple gratitude meditation for you to try:

1. Find a quiet space. Choose a quiet and comfortable space where you will not be disturbed. Find a comfortable position, such as sitting on a cushion, sitting in a chair with both feet flat on the ground, or laying down.
2. Close your eyes. When you are comfortable, gently close your eyes, or lower and soften your gaze. 
3. Take several deep, slow breaths. Inhale through the nose, and exhale out of the mouth. Feel your belly expand on the inhale, and contract on the exhale. Begin to relax your body with each exhale. 
4. Focus on your breath. Gently turn your attention to your natural breath. Notice each inhale and exhale. If your mind is active, you can silently say “in” on each inhale, and “out” on each exhale. 
5. Take a moment for gratitude. Begin to focus on all the things you’re grateful for, big and small. These could be people, relationships, and experiences that have enriched your life. 
6. Tune in to your senses. Take a moment of gratitude for each of your senses. Imagine the sights, sounds, taste, touch, and scents that are connected to each of the things you are grateful for. 
7. Embrace your emotions. As you reflect on all the things you have to be grateful for in your life, notice how it feels to take intentional time to experience gratitude.
8. Close your meditation. Take one more deep breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Bring your palms together at your heart in gratitude for your meditation practice. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes or lift your gaze. Take this state of gratitude with you throughout your day.

Beauty Checks

Many years ago, one of my closest friends introduced me to what she called “beauty checks.” She described beauty checks as intentional moments during the day where you stop to smell the roses, or to pay attention to the small moments of beauty. You may have a beauty check while watching a sunrise or sunset, hearing a child’s laughter, or spending quality time with loved ones. 

I instantly loved this idea, and have kept up with the practice of beauty checks ever since. I found this especially powerful in the classroom. As a first and second grade teacher, it seems like I am constantly rushing through the day, trying to get everything done. Taking a moment each day to pause, take a breath, and notice the wonderful, sweet moments in the classroom helps to center me.

Gratitude Letters

Recently, a dear friend of mine moved out of state. Before he left, I wanted to write him a letter expressing just how much he means to me, and how much he has supported me through our ten years of friendship. At the time, I didn’t realize I was writing him a gratitude letter, I just knew it was important for me to share how proud of him I was for starting this new chapter in his life. 

It wasn’t until I began reading The Gratitude Diaries  by Janice Kaplan that I realized the power of writing a gratitude letter. Expressing my gratitude to my friend reminded me of the importance of our friendship, how we had helped each other grow and heal. Writing the gratitude letter reminded me of how rare and precious our friendship was, that it was something that I was so fortunate to have, no matter the distance. 

My letter didn’t just impact me, of course. A few days after he read it, he sent me the sweetest text, saying that my letter meant so much to him, that he would treasure it. It can be easy to forget the power of our words, but writing a gratitude letter can help you to remember that your words of gratitude matter, and can have a powerful impact on the recipient. 

Gratitude Visits

Another gratitude practice that I learned about while reading The Gratitude Diaries was the gratitude visit. Gratitude visits take writing a gratitude letter to the next level. A gratitude visit begins with you thinking about someone who has changed your life. You write them a letter of thanks. Your letter should give specific examples of how they have impacted you. 

Dr. Martin Seligman, a renowned professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, who came up with the idea of a gratitude visit, says that after writing your gratitude letter, you should schedule a visit with the person you wrote to, without telling them why. When you meet, you should read your letter to them. When discussing the impact of a gratitude visit, Seligman said, “Interacting is the big phenomenon. There’ll be a lot of crying and emotion and hugs, but that aside, what we’ve found is that the person who has written the letter will be less depressed and feel more positive for a whole month afterwards.”

Gratitude Journaling

One of the more well-known gratitude practices is gratitude journaling. Gratitude journaling is exactly what it sounds like, journaling about the things you are grateful for in your life. Trying to bring more gratitude into my life, I was recently inspired to begin gratitude journaling. I have a daily journaling practice, but decided I wanted to get a journal that was specifically for gratitude journaling. 

I bought The Grateful Heart Gratitude Journal  and started a nightly gratitude ritual of writing three things I was grateful for before going to bed. Knowing I would be writing in my gratitude journal each night prompted me to be on the lookout for things I could write down later. I have been loving the challenge of coming up with three new things I am grateful for.

GRATITUDE JOURNALING PROMPTS

Here are ten journal prompts to help get you started with gratitude journaling:

1. At the end of each day, write three things you are grateful for. See if you can come up with different ideas each night.

2. What is the best experience of your life?  Write about your experience in detail using your senses. Why is it so special? How has it impacted your life?

3. An important person in my life is…  Write about the qualities they have that you admire, how they make you feel, and why you are grateful to have them in your life.

4. Write about a time you laughed uncontrollably. What were you laughing about? Who was with you? Why are you grateful for this moment?

5. I am proud of myself for… Write about an accomplishment and why you are grateful to have achieved it. 

6. Make a list of things you love about yourself. Write anything that comes to mind, such as things you love about your personality, character traits, or physical attributes.

7. Write about a tradition or ritual that is important to you. Why are you grateful for this tradition or ritual? How does it make you feel? Who else is involved?

8. What is a mistake, misstep, detour, or failure you are grateful for? How did this change your life? What did you learn?

9. What is the best piece of advice you have received? Why are you grateful for this advice? What did it help you to do or understand?

10. What is something you are grateful to have today that you didn’t have a year ago? Think of all the change, growth, and healing, and learning that has happened over the last year. What have you gained emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually?