Use this list of little things to be grateful for to get fresh ideas for your gratitude journal, so that you can reap the amazing benefits of living a grateful lifestyle!
Keeping track of what you’re grateful for on a weekly basis has proven to be good for our well-being and is furthermore associated with enjoying a meaningful life. Indeed, cultivating an attitude of gratitude through the simple practice of identifying and recording the things you’re thankful for on a regular basis is linked to incredible emotional and even physical benefits. (source)
So, if you’re new to gratitude journaling and want to make gratefulness your default response in life, start with these simple gratitude ideas of small things to be grateful for. I’m sure you can come up with many more examples in due time as you develop your own gratitude practice!
How To Identify What To Be Grateful For
I find the easiest way to recognize the things to be thankful for in life and to come up with new ideas for your gratitude journal is to complete the sentence: “My life would be so much harder /worse off without ____.”
Fill in the blank.
Now grab that word and use it to finish this sentence: “I’m so grateful for ____.”
I’m telling you, it works undoubtedly and is truly life-changing.
We tend to regularly notice the things that aren’t going our way, while simultaneously forgetting about all of the abundant blessings we have in our lives. But having a grateful heart is about being willing to recognize the good things, even when you’re going through a rough patch and it’s easier and understandable to complain.
Put in the effort and count your blessings, because gratitude expression really pays off.
Examples Of Little Things To Be Grateful For
Overall, studies suggest that expressing gratitude regularly can improve your stress levels, your resilience, your heart health and even enhance immune function (source). Gratefulness will also transform your mindset into a more positive one, and in time you will naturally become more conscious of the many blessings in your life.
via Judit Peter
In general, to start a gratitude practice you simply need to grab a pen and a notebook, choose three positive moments or things that brought you joy or peace throughout the week, and write them down. That’s all it takes when it comes to journaling your gratitude!
So, here are some examples, a brief list of small things to be grateful for:
The Things Nobody Can Buy
They say the best things in life are free and without a doubt, I agree. Well, it even rhymes.
via Adonis Arias
To illustrate this, here are some of the best things in life that no money in the world can buy and we might be forgetting to express gratitude for:
- The sky
- The air we breathe
- The sun
- The changing seasons
- Sunsets and sunrises
- Your hands and feet
- Waking up today
- Your sight
- The flowers, fields and the bees
- The moon and the stars
- The trees and the forests
- Fireflies
- Rainbows
- Your hearing
- Your sense of touch
- Your sense of smell
- Your taste buds
- Your teeth
- Your mind
- Your dreams
- Your body
- Your unique human potential
- Time
- Love
- True friendships
- Sharing uncontrollable laughter with someone you love
- A warm hug
- A good night’s sleep
- Quiet mornings
- The warm breeze on a hot summer night
- The hot fire on a cold winter evening
via Darya Sannikova
Things And People That Bring Us Joy
Make room and time for the things that bring you joy and allow yourself to feel joyful in spite of how crazy life might be. I know the world isn’t perfect, however, it’s not only okay, but important to let go and allow yourself to enjoy the little things every single day.
Therefore smell the roses, run as fast as you can, allow yourself to try new things, do what truly makes you happy. In essence, live the life you desire from the bottom of your heart, and gratitude will naturally follow.
via Askar Abayev
When it comes to expressing gratitude, I believe many of us think of the things that happen to us. Yet we forget that we can participate and help to create the moments we’ll be grateful for in the future. All it takes is a little bit of discipline, courage, effort and action in order to follow through on what we know truly makes us happy.
- Singing along to a good song on the radio
- Having a great workout session
- Doing the work you get to do
- Warm summer nights with loved ones
- Riding a bike
- New sport you got to try
- Places you got to visit
- Genuine conversations
- Dancing and singing when nobody’s watching
- Visiting and hugging your parents
- Playing ball with your kids
- Fun gatherings and meeting new people
- Spontaneous adventures
- Hobbies you get to practice
- Spending time with your best friends
- Seeing a cute puppy (or another animal)
- Petting an animal
- Finishing something you’ve been putting off
- A good book
- Your journal
- Old photos
- Spending the weekend with family and the people you love
- Road trips
- A good conversation with a stranger
- Cozy or fun family evenings
- Your morning coffee
- Your favorite meal
- Your coworkers
- Getting to learn something new
- Doing something that scares you / overcoming fear
- The little park nearby
- The coffee shop you go to every day
- A good movie
- Making new friends
- The excitement of starting something new
via Elina Fairytale
The Basics
In brief, these are the basics, the things that most of us have the luxury to take for granted every single day. But without them, life would be so much harder and there won’t be much else we can achieve.
So let’s give them thanks:
- The roof over your head
- The bed you sleep in
- Running water
- The fact that you can read
- Electricity
- Your access to education/free information
- Heating
- Clean drinking water
- WIFI
- Hot water
- Dishwasher
- Your car (or transportation)
- Traditional and modern medicine
- Your home
- Your kitchen
- Washing machine
- The fridge and freezer
- The clothes that keep you warm when it’s cold outside
- The shoes on your feet
- The meal you get to eat today
- The tools you get to use every day (like utensils, the pen and paper you get to use to journal)
via Taryn Elliott
Remember that it’s impossible to experience anxiety and gratitude at the same time. So, instead of worrying about what you don’t have, be grateful for what you do have.
Make Gratitude A Part Of Your Routine
Spend 5-10 minutes writing grateful observations before bedtime. When you recollect your daily positive experiences which you’re thankful for, you reflect less on your worries. Try to do this practice every day, or at least three times a week. Then, after a few weeks of filling out your gratitude journal, reflect on the collected notes of gratitude ideas and summarize what really works for you.
All in all, that’s a great way to get started and develop your own gratitude routine. In time, gratefulness will help you develop more positive thought patterns so that you’ll appreciate small moments even more. Furthermore, the practice of gratitude will generate more optimism, improve self-esteem and strengthen social bonds and relationships.
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Well, I certainly hope these examples and ideas will help you develop your own list of things to be grateful for and encourage you to start that gratitude journal!
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