6 Ways to Be More Grateful and Why It Is Worth It

Have you ever reflected on your life and felt fortunate? That’s gratitude. And research says it does you good.

Sometimes, gratitude comes easily. Other times, it can be hard to find, especially when you’re stressed, exhausted, or burned out.

Because some people tend to give more importance to negative thoughts and experiences — something called negativity bias — gratitude may not always flow naturally.

Gratitude is a skill that you can develop with practice. Why is it worth it? Repeatedly, research shows that feeling grateful has a positive impact on your mental health and quality of life. Its practice is also a way to love yourself more.

What is gratitude?

Gratitude can feel like a mood, emotion, state of being, attitude, or behavior.

Pioneering gratitude researchers Robert Emmons, PhD, and Michael McCullough, PhD, at the University of California in Davis and San Diego, respectively, define gratitude as a two-part experience.

• It’s the recognition that something good has come your way.

• It’s the realization that someone or something, including nature or a divine entity, is responsible, at least in part, for that good thing or experience.

Practicing gratitude isn’t the same as practicing toxic positivity. The idea is to focus on the good but not ignore hard feelings and negative thoughts. Instead, you are simply reminding yourself that good things can happen, even amidst stress and hard times.

How to be more grateful in 3 steps

You can cultivate gratitude at any age using strategies for accessing joy and expressing thanks. This can help you feel more optimistic, focused, and free to ask for support.

The following steps take only a few minutes each day but can significantly boost how grateful you feel.

1. Try to notice when you feel grateful

This simple mindfulness practice can help you bring awareness to moments of gratitude.

When you feel thankful for something or someone, try to pause and notice what it’s like to sit with that feeling for even just a few breaths.

2. Consider reflecting on what you’re grateful for

Journaling at the end of the day can help you highlight positive experiences and recognize that things are going better than you might think.

3. Practicing mental subtraction can help

Mental subtraction is a thought experiment that can amplify and promote gratitude.

When something positive happens, try to imagine what it would have been like if it hadn’t, or if an alternative, less desirable outcome would have happened.

2 Ways to show gratitude

Expressing gratitude to the people in your life or even higher power can help strengthen a sense of well-being. To be more grateful you may need to show more gratitude in your life.

Consider experimenting with these practices:

Writing gratitude letters

From the heart, try to write down how grateful you are for a loved one, place, thing, or event. Try to address them directly, letting them know how you feel. You don’t need to send the letter if you prefer not to.

If you do, you can mail or hand-deliver these notes to people who have positively impacted your life in the past or even decades ago.

Practicing gratitude prayers

Many spiritual traditions incorporate gratitude into prayer or chanting to give thanks to a higher power, and research shows that these practices can, in turn, enhance feelings of gratitude and well-being.

Even if you aren’t religious, you may want to explore connecting to something else that you consider greater than you, like nature. Try to find a way to honor that connection through song, poetry, or even contemplative silence.