The Benefits of Gratitude Practice

Author: Nora Carnevale, Taproot Therapy Clinical Trainee

When considering the practices that can benefit our lives, it might be easy to agree that gratitude is important. Gratitude is a simple concept, and being thankful is often something many of us are taught to do starting in childhood. For example, when someone else is facing a hard time, we are taught to use that perspective and feel grateful for what we have. Or perhaps the notion of gratitude feels very difficult to imagine if you yourself are amid a challenging situation. While gratitude is something that most people are very familiar with, it might not be part of everyday life. However, working to incorporate gratitude into our regular daily practices, regardless of what is going on around us, can result in a variety of benefits. 

According to Oppland (2017), a study found that gratitude can help forge friendships; thanking a new contact makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. Reportedly, people who practice gratitude also feel healthier with less pain and better overall health. Gratitude improves psychological well-being by reducing symptoms of depression, enhancing empathy, and reducing aggression. Self-esteem is also positively impacted by gratitude; appreciating the accomplishments of others makes us in turn feel better about ourselves. And finally, gratitude can increase emotional resilience as well as improve sleep quality. 

In addition to a variety of possible benefits, there are also many ways to incorporate a gratitude practice into your life. Here are some options: 

• Gratitude prompts: These prompts can be used in any form to spark ideas and expand upon. Some examples are “I’m grateful for three things I see”, “I’m grateful for three things I hear”, “I’m grateful for these three friends” 
• Journaling: writing even one line a day in a journal about something you are grateful for that day or writing as much as you would like about the topic. 
• Gratitude jar: write one thing you are grateful for each day on a small piece of paper and put it in the jar. Over time, the jar will fill up and you can periodically revisit all the different things you were appreciative of. 
• Gratitude letter: Write a letter to someone you feel gratitude toward and explain all the reasons why. Studies have indicated the positive psychological benefits of a gratitude letter on both the recipient and the writer (Oppland, 2017). Another option for the gratitude letter is to write one to yourself! Reflecting on all the things you appreciate about yourself can also be a beneficial experience. 

There are no rules when it comes to experimenting with different ways to express gratitude and incorporate it into our lives as a regular practice. These techniques can serve as starting points and can be adapted in any way that feels right. 

References: 
Oppland, M. (2017). 13 most popular gratitude exercises and activities. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/