When Jimmy Fallon writes his Thank You Notes on the Tonight Show, we laugh at their silliness. But maybe Jimmy Fallon is onto something. Writing a thank you note to a weighted blanket or pickle spear is funny, but it is also a great example of making gratitude a habit.
What Does Being Grateful Do For You?
The people I know who are the happiest are those who regularly count their blessings. These women have a consistently cheerful outlook on life because they take the time to notice what is going well in life and don’t let the minor irritations get them down. But a more positive outlook is just one of the perks of practicing gratitude.
The benefits of having a grateful heart have been well-documented, and they extend beyond the immediate good feelings.
Researchers have found that regularly practicing gratitude can improve physical health by boosting the immune system, promoting more restful sleep and lowering blood pressure. It can create a more productive work environment and improve relationships with family and friends. Gratitude greatly improves mental health, too. Regularly choosing gratitude can improve self-esteem, reduce anxiety and depression, and build optimism. Gratitude makes us happier.
Making Gratitude a Habit
Building a daily habit of gratitude, regardless of the circumstances of the day, is arguably the most difficult part of the process. We may feel grateful at various times, but not focus on those feelings or what caused them for more than a moment. And when things aren’t going well, it may be difficult to find anything to be thankful for.
But building a habit of gratitude is worth the effort, and with some practice, it will become second nature.
Getting Started
- Keep a Gratitude Journal. It can be as fancy as a leatherbound book with hand-sewn pages or as simple as a small spiral notebook. But the important thing is to keep it close by and take a few minutes at the start or end of each day to record 3-5 things for which you are thankful.
- Try a Gratitude Jar. Use a large mason jar or canister. Keep it in the kitchen or some easily accessible place, with a pen and a small pad of paper or Post-its nearby. Every day write down something good that is happening and for which you are grateful and put it in the jar. At the end of the year, you’ll have 365 reasons to love your life!
- Use your phone. No special app is needed. Just open a Note and title it “Good Things Keep Happening to Me”, and start noticing all the good things that happen in a day. Make a brief note of them as they happen and you will start to view your life more positively.
- Find a Gratitude Partner who will help you stay accountable for staying grateful. A daily text, call, or email to share with a friend what is right in your worlds will make both of your days brighter.
- Treat yourself to a special piece of Gratitude Jewelry that you can wear everyday. Each time you slip the ring on or latch the bracelet or necklace clasp, think of one or more things for which you are thankful. Do the same when you take it off at night.
- Write a few Thank You Notes of your own each day. Keep them, send them, or toss them once they are written. The important thing is to think those grateful thoughts.