Being grateful is important in many ways. Not only does being grateful support self-care for yourself, it also shows that you care for others. Being grateful can increase your happiness and overall optimism on life.
There are easy ways to be grateful and to focus on the positive things you have. Gratefulness can teach us lots of things such as forgiveness, self-control, and patience. Start practicing gratitude by focusing on these 4 parts.
- Noticing: Recognize what you are grateful for
- Thinking: Why have you been given those things?
- Feeling: What are your emotions you experience as a result of the things you have been given?
- Doing: How do you express appreciation for the things you are given?
Here’s How You Do It!
- Notice: Think of a time someone was kind to you
- Think: Why did they treat you that way? Did you do something kind for them? Did they owe you something? Did they have to treat you that way?
- Feel: How did it make you feel to be treated that way? Were you happy? What about their kindness makes you happy?
- Do: How do you want to show how it made you feel? Do you want to do something kind for someone else? Do you want to let that person know how their kindness felt?
Some easy ways to show gratitude include:
- Make a thankful jar where you write what you are thankful for on a piece of paper and fold it up and put it in the jar.
- Complete this Gratitude Challenge to help get your started!
- Make Care Cards for someone you are thankful for and let them know how much they mean to you
- At the dinner table go around and say what you're thankful for and why you are thankful for it, try our Family Meal Conversation Starters!
- At bedtime reflect on your day and say three things that you are grateful that happened.
