44 Ways to Practice Gratitude

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Gratitude is our emotion that relates to feeling and expressing thankfulness and appreciation. Research shows that expressing gratitude regularly improves mental, physical, and relational well-being. 

By taking the time to be grateful, for even the small things, you will begin to experience a positive attitude that actually creates a ripple effect into your physical life. Research shows that people who regularly practice gratitude have lower blood pressure, exercise more often, and even have fewer aches and pains.

The best part? With the practice of gratitude comes increased serotonin levels - the happiness hormone - which leads to positive relationships with those around you, and yourself, which in turn results in a decrease in thoughts of depression. From that state, it gets even easier to continue to be grateful!

Don’t worry, these aren’t just temporary results, some of these effects tend to be long-lasting! Here are some of our favorite ways to express gratitude!

1. Ask your waitress how her day is going
2. Be a mentor or teach someone
3. Be an active listener
4. Call your friends or family
5. Change “I have to” to “I get to”
6. Do a form of movement you love and thank your incredible body
7. Do something unexpected for someone
8. Donate some of your possessions to a charity
9. Feed your body nourishing foods
10. Get to know your neighbors
11. Give a shoutout on social media to a company you love
12. Give genuine compliments to those around you
13. Host a gratitude dinner party (Thanksgiving isn't the only day to be grateful over a good meal)
14. Hug more
15. Keep a gratitude jar filled with notes on life’s blessings
16. Keep a gratitude journal
17. Laugh more
18. Leave encouraging words for someone
19. Make a vision board of all the things you are grateful for in your life
20. Make eye contact
21. Make handmade gifts
22. Pay it forward: buy someone a coffee
23. Place positive post-it notes and quotes around your house
24. Practice positive affirmations
25. Read a book and share it with someone
26. Say thanks before each meal
27. Share hand-picked flowers
28. Share positive reviews
29. Shop at a local farmers market and give thanks to your farmers
30. Smile :)
31. Stop, smell, and absorb nature. Give thanks for the air in your lungs and admire the beauty around you
32. Take three deep breaths
33. Take time to do something you love each day
34. Take time to fill your cup
35. Tell your partner what you love about them every day
36. Thank people for their service
37. Think of three things you’re grateful for before you go to sleep
38. Try a guided gratitude meditation
39. Turn complaints into an opportunity for growth
40. Visit your family
41. Volunteer for a cause you believe in
42. Walk a little lighter - reduce your plastic consumption
43. Watch more sunrises and sunsets, recognize each day as a gift
44. Write a handwritten thank-you note

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY AND SHARE YOUR GRATITUDE 

1. We want you to use the above list as a guide to help you find gratitude in the smallest ways, feel free to get creative, find your own moments of gratitude, and don’t feel pressured to attain perfection! Share a photo, illustration, or quote daily to any social media platform or inside of our Private Facebook Group sharing what you are grateful for. 
2. Use the hashtag #iamgrateful so we can follow along + you will inspire others in the community. 

Do you have a passion for nutrition & natural healing?. Learn more about the Food Matters Nutrition Certification  Program here.

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