Things to think about when writing a gratitude list
What is a gratitude list?
A gratitude list generally means putting pen to paper and writing down the things in your life that you can be truly grateful for. Using your own gratitude list can be a great way to calm your mind and focus on all the good in your life, rather than focusing on the negatives. It will help you to see what's truly important in your life, and stop you sweating the small stuff!
How can I start a gratitude list?
Starting a gratitude list is easy and anyone can do it. Decide how you want to keep your gratitude list, whether it be on your phone, computer or written down on paper. We recommend that a journal or notepad is the best option, as sometimes something is lost when storing this information digitally. If you do opt for a journal, it can be worth investing in a beautifully made journal or decorating it yourself to make it truly personal.
When you come to write down your gratitude list, simplicity is best. You don't need to write down a full paragraph for each thing your grateful for, a short sentence will do. Using a bullet point or numbered system works best as you can clearly separate the different things you are grateful for.
Each day allow yourself 10 minutes or so, at a point in the day when you will be uninterrupted. Usually, mornings or evenings work well. Think about the things in your life that you could be grateful for. Below are some ideas to help get you started:
- Grateful for my family
- Grateful for my children
- Grateful for enjoying my job
- Grateful for owning my own company
- Grateful for my education
- Grateful for the roof over my head
- Grateful for the food in my fridge
- Grateful for clean drinking water
- Grateful for my friends
- Grateful for my morning coffee
- Grateful for this sunny day
- Grateful for the walk to work
As you can see, some of these differ in importance, and that's ok. This is to show that there will always be moments in your day that you can be grateful for, and it is important to focus on these. Being grateful is a practice and the more you do it the easier it becomes. You'll soon find that when you'd normally have focussed on a negative in your life that you will now focus on something that you are grateful for instead.
Keeping a gratitude list is simple, but it does take time and perseverance to see the benefits of using it.
