4 Small Habits for More Gratitude in Everyday Life

‘Gratitude helps us cultivate a focus on the good.’

– Anne Katrin Matyssek 2014, p. 22

Perhaps you’re wondering how to maintain a grateful attitude in the face of current circumstances. However, even though gratitude may sometimes be challenging, it can be practiced. You can incorporate small habits into your daily life to become more grateful. We have compiled a few exercises for you here.

Mental subtraction: perceiving the obvious

This exercise is a kind of thought experiment. Think of something that is important to you or for which you are particularly grateful. It can also be something everyday, like your home or the shoes you slip into when going out. In the next step, imagine your life without these things. What would it be like to have no roof over your head? Or not to know that particularly close person by your side? What if you had never had that experience abroad or on vacation? If you encounter a sense of emptiness while exploring these questions, that is the space to unfold gratitude. Often, we take many things in our environment for granted. But when we consciously realize the happiness already given to us, we see our reality in a different light.

As an Israeli saying states: ‘The true taste of water is recognized in the desert.’

Turning regular reflection into a ritual

At the end of the day, reflect on what good things have happened to you. You can keep a gratitude journal, for example, and write down three to five things you can be grateful for each evening. It takes little time, and on a bad day, you can flip through a gratitude-rich book. This way, you become more attentive to small things that make you feel good in everyday life. Of course, you can also practice this exercise with friends or family, for example, during shared meals.

Writing a gratitude letter

In this exercise, start by thinking about a person who has supported you in a special way. It could be your own mother or another relative, an old friend, a coach, or a former teacher. Write to this person about how what they did has affected your life. Perhaps you also add how often you remember it. Then, send the letter, whether by mail or email, or read it aloud. Of course, you can keep the letter for yourself, but if the person gets to share in the gratitude letter, it will positively impact your relationship in a special way.

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude meditation

Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and take several slow, deep breaths. Think of a person or a special situation in your life for which you are particularly grateful. Focus your attention on this person or situation in your mind’s eye. What details do you notice or recall? What brings you particular joy, and why? Feel the warmth and the sense of gratitude within you, and take deep breaths in and out. For guided gratitude meditations, you can find various videos with instructions on this website (external).

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Neurodermitis App Nia