Ultimate Guide on How to Show Gratitude that Makes Hearts Shine

Learning how to show gratitude is arguably the most fulfilling and enjoyable habit that anyone can create.

It not only lifts your own mood and spirit, but those of others you share your gratitude with.

Here’s how to make it an effortless and impactful part of your life.

Begin and End the Day with Gratitude

“When you have an attitude of gratitude you wake up saying thank you.” — Maya Angelou

Here’s 9 areas in your life where you can show gratitude — each with tips to give ideas you can customize to fit your personality, plus some inspirational gratitude quotes to ponder.

1. Become the Author of Your Own Gratitude Journal

• Start your day with an entry to remind yourself of the blessings you already have.
• If they involve another person, jot down a short note to give to them when you see them.
• Take note of things others do for you, write them in, and plan a way to say thank you.
• Take time to meditate. This can be a great exercise to get ideas for your journal.
• Make an entry before going to bed about the positive things you experienced today.

Having a routine will make this a habit in no time. Upon waking, and before bed are easy times to remember to grab your journal off the nightstand and add an entry.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, it turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” — Melody Beattie

2. Schedule a Daily Meeting with Someone You Appreciate

• Put these on your schedule for the day just like any other appointment.
• Make a phone call to a parent.
• Take a great coworker out for a coffee or lunch.
• Plan to cook a special dinner for your spouse or partner.
• Plan a visit to someone in the hospital or care facility.

“A noble person is mindful and thankful for the favors they receive from others.” — Buddha

3. Create Personalized Gifts to Share

• Create Photo Books to have at home or to give to others.
• Write custom cards and send them on appropriate occasions.
• The flowers from your garden can spread a message of thankfulness.
• Crafts from your hobbies make wonderful gifts.
• If you grow a vegetable garden, share the healthy produce you have left over.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey

4. Get the Kids Involved and Teach Them About Gratitude

• Get them their own box of thank you cards that they can keep on hand for when they want to express their feelings about someone like a “big kid.”
• Help them create personalized picture cards for their favorite teacher.
• By sharing your time, you are letting them know how much they mean to you.
• A study released in the Journal of happiness studies in 2019 linked gratitude to happiness in children as early as age 5.
• Make it spontaneous to discuss gratitude with your kids at regular family sit-downs and dinners.

“We must find time to stop and thank the people that make a difference in our lives.” — John F. Kennedy

5. Don’t Forget About Yourself

• Take a walk in a quiet place and relish the things that make your life grand.
• Treat yourself to a guilty pleasure when you finish a job well done.
• Note the feelings you have when you relax and meditate on all the things you already have in your life.
• Acknowledge the rewards for your effort even if others don’t.
• Never overlook the little things.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault

6. Health Benefits of Gratitude

“Brain scans of people assigned a task that stimulates expression of gratitude show lasting changes in the prefrontal cortex that heighten sensitivity to future experiences of gratitude.” — Psychology Today

• Lowers stress and strengthens the immune system.
• Grateful people are shown to exercise more.
• Minimizes negative patterns of thinking and feelings.
• Helps boost feelings of self-esteem and self-worth.
• Studies show that the regular practice of being grateful for what you have can reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

7. Make Gratitude Part of the Budget

• Donate to a worthy charity or your church.
• Leave an extra dollar or two on top of your tip for a good server.
• Donate to a local food bank.
• Volunteer in your community.
• Put in some extra time on a project without expecting extra pay.

“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money.” — Suze Orman

8. Use the Power of the Internet to Send Gratitude and Thanks

• Write well thought out emails when you can’t see someone in person. Also use email to set your meetups.
• A quick, thoughtful text can say a lot when you don’t have a lot of time.
• Posts on social media are a good way to show off a gift someone gave you and express thanks to them in front of their friends.
• eCards are a great way to say you care through an email or text.

“I’ve found in my life that the easiest way to increase my joy is to religiously practice gratitude until I’m a gratitude machine!” — Rhonda Byrne

9. Use Your Artistic Talents to Embrace Gratitude

You may not be a famous artist (yet), but those pieces of your soul that you create are great ways to experience and share gratitude.

• Asking someone to critique a piece you’ve done is a way to show them you value their opinion.  Listen closely to their feedback and thank them sincerely for that as well.
• Write a poem based on someone you’re grateful for in your life. You can share it with them or keep it personal for your own enjoyment.
• Drawings, sketches, and clip art are great for creating a gratitude board for your home or workplace. Use your artistic touch to make it an eye-catching masterpiece.
• If you’re musically inclined, write a song about the things we should be thankful for, or create a custom playlist for yourself and others.
• Design custom coffee mugs and candles with special gratitude messages for yourself or to give as gifts.

Further Reading on Gratitude

For Kids:

• “Teach Your Dragon Gratitude: A Story About Being Grateful” — Steve Herman
• “When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree” — Jamie L.B. Deenihan
• “Gratitude is My Superpower: A children’s book about Giving Thanks and Practicing Positivity” — Alicia OrtegoFor Adults:
• “Gratitude” — Oliver Sacks
• “The Little Book of Gratitude: Create a Life of Happiness and Wellbeing by Giving Thanks” — Robert A. Emmons
• “BlessBack: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life” — Julie Saffrin

“A mentor takes people where they want to go. A great mentor takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.” — Rosalynn Carter

Intentional Living Through Gratitude

• A gratitude habit is a great place to start living the life you envision, instead of the one the world throws at you.
• Nurture your mental health with consistent reinforcement of all that you already have.
• Make self-reflection a daily practice so you can get a clear vision of the person you want to be, and then solidify that picture by deliberately planning your actions.
• Be conscious of gratitude until it becomes unconscious.
• “When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” — Kristin Armstrong

Make Sure and Savor the Process

This gratitude thing can start to seem like a lot of work in the early stages, but as it becomes a habit you won’t even notice you’re doing it — but others will. If certain people don’t respond, don’t worry about it. The people you really want in your life will get it, and the others will slowly fade away.

• Gamify the process and make it fun with gratitude challenges.
• Keep it simple — simplicity is at the heart of gratitude.
• Keep the kids involved — their youthful enthusiasm will keep you going on the tough days.
• Don’t be predictable — use surprise gifts and engagements to show you care.

“Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace.” — Arianna Huffington

Final Thoughts on How to Show Gratitude in You Daily Life

• Recognizing value in others and small acts of kindness are very valuable skills, and will improve the world’s overall mental, physical, and spiritual health and wellbeing.
• Be aware, and take every opportunity to show your gratitude, even if it seems like a small matter.
• Make it a daily habit, with consistency at the core, and keep a detailed record in your journal so you can go back from time to time and see your progress.
• Smile — smiles are contagious, and it’s hard for you to be down when you smile.
• Exercise your gratitude like a muscle — over time it will get stronger.

“When you are grateful, fear disappears, and abundance appears.” — Tony Robbins