The practice of gratitude has so many benefits. Read on for gratitude tips and 6 free gratitude trackers to get you started!
There are many benefits of starting a gratitude practice, or just taking a moment to realize what you have to be grateful for. Let’s chat a little about that along with gratitude tips and prompts. To help get you started practicing gratitude, you’ll also find six free printable gratitude trackers of all kinds!
This is a sponsored post in partnership with UrbanFarmhouseTampa. We also participate in affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you don’t have Prime, you can try it 30 days for free here!
Off and on for the past 6 months or more, I have been engaging in a gratitude practice. It’s amazing how good I feel and how many good things I recognize during my day when I committed to this practice!
I’ve shared before that I’m a Community Manager with WayBetter and I host amazing games for creating fantastic habits. I’ve told you about Family Fitness here, Hydration Nation here, and Meal Prep Masters here.
One of my very favorites WayBetter games is Gratitude Attitude. There is no better feel-good experience than committing to sharing your daily gratitude with others on the same journey.
It it such a good feeling, so I’m sharing all my favorite gratitude tips here! First, some amazing benefits of gratitude. Next, some gratitude prompts to get you thinking. Finally, some great ways to track your gratitude and even 6 fun printable gratitude trackers!
Top 5 Benefits of Gratitude
Improves mental health: Gratitude journaling helps get rid of negative emotions. Feelings like greed, envy, regret, and frustration are often expelled when people take the time to express their gratitude.
Increases happiness: Studies have shown that daily gratitude journaling has the single largest impact on increasing happiness and improving self-esteem!
Helps you sleep better: With increased happiness and decreased negative emotions, sleep quality and quantity improve with less worry to keep you up.
Improves relationships: Journaling about your gratitude makes you more aware of what others do for you. This often leads to improved expression of gratitude to others, which starts a ripple effect.
Gratitude increases resilience: When you are grateful for the good things that have happened in your life, you also become more immune to negative reactions when the bad comes around. Gratitude gives your perspective and helps you realize that no matter how bad things are, “this too shall pass”.
Gratitude Tips & Prompts
Just to get you started these gratitude tips will prompt you to think of even more you have to be grateful for!
Turn something into a positive
Is there something in your life – present or past – that has been a struggle? Can you find something positive in that to be grateful for?
- Did you learn something?
- Did it lead to something greater?
- Did it help you realize what really matters?
Feel Good
Let’s think about what makes us feel good! Think about those moments that make life great, and what it is about them that makes you feel grateful.
Some Ideas:
- When was the last time you had a genuine belly laugh and why was it so funny?
- When is the last time you really had fun and what were you doing?
- What is something that feeds your soul?
- Can you do it more often?
Childhood
- Do you have a favorite childhood memory?
- What is a family tradition you are grateful for?
- How has a teacher or mentor impacted your life?
Also Read: Teaching Kids Gratitude
Favorites
- What is your favorite season?
- What is your favorite holiday?
- What is your favorite movie, tv show, book, or play?
- What is your favorite way to enjoy nature?
Places
- What is something you love about your current city?
- What is your favorite place in your home?
- Do you have a vacation spot you love?
Relationships
- What is your favorite thing about being married?
- What is your favorite part of being single?
- What do you love about being a parent? Or aunt/uncle? Or teacher?
- Do you have a special friendship you’re grateful for, or a very specific story of that friend?
Self
This is often a hard one, but it’s so important to love ourselves. 🥰 Let’s think about ourselves and things that we are grateful for.
Here are a few ideas:
- What are some qualities you love about yourself?
- What physical features do you like about yourself?
- What is one aspect of your health you are most grateful for?
- What is something that makes you feel good?
Nothing is too small.
The practice of gratitude increases your dopamine productions which encourages your brain to seek out more of the same. Therefore, the more you recognize you are grateful for, the more you will naturally find to be grateful for!
This is the best gratitude tip out there. Absolutely anything goes! So, don’t feel like the gratitude you share each day has to be big and meaningful. Being grateful for many small things will only help you to continue this mindset and feel happier overall!
What is something that seems super small that you feel grateful for?
Also Read: The Mental Exhaustion of Motherhood
Gratitude Tips
Journal
Let’s be honest, we all understand how taking any time out of your day to recognize how many things you have to be grateful for can help.
However, did you know there are many additional benefits to taking the time to write down what you are grateful for? This is one of my favorite gratitude tips – it’s so interesting!
Handwriting Benefits:
- Helps you connect to the words.
- Fully engages your brain.
- Calms the body and nerves.
- Unleashes creativity.
- Eases depression and anxiety.
- Enhances focus, and minimizes distractions that come from devices.
- Stimulates the brain. Cursive actually taps into both sides of the brain.
So, whether you use a journal, a sketchbook, random pieces of paper, your tile wall, etc… writing down your gratitude has the ability to do a lot of good!
Gratitude Journals on Amazon
Also Read: 9 Printable Spy Missions
Gratitude Jar
Have you heard of a gratitude jar?
It’s a tool to collect your notes of gratitude as a reminder of all you have to be thankful for. In addition to practicing gratitude each day, it serves as a visual reminder as well as a pick-me-up in hard times.
Watching your gratitude jar fill, and knowing each piece of paper is something you have to be grateful for, can serve as a visual reminder and improve your mindset. Also, when times are tough and you’re finding it difficult to find something to be thankful for, you can pull out a few reminders from your gratitude jar.
Gratitude Rock
This is a simple exercise to help us remember to stay grateful throughout our day.
- Find a rock you like for it’s feel, shape, and size
- Carry it with you through the day – keep it in your pocket, put it on your desk, etc.
- Each time you look at it or feel it, try to think of something you’re grateful for.
- At the end of the day, hold the rock and try to remember all the things you thought of during the day.
Free Gratitude Trackers
I’ve had so much fun creating my own gratitude trackers for my daily gratitude practice. It makes it so much fun and can really expand your creativity.
Since I have them, I’m excited to share them with you! Feel free to download these free gratitude trackers, use them, and start your own daily gratitude practice.
I would be so thrilled if you would share with me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter if you end up choosing your favorite and recording your gratitude on one of these trackers!
Download your favorite Gratitude Tracker
- Comic Gratitude Tracker
- Sunburst Gratitude Tracker
- Freestyle Gratitude Tracker
- Doodle Gratitude Tracker
- Gratitude Alphabet Balloon Tracker
- Gratitude Attitude Tracker
Enjoy!!
