A Gratitude Ritual Anyone Can Do + 5 Journal Prompts
Life's most magical practice
I don’t delve into the backend of my publication often, but I was tweaking my homepage this week and noticed I have written 16 posts - yet I’ve never written about gratitude. Considering how much it has shaped my life, that surprised me.
Gratitude is my number one tool for bringing joy into my life. It’s a very powerful reminder that you don’t need to achieve or acquire anything before you can experience true happiness. If you’re looking to an external source for happiness, you’re likely missing the true essence of gratitude.
I once read that you know you’re practicing gratitude correctly when you’re moved to tears of happiness. I don’t think it needs to be that intense every single day - I know I wouldn’t practice nearly as much if I held myself to this standard - but I do like to sit down every so often and really, intensely feel my gratitude. I let it completely wash over me and on those days I feel very emotional.
Gratitude is also my go-to tool for manifestation. If I’m navigating something significant - like buying a house, trying to get pregnant or searching for a new job - I pull out my copy of The Magic by Rhonda Byrne which I’ll share more about below.
The Magic might feel a bit ‘woo woo’, but science backs it up. I’m currently reading Mind Magic by neuroscientist Dr James R Doty and he describes how gratitude works in our body.
Basically, ‘positive’ emotions activate our brains’ reward systems. The stronger the emotion, the more our brain signals to our subconscious that this desire is important and that we should behave in such a way to bring it into reality.
My Gratitude Rituals
Over the years, I’ve created different gratitude rituals that fit into my daily, weekly, and yearly routines. These rituals help me stay grounded and grateful always.
Daily Gratitude Rituals
Say It
Every single day, before I go to bed, I tell my partner three things I’m grateful for. I wrote more about this in the article I’ve linked below so feel free to dive in.
Write It (Or Draw It)
I also journal every day and while I don’t always make a gratitude list, I usually end up writing about something I’m grateful for. More recently, I’ve even tried drawing what I’m grateful for as a way to get my creative juices flowing.
Notice It
Over the years, I’ve cultivated a mindfulness practice which helps me to be present in any given moment so I can stop and notice small things I’m grateful for. A delicious cup of coffee, a cuddle from my toddler, a pocket of sunshine on a cloudy day.
Some people call these glimmers - those small moments of joy in your every day life. I love the word glimmer, but personally, I think these are the most important things to be grateful for. A promotion or a new house is great, but they don’t happen often so if you save all your gratitude for those big life events, you’re going to end up with a lot of joyless days.
Please note I am not always mindful. I fall into the trap of looking at my phone too much, of getting caught up in my thoughts and emotions. We all have monkey minds that like to go off on tangents. The important thing is pulling yourself out of that mode and focusing on the present, if only for a minute or two.
Weekly And Monthly Gratitude Rituals
At the end of each week and month I like to think about what I need to achieve the following week, but I also look back at what I have already achieved and make time to be grateful for that.
Even if I didn’t achieve something, I can usually find something to be grateful for. For example, if you’re sick and can’t finish a project, be grateful you listened to your body and took time to rest.
Yearly/Ad Hoc Gratitude Rituals
Once a year, or when I need a boost, I do The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. This is a 28 day intensive gratitude practice.
I was half way through The Magic when I got pregnant with my toddler and when I sold my house for $70k more than we were expecting (more on both of those stories below if you’re interested), so you’d better believe I’ll rave about this book until the cows come home.
The 28 day practice begins with a simple gratitude list which you continue for the entire four weeks. The second day introduces the concept of saying thank you for your favourite moment of the day just before you go to bed, and that also continues for the full 28 days.
You then go on to practice gratitude for more specific aspects of your life such as health, money and relationships before starting to think about your future life and what you want to manifest.
Your Gratitude Ritual
Find One Thing To Be Grateful For
If you’re just getting started, begin by finding one thing each day to be grateful for. The deeper and more emotional you feel when you think about it, the more powerful it will be, but don’t let that stop you. If all you can think to be grateful for on day one is your comfy bed, or your breakfast, or some sunshine, that is perfectly ok.
Remember, some gratitude is better than none!
You can write it down in a journal, say it to a loved one or say it in your head.
Writing it down is preferable, but the best form of gratitude is the one you will actually practice, so do what’s going to work for you.
Practice Mindfulness
Once you’ve been doing that for a couple of weeks, start trying to practice mindfulness. If you get to the end of every day and realise you haven’t done it, set an alarm on your phone once or twice a day. When it goes off, stop and ask yourself ‘is there anything I can be grateful for in this moment?’
If you’re not having a great day, you can be grateful for your health. If you’re not healthy, you can be grateful for the fact you have a bed to rest in. Sometimes, I am simply grateful that I understand the power of gratitude and ahve the ability to practice it.
I know gratitude can seem like a luxury for the privileged, and I fully acknowledge my own privilege. Being born in Australia to loving parents has set me up well. Still, I genuinely believe that gratitude is for everyone, and no matter your circumstances, it can help you to improve your life.
Gratitude Journal Prompts
If you want to dive right in, here are five journal prompts to get you thinking about gratitude:
What are three things that brought you joy today? How did they make you feel?
Who is someone in your life that you're especially grateful for right now? How do they make you feel?
Think of a challenge you've faced recently. What did you learn from it, and what can you be grateful for in the experience?
What is a simple, everyday item or activity that you often take for granted but are deeply grateful for?
Describe a place where you feel safe, calm, or happy. What about this place makes you feel grateful?
What are your gratitude rituals? And would you like to join me next time I do the 28 day practice from The Magic?
Until next time,
A
Being grateful is so important! It helps to channel the energy to things that matter and have physical benefits on our brains too.
I loved it, Anna! Sometimes, it's so simple: just say what you're grateful for 💖