How to Experience and Express Gratitude
It's no secret that the world feels exceptionally chaotic right now. There's a pandemic that has harmed primarily those with the fewest resources, federal officers have been deployed to major cities in the U.S. to "protect federal property" while harming citizens, and climate change is showing up with powerful consequences. So, why am I pitching gratitude?
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Brene Brown, the powerhouse researcher I mention in nearly every conversation, has found that the basis of enjoying and protecting one's happy - especially in stressful circumstances - is to express gratitude.
Brene illustrates this idea in a funny anecdote about her daughter waving goodbye as she leave for prom (or maybe homecoming...not important). To fight her worry train of thoughts like "what if she gets in a car accident," and the gamut. Brene repeats aloud, almost yelling down the driveway, "I'm so grateful!!"
In moments and seasons such as what 2020 has unleashed, reflecting on and expressing gratitude is our best resource to stay afloat in a world that feels like it's trying to drown us all in the bad news.
As a school psychologist, I've been trained on the effectiveness of journaling regularly about what you are grateful for - AKA counting your blessings. As a client in the armchair across from many awesome therapists, I've learned that sifting through your difficult days to find something meaningful that you are grateful for, has so much power.
Expressing gratitude is not B.S.
It's the surest way to reframe your mindset to look for and hold tightly to experiences you may be discounting, and help build a strong foundation of the life that you already have, and the life you are trying to create.
So let's get grateful!
Great, Mostly Free, Ways to Express Gratitude
1. Keep a running gratitude list - on your nightstand, in the notes on your phone, on the fridge, or even on your mirror - and write down one thing you are grateful for each day. If you're looking for something a little more structured, grab a copy of my favorite gratitude journal and keep all your gratefulness in one place!
2. Pick up flowers for your significant other, mom, coworker, whoever and tell them why you are grateful for having them in your life.
3. Leave a thank you note for your postal worker in the mailbox. These are my favorite blank-inside thank-you cards to give, plus they come with a ton of stickers!
4. Leave a tip, even when you're just getting carry out, to express your gratitude for someone who came to work to prepare your food.
5. Write a positive online review for a local small business that you love.
6. Take your significant other, parent, or your teenager's car for a carwash and vacuuming - or DIY it at home!
7. Pick up ingredients to make a new recipe with your family, then surprise your significant other, parent, neighbor, or coworker with some goodies that you made!
8. Send your child's teacher a thank you email for all the hard work they are putting in for the year ahead.
9. Send a thoughtful text to a friend letting them know why you are grateful to have them in your life.
10. Leave a thank you note in the cover of your library book before you drop it in the return box.
11. Write a note of gratitude to your server or Doordash driver on the receipt.
12. Leave a good review for your Uber or Lyft driver to express gratitude for them getting you safely to your destination.
13. Leave a note at your hotel or Airbnb to thank the host and/or cleaning staff for sharing their space and cleaning after your stay.
14. Fill out the survey on your receipt after shopping and express gratitude to the cashier (by name, if you can remember!) to thank them for processing your purchase or helping you find something.
15. Leave a note on your child's dresser, in your significant other's car, on your shared bathroom mirror, or wherever to express gratitude to your loved ones.
16. Leave a book review for an author you love to express gratitude for them sharing their story with you.
17. Offer to clean up the plates at your friend or family's party, or bring a dish to share to express gratitude for them hosting.
18. Send a thank you email to your teacher, professor, or school counselor to express gratitude for a lesson you enjoyed, or a new perspective they shared, or learning about a new opportunity out there for you.
19. Take a bath, go for a walk, do some stretching or yoga to thank your body for all it does for you on a daily basis.
20. Show gratitude to the Earth by finding ways to make your daily routine more eco friendly - start a compost bin, plant a backyard garden, or use reusable bags and mugs on your errands or coffee runs.
Will Gratitude Work, Though?
We can share and experience gratitude just as easily as we can spread hate and frustration with the world.
If you're hesitant to get out that pen and paper and count your blessings because you don't see how in the world it can change your circumstance - I get you.
I was once that person.
I perceived and believed that I had no control over my life until I could - move out, make money to support myself, have friends who understood me - you name it. But your life is just as much right now, as it is the "untils."
You live in your mind just as much as you live in your body and physical environment, and if all you can truly control right now is your brainspace, then I'm telling you it's worth doing!
Remember not so long ago when there was a toilet paper and hand sanitizer shortage, and people left boxes on their porches full of these supplies and wrote "take what you need" to their delivery drivers?
Let's do more of those things! That is exactly what it means to express gratitude in your everyday - for yourself and those who make your life even a teeny bit better.
Take a minute to reflect on how you feel after spending time expressing gratitude. Do you feel lighter? More hopeful? The same?
Tell us in the comments how you like to express gratitude, and its impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
Gratitude is Grrrrrreat!
Yours in gratitude,
Emily Rose // Miss Magnolia Says
Looking for more? Check out these related posts!
Working Within Your Bubble - Easy ways to affect change, and feel less overwhelmed in the process.
Why Your Self Care Routine Isn’t Working - Reasons why your self care routine feels like it isn't making a dent for you - and what to do about it.
Thoughtful Gift Giving for Connection - Feeling stuck with what to gift your friend or family for the next occasion? Check out these low-budget, high-impact thoughtful gifts from the heart. Enjoy putting your creative brain to work and gifting something truly special!