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Finding Joy in the Simple Things: Gratitude Practices That Work

Finding Joy in the Simple Things: Gratitude Practices That Work

Last updated on: July 16, 2023 at 12:26 pm by Sarah Leadon

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Finding Joy in the Simple Things: Gratitude Practices That Work 2023-07-16T12:26:14-04:00 Sarah Leadon

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A gratitude journal for gratitude practices.

Gabrielle-Henderson/Unsplash

Gratitude practices are necessary to keep your sanity. After all, gratitude is an essential part of life. Gratitude helps you find joy in the simple things in life. It is this joy that gives you hope that you will get through the stressful trials of life.

The trick to mastering gratitude is finding gratitude practices that work for you. But before we get to gratitude practices, let’s define gratitude.

What Is Gratitude

Gratitude is derived from the Latin term gratus, which translates to thankful or pleasing. Therefore, gratitude is an intense feeling of appreciation.

For example, appreciating your parents working multiple jobs to support you and your siblings is an act of gratitude. Giving God thanks for sparing your life from a terrible car accident is also an act of gratitude.

What Does Gratitude Teach Us

Gratitude teaches us many things. Gratitude teaches us the power of positivity and to stop taking things and people for granted.

Gratitude welcomes positive energy by helping us focus on the positive things in our lives that we often take for granted. For example, we have access to food, water, and a warm home are things people take for granted all the time.

However, gratitude helps us remember that not everyone has access to these things. Therefore, we should be grateful that we have been blessed with a home, water, and food.

Gratitude also fosters positive thoughts and emotions. It has a domino effect. Positive thoughts lead to positive emotions. Positive emotions lead to positive actions.

Gratitude may cause us to feel happy, joyful, and hopeful. We can turn these positive emotions into positive actions by performing acts of kindness for others.

For example, you can tell a friend or family member why you are grateful to have them in your life. Your actions may inspire them to adopt an attitude of gratitude and perform acts of kindness for others in their lives.

What Does The Bible Say About Practicing Gratitude

The Good Book has many things to say about gratitude, but I want to focus on 1 main scripture: Ephesians 5:20.

Ephesians 5: 20 says that we should thank God for everything. It is easy to forget to be grateful when we have so many good things in our lives.

For example, when you buy your first home and car, you jump off the walls with excitement and gratitude that you have a car to drive and don’t have to catch the bus. You are also grateful you have a place to call home.

After a while, the gratitude and joy can fade. You may become overwhelmed by mortgage or car payments and utility or gas bills, which can easily steal your joy away. Instead of being grateful you have a car to drive to work, you will focus on the fact that gas is so expensive. Instead of being grateful you don’t have to pay rent, you will think about how expensive it is to fix your damaged roof.

You won’t remember to thank God for your car or your house because you are fixated on the cost of maintaining these items or window shopping for new items. It’s hard to thank God for everything when we take so many things for granted.

In contrast, we also forget to be thankful when we are navigating our way through storms. It can be easy to get lost in the sea of forgetfulness and darkness, especially if you have been dealt blows back to back.

This scripture reminds us to thank God when things are good and when they’re bad. I know it sounds crazy to thank God for the bad, but bad times don’t last forever. Furthermore, God makes miracles out of storms. Romans 8:28 tells us all things, including the good and the bad, work together for our God. He turns our negatives into positives, so we have to thank Him for everything.

Gratitude journal entry for gratitude practices.

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Gratitude Practices That Work

Practicing gratitude is not easy. It involves looking for something positive when your life may be falling apart. Use 3 simple gratitude practices to help you foster an attitude of gratitude.

Think Thankful Thoughts

Thinking thankful thoughts is the perfect way to pick yourself up out of a funk. Think of 5 things every day that you are thankful for.

If you can’t think of 5 things, think of 3 things you are grateful for. If you can’t think of 3 things you are grateful for, think of 1 thing you are grateful for.

There’s always something to be grateful for. You can be grateful for life, health, and strength, a hot meal, a warm bed, or a loving, healthy family. Thinking about these things can create a spark of hope in dark times. This practice also puts things into perspective by helping you focus on what you have instead of concentrating on what you don’t have.

Buy A Gratitude Journal

Nowadays, there is a journal for just about everything. There are therapy journals, mood-tracking journals, music journals, idea journals, and gratitude journals.

Gratitude journals build upon the first step by giving you a space to record what you are grateful for. You can go back and read your journal entries when you are feeling low. These journals help you remember the experience you are grateful for, as well as the positive emotions associated with it.

Gratitude journals can also be something of sentimental value. You can pass them on to your children when they are older, or they may find them when you’ve crossed over. It can teach them to be grateful for the wonderful memories they experienced with you and inspire them to create their own gratitude journals.

Shower Others With Gratitude

Showing gratitude is important. If there is someone in your life that you are thankful for, tell them. You can tell them verbally or write a gratitude letter.

When you receive gifts from others, don’t become fascinated with the gift. Think about why they bought you the gift. For example, a friend may give you a gift certificate to a spa. Maybe they noticed that you have been a little stressed and could use some relaxing escape. You could thank them for being an attentive friend and providing a relaxing distraction.

Practicing gratitude does not have to be complicated. As long as you think thankful thoughts, record them in a gratitude journal, and shower others with gratitude, you find joy in the small things by experiencing positive thoughts, emotions, and actions.

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