Read Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already

Happy people are already apt in practising gratitude but for most of us, gratitude is not something that occurs naturally – it is a skill that needs to be cultivated and therefore, it requires a continuous conscious effort. In this article, we have some tips on how we can cultivate the skill of being grateful.

1. Practise gratitude consistently

Set aside a time to reflect on things that you are grateful for every single day. For example, you can create a gratitude journal or make it a habit to reflect on what you’re grateful for first thing in the morning or before going to bed.

2. Reframe your mind

When you find yourself fretting about things that go wrong, remind yourself of what’s going right. For example, if you’re upset that you have to wake up early for work, give gratitude for the fact that you have a job to draw a salary from. By considering things in a positive light, it can powerfully transform your thinking and makes it easier to feel grateful.

3. Put gratitude into action

Get in the habit of TELLING people that you are grateful for them. You can send a text, bake and deliver a batch of ‘gratitude cookies’, or write a heartfelt note of gratitude. Your expression of gratitude will boost both the receiver’s mood and your own.

4. Pause, look and find the beauty in the ordinary

In order to practise gratitude, we have to put little stops signs into our daily life. Pause or slow down to notice all that is already present and abundant – from the tiniest things to the grandest of our blessings – and in doing so, we take nothing for granted. Find the beauty in the ordinary – warm tea, a child’s smile, the roof over our heads or the ability to smell and taste our food amidst this Covid-19 pandemic! The fact that we are still breathing shouldn’t be taken for granted – as long as we are breathing, there is far more right with us than there is wrong with us. So, take a deep breath of gratitude.

5. Practise mindfulness

Moment-to-moment mindfulness and gratitude go hand in hand – we cannot feel grateful if we are not mindful enough to be aware of the blessings that we have. Hence, a good way to strengthen mindfulness is to set aside some time every day to fully engage in mindfulness. This can be in the form of any meditation, chanting, or slow moving exercises such as yoga or tai chi.

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Read the other posts in the series:
Gratitude – the simplest road to happiness [Part 1]
What the Buddha taught about gratitude [Part 2]