Written by Clinical Psychologist, Katie Dobinson 

Gratitude can be understood as “the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself” (Sansone & Sansone, 2010). When we are thankful and appreciative of aspects of our life, we are practicing gratitude. Evidence suggests that deliberately practising gratitude by noticing and appreciating the things that matter to us can improve wellbeing.

Building gratitude skills 

As we approach the end of the year, it’s an opportunity to pause and take stock of the things you’re thankful for, such as your own achievements, and the connections that matter to you. Notice how this attitude of gratitude can bring a sense of calm during a busy time of year. 

Importantly, this does not mean forcing positivity when you’re going through hardship, minimising real struggles, or ignoring painful circumstances in life. It does mean making a deliberate effort to notice the things you’re grateful for. Gratitude is something that we need to cultivate by practising the skill of looking for the positives.

As the year draws to a close, we encourage you to practice gratitude in whichever way works for you. We’ve included some helpful tips for getting started in fostering an attitude of gratitude.

Start a ‘Gratitude Journal’

Set aside 5 to 10 minutes each day to write down one thing from the day that you’re grateful for. If this is difficult at first, that’s okay! It’s a new skill and takes time to practice. The more we practice fostering gratitude, the easier it can become. 

Noticing the small things

There is no ‘wrong’ thing to write down in your gratitude journal. It’s about noticing the things you’re grateful for, allowing yourself to feel this positive emotion, and practising noticing what brings you meaning and value. 

Some tips for getting started on different areas that you might feel gratitude for in your daily life include:

• Writing about gratitude for your body’s abilities (e.g., “I am grateful for the calmness that a slow, simple inhale and exhale can brings to my day, and knowing I can take a nice slow breath any time I need to.”)
• Noting down an enjoyable experience you value and want to remember/relish in (e.g., “I am thankful for the warm and relaxing feeling of sitting in the sunlight and for experiencing nature.”)
• Writing about an interaction that was important or meaningful to you: (e.g., “I received a text message from a friend today, and I am grateful for their presence in my life, for thinking of me in that moment.”)

You might like to start small by writing down one statement of gratitude per day, and gradually writing down more than one as you start to notice more and more people, places, and experiences you’re grateful for.

Need some extra support? Download our ‘Finding the Good in Everyday’ Worksheet! Our evidence-based worksheet will help you build the habit of noticing the good things in life and reflecting on them. 

Practise an act of kindness involving a ‘thank you’ 

Life gets so busy we often rush through each day and don’t stop to thank those who we’re grateful for. Think of someone you’re grateful for, this might be a friend, a colleague, a loved one, or perhaps someone you see regularly though don’t have a close relationship with – this might be your local bus driver, the staff at your local coffee shop, or an organisation whose work you value and appreciate.

Look for small acts of kindness

Think of how you can express your gratitude through an act of kindness. This might be through taking the time to slow down, saying “thank you”, and letting them know what it is about that person or their actions that you value and appreciate.

You might like to try some of these ideas:

• When you get on the bus, make an effort to make eye contact, thank the driver for helping you and your community from A to B, and wish them a good day, happy holiday, or happy new year.
• Take the time to write a thank you note to your neighbour who might have helped you out throughout the year, or to a colleague that helped you with a difficult project, or perhaps a friend that offered support during a tough time.
• Write an email to an organisation that you support and appreciate. This might be a volunteer organisation whose work you admire and align with.
• Do a favour for a friend – this might be offering to cook them a meal, helping out where needed, or giving them a genuine compliment.

The long-lasting effects of kindness

See if you can notice how the person responds as well as your own emotional state after your act of kindness. These acts can bring more connection, a deeper sense of connection, and gratitude towards yourself for doing a kind act.

We are grateful to you!

We also want to say a heartfelt thanks to the THIS WAY UP community. We know that each year brings its unique challenges and changes, and we appreciate your dedication to improving your mental health, and engaging with skills and practices for your own wellbeing. We encourage you to reflect on how improving your mental health can have a ripple effect – often leading to positive changes for the people around you. 

So, from the team here at THIS WAY UP, we want to say thank you!

Don’t forget to download our free ‘Finding the Good’ worksheet. Our evidence-based resource will help you build the habit of noticing the good things in life and reflecting on them.