We all want to feel good, especially now, especially with the year we have had! Right? 

Did you know one sure way to feel better is through the simple act of gratitude? It has even been scientifically proven. 

Why does it work?

A happiness researcher, and leading gratitude expert Robert Emmons states that gratitude: 

1. Helps us to notice the positives.
2. Magnifies the positive emotions and the pleasures we get from life.
3. Allows us to hold onto good feelings longer because we don’t take them for granted.
4. Blocks toxic, negative emotions, such as envy, resentment, regret. Each of these emotions can destroy happiness. Because you cannot feel envy and gratitude at the same time, when you focus on gratitude it blocks the negative emotion. 

People who regularly practice gratitude can expect these benefits according to researcher Robert Emmons. 

• Health benefits such as: stronger immune systems, less noticeable aches and pains, lower blood pressure, better sleep and less fatigue, and grateful people do more to take care of their health including being more likely to exercise. 
• Psychological benefits such as: more joy and pleasure, depression episodes are less frequent and shorter in duration, have more well being, experience a higher sense of self-worth and are more resistant to stress events. 
• Social benefits such as: being more helpful, generous, and compassionate, find it easier to forgive, able to be more outgoing, and less likely to feel lonely or isolated.

Sounds pretty great, right? Gratitude pretty much raises the bar on everything good and makes everything bad less pronounced. Bring it on!

How can we help ourselves and our family cultivate gratitude? Keep reading for some ideas and free printables!

One thing that seems clear is that gratitude has to be deliberately reflected upon.  

Cultivate more gratitude in yourself:

Write down what you’re grateful in whatever way seems easiest to you. You could record a few things nightly in your journal. Or if you are like me and that doesn’t really work for you because you forget, try this printable I came up with to help me. You will print it on address labels that are 3 across by 10 down. I used the Avery 18160 ones.

Even though it is essentially the same thing as just writing in my journal, it feels a little different and makes it harder to forget, so it works for me!  

I set it in my journal like a bookmark then just peel and stick it in. It also makes it easier to spot if I want to flip through my journal to reflect on my blessings. If I am not writing in my journal that day, it is still easy to take a minute to write one or two things down that I am grateful for. 

Cultivate Gratitude In Your Family:

Who wants happier kids? Me! What if we trained our kids to always be looking for things they are grateful for while they are little and develop a pattern of gratitude and the associated blessings now? What difference would that make in their lives?

Tip # One:

You can try taking a minute to help them “journal” each night something that they are grateful for and letting them draw a picture with your written words underneath. Or even easier, just make it part of your dinner routine to take turns talking about things you are grateful for. It would totally be worth the effort!

Tip # Two:

Try a gratitude tree this month. 

Then, make a simple trunk out of any paper you have on hand. You can make it a big or small tree. I used three pieces of brown construction paper taped together.

Each night add a leaf of something each family is grateful for to your grateful tree. 

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Need some ideas for things to be thankful for to help you or your kids started? Check out this fun link.

Kid President’s 25 Reasons To Be Thankful!

This cute song can also be a good intro to gratitude to get them thinking about what they are thankful for:

Tip # three:

Here is another idea of a way you can practice gratitude: Thank you cards

Another leading psychological researcher, Martin Seligman, did some testing with having people personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who they had not ever properly thanked. These participants IMMEDIATELY experienced a huge increase in happiness scores and, unique to this intervention, they experienced benefits that lasted for a MONTH!  We made some cards you can print and use, if you want to try the experiment yourself!

Watch this cute video if you want to see people trying that experiment.

Tip # four:

Practice gratitude through prayer! Have you ever wondered why we were instructed to give thanks BEFORE we address our needs in prayer? Do you think one of the reasons is so that we are happier? I sure do!

Wishing you a heart full of gratitude and all kinds of happiness!

PS

Want more ideas and printables for this Thanksgiving season? Check out this blog about how to help your preschooler enjoy Thanksgiving.

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