6 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude & Boost Happiness

Gratitude and appreciation are two powerful weapons we can use against depression and anxiety.

In fact, Dan Baker writes in his book, What Happy People Know, that it is impossible to be in a state of appreciation and fear at the same time.

Here, then, are some ways we can cultivate gratitude:

1. Keep a gratitude journal.

Psychologists across the globe concur: Keeping a gratitude journal — where you record daily, or once a week, all the things you have to be grateful for — can increase your happiness and energy, and relieve pain and fatigue.

In your journal, make a list of each day’s “little joys” — moments that you might fail to appreciate if you didn’t make yourself record them, such as: “holding my daughter’s hand on the way to the car,” “a hot shower,” “helping my son with his homework.” This exercise reminds us of all the blessings in our lives that we take for granted and encourages appreciation of those mundane moments as sources of joy.

2. Use the right words.

According to Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman, words literally can change your brain. In their book, Words Can Change Your Brain, they write: “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”

Positive words, such as “peace” and “love,” can alter the expression of genes, strengthening areas in our frontal lobes and promoting the brain’s cognitive functioning. According to the authors, they propel the motivational centers of the brain into action and build resiliency.

3. Hang with the winners.

Peer pressure never really goes away, you know. Studies show that married folks hanging out with happy couples are more likely to stay married themselves; that if your friends eat well, their willpower will rub off on you; and that if you surround yourself with optimists, you will end up more positive than if you keep company with a bunch of whiners.

By merely sitting next to a person who uses the words “thank you,” there is a high probability that you will start using those words more often as well.

4. Remember.

“Gratitude is the heart’s memory,” says the French proverb. Therefore, one of the first steps to thankfulness is to remember those in our lives who have walked with us and shown us kindness in deeds big and small. The mere exercise of remembering such positive mentors can cultivate gratitude in your life.

5. Write thank-you cards and letters.

According to psychologist Robert Emmons at the University of California at Davis, author of Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, a powerful exercise to cultivate gratitude is to compose a thank-you letter to a person who has made a positive and lasting influence in your life.

Emmons says the letter is especially powerful when you have not properly thanked the person in the past. Try writing one letter annually, perhaps around the new year. What better way to welcome a new year than with a healthy exercise in gratitude and appreciation?

On a more regular basis, thank-you cards for little things here and there are always a fantastic way to remind supportive friends and family that they are appreciated.

6. Pay it forward.

If someone does an act of kindness for you, one way to say thanks is to do the same for another. A stranger paid for your groceries when you forgot your wallet? Do the same for someone else, and keep the good karma going.

This method is especially powerful in situations where the act of kindness was so significant that you feel nothing you could do would match the kindness. 

Since our September 2020 Snailbox was a gratitude themed collection, we also chatted with our lovely featured artist Elizabeth Grubaugh to get her thoughts on gratitude, as well as the inspiration for her latest (and very unique, might we add) thank-you card collection.

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SNAILBOX: What inspired you to make your Everyday Heroes thank-you card collection?

ELIZABETH: In the beginning stages of the pandemic lock-down, when we were all staying home and most everything was closed, our local bakery was working overtime with practically no staff to meet the demand of its patrons. I decided to create a portrait of the owners as a way to say thank you.

I quickly realized there were many other community members working overtime to bring some sort of normalcy to our lives, and risking their health to do so.

This series is close to my heart and came from witnessing these folks, most of whom are my friends, and wanting to pay tribute to them. 

SNAILBOX: Do you have any personal tips or wisdoms on ways to express or practice gratitude? 

ELIZABETH: I always appreciate the small gestures of gratitude, such as a handmade note or gift tag, a single flower, a card that was picked out especially for me! We are all so busy these days with work and kids and life, but giving a little bit of yourself is good for your soul as well as the recipient’s!