Tis the Season of Gratitude

Pros, Practices, & Prompts

The Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude has been shown to…

• Weaken depression, anxiety, and stress

• Increase overall physical health

• Increase resilience

• Strengthen the immune system

• Improve sleep

• Boost self-esteem

• Enhance empathy

• Increase optimism

• Strengthen relationships

• Improve mindfulness

• Remind you of what is important

• Lower inflammation

• Decrease comparison

• Bring you back to the present moment

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My Gratitude Practice

A couple of years ago, I started to begin each morning writing down a list of five things I am grateful for.

Some days, I can jot down five things, and maybe five more, in no time. Other days, it is a struggle to come up with five.

And while it might not feel like it in the moment, I have found that this simple practice has changed me in so many ways.

It has rewired my thinking to look for the good in situations.

It has helped me to start each day in a mindset of abundance, not lack.

And it has taught me that no matter how bad I might think things are, there is always something I can be grateful for.

Disclaimer: There are seasons where the things you are grateful for feel like they pale in comparison to the things you have lost. Take it slow. Maybe you try to think of one small thing you are grateful for each morning - your cup of coffee, a text from a friend, your favorite sweatshirt, a clean set of sheets.

Gratitude isn’t about forcing positivity or ignoring your real feelings; it’s about allowing yourself to recognize the good in your life - when you’re ready.

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Specific Gratitude Prompts

Around this time of year, we often ask or are asked, “What are you grateful for?”

Don’t get me wrong, I love this question. But, if you feel like you want a more specific question, a more unique prompt, or just some variety as you lean into gratitude this season, here are some ideas to get you started!

• What are things you are grateful for that you smell? Hear? Taste?

• Who in your life are you thankful for, and why?

• What are you grateful you can do?

• What is a skill or quality you’re grateful to have?

• What are you grateful for from today? Yesterday? This year? Last year?

• What places are you grateful for?

• What are you grateful for about where you live? (Country, state, city, neighborhood, house, etc.)

• What are you grateful for in your work or school life?

• What activities are you grateful for?

• What are you grateful for about the season of life you are currently in?

• What are you grateful for about yourself?

• What is something challenging you’ve gone through that you now feel grateful for?

• What is something you are grateful for that you used to overlook or take for granted?

• What lesson have you learned recently that you feel grateful for?

Thanks for reading! Feel free to answer any of these questions in the comments or send your response to me! I hope you all have so much to be grateful for this November.

Take care,

Caroline