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  • Writer's pictureMia Denean

5 Gratitude Habits That Will Drastically Improve Your Life

Updated: Oct 23, 2022


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Gratitude is one of the most powerful and healthiest emotions we can express as humans. This blog post will discuss five gratitude habits that will drastically improve your life. When we feel grateful for all we have, our happiness increases, we experience less stress and anxiety, and even sleep better. Because gratitude is such a beneficial emotion for a growth mindset, it's essential to cultivate it in our lives.


What if I told you that you could cultivate or manifest relationships, opportunities, material items, and experiences in your life before they arrive by expressing gratitude? But first, we must start with the right mindset,


Growth Mindset vs . Fixed Mindset


If you're unfamiliar with the concept of mindset, the established set of attitudes tells us how to interpret what happens to us. Our mindset is developed over the years through our personal experiences, emotions, and environment. The growth mindset is one in which we see challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. People that identify with a growth mindset are usually also characterized as being optimistic by seeing the glass as half full as opposed to not half empty. When we have this mindset, we don't see ourselves as victims; instead, we believe that things will not always go our way but that our efforts can make all the difference in whether or not they do. We remain faithful and express gratitude even when others feel as though there is not much to be thankful for if the things they want are not coming their way or life is not happening as they intended. On the other hand, having a fixed mindset means believing that your abilities are set at birth and cannot change throughout life—this will lead you to feel like being born brilliant or talented is enough to succeed in life without putting any work into improving on skills & talents or cultivating desired experiences. Usually, people that have a fixed mindset are characterized as being pessimistic in their views and tend to focus on what they don't have as opposed to what they do have, lacking to appreciate even the aspects of life that we often take advantage of such as having air in our lungs to breathe and being able to change our circumstances each day that we open our eyes.


We were made to grow and develop over time by going through situations in which we are supposed to find the lessons, learn, and do the next time differently. This means that any limitation you may feel right now only exists because of something inside yourself—you haven't given yourself all of the tools yet and if you believe that you already have the tools to become greater or change your current circumstances. Then what's stopping you?


The Power In These Two Words




The words "thank you" are so powerful, but you may not realize just how powerful they are when only saying thank you for things you have already received.


The most common way we use the word thank you is when we receive something we like or need. We say it because we want to show appreciation for this item and let the person who gave us this item know that we appreciate it. This is a great way to use the word thank you because it shows gratitude for someone else's generosity towards us.


Gratitude is not only a powerful emotion but a mindset. Gratitude makes us feel connected with other people and can help improve relationships, health, experiences, and opportunities. Gratitude also has many benefits: it makes us happier; it reduces stress; it helps us sleep better; it gives us more energy and confidence...the list goes on!

The key to cultivating gratitude in your life is practice—the more often we express our appreciation for others' generosity or efforts on our behalf, the easier this will become (and eventually become second nature). So let's get started!


5 Habits For Expressing Gratitude


#1 Accept Compliments With A Smile And a Thank You.


When someone compliments you, it's common to react with a modest "thank you" or perhaps even a denial of the compliment ("oh, you don't mean that"). However, if your goal is to cultivate gratitude and appreciation for yourself and others, there are better ways to respond. Let's learn to avoid denying or diminishing compliments altogether: the other person has taken the time and effort to notice something about you that they find impressive—and they're likely trying to make you feel good! And while some people may be prone to self-deprecation or awkwardness around praise (or both), no matter what type of response we give can be interpreted as either genuine humility or inauthenticity.

When someone gives us a compliment that we feel uncomfortable accepting—whether because we don't believe them or because it feels awkward saying thank you ("I love your jacket!")—we can always smile warmly and say something like: “Thank you! It means so much that you noticed." Or perhaps repeat what was said ("You have beautiful eyes as well") along with another kind gesture, such as holding eye contact for longer than usual before looking away.


#2 Keep A Gratitude Journal


Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to start your day and end it. This can have a powerful impact on your relationship with yourself and others. Writing in a gratitude journal helps you focus on the positive things in your life rather than dwelling on the stressors or causes of anxiety. It also allows you to appreciate what you have and reminds you to be thankful for it.


The best time to write in your gratitude journal is first thing in the morning after you wake up. You'll be able to reflect on all the things you're grateful for and clear your mind before starting your day. It's also a way to express gratitude at night when your mind is more relaxed and open to new ideas. When you write in the evening, be sure to get into a comfortable position where you won't be interrupted or distracted by anything else going on around you.



The Gratitude Journal by Intelligent Change is a favorite product of mine that I keep by my bedside table. Every morning I wake up, it is one of the first things I see and start my day with before opening my phone to check emails, texts, or my social media accounts; taking the time to do this in the morning and before bed has helped me to always remain in a state of gratitude. When you open the page to this journal, the first prompt will ask you to write three things you are grateful for. Here are three ideas you can use to register if you have difficulty finding something to express gratitude for.


I am grateful for waking up this morning.


I am grateful for the air in my lungs.


I am grateful for the sleep that I received last night.



Taking it a step further, you can express gratitude for things you would like to come to fruition in your life.


I am grateful to have the home of my dreams.


I am grateful for my thriving business.


I am grateful for the confidence that I have.


Telling yourself how grateful you are for something doesn't just feel good; it makes your body release endorphins! These chemicals help lower blood pressure and stress levels, so they're an easy way to feel better immediately. And when we feel better, we're more likely to take care of ourselves and avoid falling into a repeated pattern of past thinking.


So keep writing down everything that makes your life unique—it'll help keep it that way!


#3 Make It A Habit To Notice The Things That Make You Happy Each Day


Making it a habit of noticing the things that make you happy each day is easy to stay positive and have faith that everything in your life will transform. It can be hard to get back into the right mindset when feeling down or overwhelmed. But when you can focus on what went well or smoothly in your day, it's easier to remember that the world isn't always terrible. And when you feel that you have more than enough good elements in your life to be grateful for, it's easier to let go of those little annoyances that can make us feel like things are happening to us.


Examples of these would be that you were able to get in your car and make it to all of your destinations and back home safely. The person that you encountered at the checkout line was kind. You liked the weather for the day. You could find the item you were looking for around the house. You enjoyed a good cup of coffee. Being thankful for these moments will keep you in a state of gratitude.


#4 Practice Being Mindful


Mindfulness practice has been shown to have many benefits for mental and physical health. And when we're more mindful, we're better able to deal with stress, pain, and anxiety. We also tend to be more productive at work, as well as more creative and productive effective in general.


Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judging them, good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and being present with your emotions. When you feel that your mind is wandering to thoughts that bring your mood down, make you not feel good about yourself, or cause that feeling in your head that you know will bring on a headache, that is the perfect time to acknowledge that place that your mind is going to and bring it back gently without criticizing yourself and instead make a choice to feel different by expressing gratitude at that moment.


#5 Express Your Gratitude Aloud


When you practice speaking your gratitude out loud, you're sending a message to yourself: "I'm worthy of this." That may not seem like much, but when you say something like that enough times, it starts to sink into your subconscious and shape how you see yourself. Pretty soon, being grateful becomes second nature. Expressing gratitude aloud is one of the best ways to bring more of what you want into your life.


In other words, when you feel grateful, you attract more of what you want into your life. It's like a homing signal for the universe: "Hey! I'd love it if I got more of this in my life!" It makes sense when you think about it in terms of magnetism and electricity. Like attracts like—so if you're grateful for something that's already happened or exists in your life, guess what? The universe will bring more things like it into your life!


To help assist you with this, I have created a Guided Gratitude Session that you can watch daily. Watch this for 21 days in the morning and before bed, and watch how your life transforms!





You want your gratitude practice to be a daily habit so that it becomes ingrained in your life and begins to change other areas of your life. In this blog post, we discussed five ways you can start to transform your life with the power of expressing gratitude and the two words "thank you" Be sure to check out the Guided Gratitude session to try before you go to bed tonight and wake up tomorrow morning. If there is someone in your life that you think needs to express more gratitude, share this blog post with them.


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