Is the glass half empty or half full? It all depends on how you look at it. The glass will appear empty if you’re focused on what’s wrong in your life. But if you focus on what’s right, it will seem fuller than ever.

Gratitude is good for your health and has been proven to increase optimism and decrease stress. It makes you feel like someone’s watching over you, looking out for your best interests.

We’ll explore seven ways to become more grateful in life!

1. Keep a gratitude journal to become more grateful

A gratitude journal is a great way to improve your mood and deepen your connection with others.

It’s also easy! The most important part of a gratitude journal is remembering to do it daily. The process can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Still, the main thing is that writing down what makes you happy and proud benefits your body and mind.

To get started, grab yourself a notebook or journal and get writing! Here are some ideas:

• Write down everything that made you smile today (and yesterday). This could be anything from “I got up on time” to “My boyfriend texted me back.” If something makes you happy, write it down!
• Write down one thing that made you feel good this week—maybe something happened at work, or your friend did something nice for you. Whatever it was, jot it down in your notebook. So, when things get tough later, reflecting on those moments will help keep things in perspective. So, it reminds us why we’re grateful for what we have now rather than focusing solely on our problems.

2. Spend time with loved ones

Spending quality time with your family or friends can help you become more grateful for everything you have.

Spending time with loved ones also helps you feel more connected to them, making it easier for you to compliment them and praise their accomplishments.

You can consider going out on a date night now and then! This could mean going out to dinner or a movie or walking together. The most important thing is that both parties agree upon what activity they would like to participate in together, so there are no surprises later.

3. Be honest about the good things you have

When you’re feeling grateful, be honest about it. Don’t let yourself get caught up in negative thoughts or feelings; use them as an excuse not to express gratitude.

• You don’t have to go out and thank everyone who’s done you a favour. Still, chances are that if someone has gone out of their way for you, they’d appreciate it if you showed some appreciation for them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed—and don’t feel guilty about asking for what you want!

4. Try to find positives in the bad

It can be difficult to look on the bright side during a difficult time.

Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong in your life, try looking for the positives instead. We can all learn and practice positive thinking, even if it initially feels uncomfortable. It helps you to focus on the good things in life rather than getting caught up in things that aren’t working out.

In turn, this will help show you how much control over your life you have, and there’s nothing more empowering than knowing that! Positive thinking also makes people happier overall. Experts believe people who have control over their lives are happier than those who don’t.

5. Remember those in worse situations than you are

When you’re feeling down, it’s easy to think your problems are the worst in the world. But they don’t seem so bad when you look at them from a bigger perspective.

Think of those in worse situations than you. They might be in poverty, suffering from a serious illness, or having a tough divorce. Whatever it is, it could always be worse.

Remember that the other person is probably feeling just as bad about their situation as you do about yours. There’s always someone who has it worse than you, and there’s always someone who has it better than you.

6. Appreciate yourself to become more grateful

One of the easiest ways to become more grateful is to appreciate yourself. If you don’t feel good about who you are and what you have accomplished, it’s hard to become more grateful for anything in your life.

Think about everything that makes up who you are — your personality, character traits, talents, physical attributes, etc. Next, consider what makes your life worth living — family, friends, pets and hobbies. Finally, think how fortunate you are to have what you do have.

When we focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have, it’s easy for our minds to wander into negative territory and feel bad about ourselves. This can lead to feeling unhappy with our circumstances or like life isn’t as great as it could be.

By appreciating yourself as an individual with unique gifts and abilities, you’ll automatically become more grateful for everything around you.

7. Be grateful and count the things you love in life

Being grateful is not a one-day job. It’s a life-long journey, so don’t be discouraged immediately if you aren’t where you want to be. The best way to begin this journey is by consciously taking time out of your day to practice gratitude. In the morning or at night, take 5 minutes and write down three things you are grateful for. It could be anything from having clean water and food on your table, having a roof over your head, or simply being here with me reading this article!

The Bottom Line

Gratitude is an essential component of a happy and fulfilled life. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is vital for learning to become more grateful for the things you have in your life.

The benefits of gratitude give us the energy to improve ourselves and our lives. Starting with just one idea can be challenging. Still, you will find it easier to incorporate more grateful ideas into your daily life over time.