5 Ways to Practice Gratitude
Dr. Erica Volk, ND | Last updated July 23, 2026
Mental health challenges like anxiety and depression are extremely common. Most of us experience anxiety and depression to some degree over the course of our lifetime (and often more than once). A practice of gratitude is a skill that can help one stay afloat through the challenging times and leads to more joy and satisfaction in life. In fact, gratitude has been shown in research studies to be effective for improving symptoms of anxiety and depression¹.
How does one become more grateful? Below are five different ways of adopting a more grateful approach to life.
Gratitude Practice #1: Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling is one of the most common gratitude practices. I recommend selecting a special notebook and pen. Spend a few minutes each day (before bed is nice) writing down three or more things you are grateful for from that day. These can be big things or small things. The point is to recognize what is good in your life. Here are a few examples:
- I am grateful for clean clothes to wear.
- I am grateful for the support I receive from my friends and family
- I am grateful to the person who let me go ahead of them in line at the grocery store
- I am grateful for my willingness to learn new skills
You get the idea! Go ahead and get writing! What are you grateful for?
As you get better at noticing what is good, you may notice that your list of things to be grateful for is much longer than just three!
If writing by hand feels like too much work, there are apps you can use to record your gratitude! A couple worth checking out are My Gratitude Journal and Happify.
Gratitude Practice #2: Tune Into Your Senses
Practicing gratitude includes noticing the beauty around you.
To practice this, start tuning into your senses: sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste. Not only will tuning into your senses help you notice the beautiful, lovely, delicious, soft, and interesting sights, sounds, tastes, and textures in your life, but it is also a practice in mindfulness.
Mindfulness is simply the art of being present in the moment. Since most anxious and sad thoughts are related to the past or to the future, focusing on the present helps reduce these thoughts and helps you cultivate gratitude and peace of mind. A few questions to ask yourself when tuning into the senses:
- What do I see? Are the sights around me pleasing? What is beautiful about the environment around me?
- What sounds do I hear? Which sounds are pleasing? Which ones are displeasing?
- What do I taste? Where did this food come from? How was it grown, transported, and prepared?
- What do I smell? What do the smells remind me of?
- What do I touch? What is supporting my weight? What textures do I feel against my skin, and with my fingers? Where do I feel comfortable and at ease in my body, or can I find some softness there?
Gratitude Practice #3: Find the Silver Lining
Life isn't always rosy, and that's just a fact! You're here on this earth to experience the good... and the bad.
Gratitude is recognizing the silver lining in difficult circumstances. When you're feeling low or when things don't go your way, there is still usually some good that comes from the experience, even if it's just the fact that you gained a valuable lesson, or showed your resilience.
For example, being fired from a job could mean an opportunity for a much-needed change, or the chance to grow and develop new skills. Grieving the loss of a loved one means that you cared greatly for someone, and this is a beautiful thing. Practice looking for the silver lining, and this will help you to become more grateful, and more joyful.
Gratitude is recognizing the silver lining in difficult circumstances. When you're feeling low or when things don't go your way, there is still usually some good that comes from the experience, even if it's just the fact that you gained a valuable lesson, or showed your resilience.
For example, being fired from a job could mean an opportunity for a much-needed change, or the chance to grow and develop new skills. Grieving the loss of a loved one means that you cared greatly for someone, and this is a beautiful thing. Practice looking for the silver lining, and this will help you to become more grateful, and more joyful.
Gratitude Practice #4: Volunteer
One way to be grateful for our life and circumstances is to spend time giving back to those who are less fortunate, or who have more challenges than we do.
Volunteering can be a regular activity or done once in a while at events of your choosing. People often choose volunteer activities that are close to their hearts and personal experiences. For example, if you have lost a loved one to a particular disease, it may feel good to volunteer in a group that holds walks or fundraising events for research relating to that disease. Or if you struggle with finances, it may feel good to volunteer with the homeless or low income people, which may help you to recognize your relative abundance.
There are hundreds (more like thousands) of volunteer opportunities out there. Organizations that are trying to make a difference are grateful to you and your support in their cause, which, in turn, leads to a sense of well-being and purpose in life.
