Gratitude As A Lifestyle
In this life, one of the best things you can do to benefit your wellbeing is learning to be more grateful. In order to do this, you must develop a grateful mindset. When you have a grateful mindset, you approach all the different aspects of your life with gratitude and appreciation at the forefront.
There are some challenges that can make being more grateful harder. For example, if you tend to have a negative mindset or attitude, you may struggle to develop a grateful mindset.
Fortunately, it is possible to learn how to embrace gratitude and approach each day with a more grateful mindset. If you are ready to embark on a gratitude development journey, use this 30-day gratitude challenge to begin the process of living a more appreciative and positive lifestyle.
30 Day Challenge
Day 1: Get a read on your thinking patterns and habits.
The first thing you must do if you want to develop a more grateful mindset is to get an accurate read on your current thinking patterns and habits. The way you think is likely so ingrained in your entire sense of being that you don’t necessarily notice when you are trapped in a negative thought cycle.
On the first day of this challenge, pay very close attention to the way you speak to yourself and the types of thoughts you have. Do they seem to be overly negative? Do you speak to yourself with kindness or disdain? Taking an honest look at these habits and patterns is the first step toward recognizing what needs to change In order to help you embrace a more gratitude focused thinking pattern.
Day 2: Practice thought swapping.
Now that you spent day one of this challenge getting a clear understanding of your current thinking patterns and habits, you will spend day two practicing thoughts swapping. Thought swapping happens when you recognize a negative thought, question its validity, and then replace it with something more truthful and rooted in reality.
Often, Stress and Anxiety lead to negative thoughts that are very exaggerated and blown out of proportion. When you are feeling stressed and anxious, you are far more likely to let fear control your thinking habits, which can lead to disproportionate perceptions of what is really happening in your life. To be more grateful, it is important to learn how to challenge these thoughts and replace them with something more positive and rooted in reality.
Today, challenge yourself to isolate one of your negative thoughts. question its truthfulness, and then give yourself permission to replace it with a more truthful and positive minded thought.
Day 3: Add positive affirmations into your morning routine.
In order to have a more grateful mindset, it is important to build a climate of positivity Within yourself. To make positivity a habit, you need to start small by introducing a small burst of positivity throughout your day. One of the easiest ways to do this is to add positivity into an established routine you already follow.
Today, challenge yourself to repeat some simple positive affirmations while you are brushing your teeth, drinking your morning coffee, or selecting your outfit for the day. By simply repeating these positive affirmations while you are already doing something that is an established part of your daily routine, you will begin to make positivity also an established part of your daily routine. Over time, the habit becomes automatic.
Day 4: Tell people that you appreciate them.
Today, challenge yourself to tell the different people in your life that you appreciate them. take it a step further than just telling them that you are grateful for them. instead, give specific examples and reasons why they matter to you.
Not only does this simple act of kindness develop gratitude, but it also creates stronger bonds between you and the other people in your life. Knowing that they are appreciated will make your friends, family members, coworkers, and the other people in your life aware that your relationships are important and that you place a lot of value in them.
Day 5: Give purposeful “Thank You’s.”
Spend time today focusing on how you thank others. Whether someone gives you something, pays you a compliment, offers their assistance, or does anything else that you appreciate, make sure you express a “thank you” to them in a purposeful manner.
You could verbalize your appreciation, write a thank you note, or send a follow-up email. Expressing your thanks in a deliberate and pointed manner can help you better embrace a grateful mindset.
Day 6: Embrace mindful living.
Today, practice being more mindful. Pay close attention to everyday activities or sensations that you may take for granted, such as walking to work or eating a meal. When you are mindful, you are far more open and perceptive to the “here and now” moments of life. Learning how to embrace these kinds of moments can open your mind to feel more gratitude and appreciation for the everyday parts of your life.
Day 7: End today on a positive note.
As you are winding down and preparing for bedtime today, take a moment to express genuine appreciation and thanks for something in your life. It doesn’t matter if what you’re expressing gratitude for is something big or small – simply taking a moment to express your appreciation for it being a part of your life can help cement your gratitude focused mindset, especially if you turn it into a nightly habit.
Day 8: Go the entire day without complaining about something.
Sometimes, life really stinks. All people experience tough days from time to time. Even if you’re experiencing a minor annoyance, you can still develop a negative attitude around it that clouds your entire perception of the world around you.
Today, challenge yourself to go the whole day without complaining. Instead, try to acknowledge anything positive, however small, in each situation. You’ll quickly notice how looking for the silver linings in each situation can totally reshape your day.
Day 9: Engage in a gratitude meditation session.
A gratitude meditation session is exactly what it sounds like – to complete one, you let yourself relax into a meditative state and focus solely on what brings you joy and appreciation in life.
By focusing solely on what you’re grateful for during this meditation session, you can allow yourself to be fully immersed in that sense of appreciation for it, which deepens those emotions.
Day 10: Send someone a heartfelt thank you message or email today.
If you’re in the habit of saying “thank you” often, it can sometimes feel like the sentiment loses its meaning. Today, challenge yourself to send someone a heartfelt thank you in the form of a written message or email.
Taking time to write down your gratitude is a great way to really express how you’re feeling to another person. Not only will it help you properly express your feelings, but receiving this kind of message can also bring positive influence into the other person’s day as well.
Day 11: Turn your back on perfectionism.
If you try really hard to lead a perfect life, you will surely find disappointment. This is because perfection is a myth. Nobody is perfect or leading a perfect life – no matter what they may try to make others believe on social media!
Today, challenge yourself to turn away from any perfectionist tendencies and instead embrace life as-is. This can be tough – the urge to seek perfection in everything can be really hard to let go of, especially if you always seek perfection – but doing so can help you become more grateful.
People who live gratitude-focused lifestyles understand that life isn’t perfect, but that there is always something to appreciate regardless. Learning how to break away from perfection in favor of a grateful mindset is a great way to embrace this lifestyle.
Day 12: Write in a gratitude journal.
A great way to express your gratitude is through writing. Today, grab a notebook and a pen, and spend a little time at the end of the day writing in a gratitude journal. Writing about what you are most grateful about in life not only helps you reflect on your appreciation, but it also creates a written record you can revisit anytime you’re feeling down and need a gratitude boost.
Whether you write a little or a lot, repetition of this practice can lead to quite the record of your gratitude and a more grateful mindset overall.
Day 13: Accept a compliment without negating it or dismissing it.
Learning how to show gratitude toward yourself is another major part of building a grateful mindset. Learn how to accept compliments without dismissing or negating them – instead, practice accepting them from other people as-is!
Today, if someone gives you a compliment, whether it’s about your outfit, your performance on a work task, something you created, or anything else, practice saying “thank you” to show your appreciation for their kindness. Do not come up with excuses about why you don’t deserve the praise or appreciation – simply challenge yourself to accept it.
Day 14: Go on a gratitude walk.
Spend some time taking a walk (ideally outside in nature) today and use this time to reflect on all the goodness around you, such as fresh air and wide-open skies.
Walking in nature and spending time outdoors is a fantastic way to clear your mind and focus on life’s simple, smaller pleasures. It’s also a great way to reconnect with nature. Because human beings are creatures of the Earth, it is important to spend some time convening with the natural world. While on your walk, appreciate everything you have and what the natural world is offering you.
Day 15: Plan a small surprise for someone you care about.
Today, plan a little surprise for someone you care about to show them your gratitude and appreciation for everything they do for you. It could be a s simple as bringing a coworker coffee or taking your friend out to dinner.
These small surprise acts of kindness not only express your appreciation and gratitude for this other person’s impact on your life, but it also helps you build more trust, love, and care within your relationship with them.
Day 16: Let go of an old grudge or wrongdoing from your past.
Is the past dragging you down? If you tend to hold on to old grudges or wrongdoings from your past, you may have a hard time developing a grateful mindset. It is difficult to feel gratitude in your life if you insist on holding onto old, hard feelings.
Instead, give yourself permission to let those old grudges or wrongdoings go. It doesn’t mean you are “lost” or are “weak” for doing so. It simply means you are ready to let them go so you can move on with your life in a more positive and productive manner.
Day 17: Clean out some of your old belongings to donate.
While this day’s challenge can help you get your personal space more clean and organized, it can also be a vehicle to bring more gratitude into your life. As you consider items to remove from your home and donate, spend some time thinking about the purposes they served and the joy they brought you before the end of their lives in your home. Doing this can help you really appreciate everything you have, as well as the act of passing them onward for someone else to enjoy.
Day 18: Identify a win you had during the day.
All of life’s wins aren’t going to be huge. In fact, many of them will feel very small and ordinary, but even the smallest of wins have the power to make big, positive impacts in your life.
Challenge yourself to identify one win you achieved during the course of your day. Even the smallest wins count! For example, a small win could be…
- –  Challenging yourself to try something new instead of doing something your “usual way”
- –  Getting a good report from your boss about a work project you recently completed
- –  Finding an extra $5 in your pocket
- –  Choosing to go out for a walk instead of binge-watching TV after work
- –  Treating yourself to a special treat you don’t normally get to enjoy
…a win is a win! When you take the time to identify all your wins, big or small, you are building a stronger sense of appreciation and gratitude for everything you have in your life.
Day 19: Set a random gratitude reminder alert on your phone.
Today, choose a random time and set a reminder alert on your phone. Later, when the alert chimes, stop whatever you are doing and take a moment to express gratitude for something in your life.
Doing this regularly can help you become more self-aware of your gratitude and all the different aspects of your life you have to appreciate, especially when you are focusing on them at random intervals of the day.
Day 20: Volunteer your time or skills to a cause or project that matters to you.
Today, challenge yourself to find a volunteer opportunity that is meaningful to you. Whether you’re assisting in a community kitchen, sorting donations for a homeless shelter, working with animals at a local rescue, or offering your skills to assist a cause you care about, volunteering is an excellent way to boost your gratitude levels and embrace a more grateful mindset.
Seeing yourself do good for others isn’t just good for your own perception of yourself and your life, but it also serves as a positive expression of energy into the universe. Volunteering helps others and spreads goodness outward, which benefits everyone.
Day 21: Plan a gratitude date for someone you care about.
Plan a special outing to treat someone you care about, such as a close friend or family member. Make an effort to treat them to their favorite meal or treat, and express your thanks and appreciation for having them in your life.
Not only will this increase their understanding of your gratitude for them, but it will also strengthen your relationship with each other. People like to feel appreciated, and sharing a special outing like this with someone you care about is great way to do it and spread positivity.
Day 22: Make an effort to keep track of good news.
In a constantly moving news cycle, you may feel like you are being regularly inundated with bad news. This is because it is easy to focus full attention on the bed and negative things happening in the world. Unfortunately, when you only notice the bad things happening in the world, it is very easy to miss all the good things that are also happening.
Make a point to focus on keeping track of good news. Keep a journal where you jot down any good news you hear, whether it is news from your personal life or news from the lives of others around the world. Making an effort to focus on the positives in life can help you develop a more grateful mindset.
Day 23: Engage in a selfless act.
Practicing selflessness is another great way to develop a grateful mindset. Today, challenge yourself to engage in a selfless act by sitting your own interests aside for the greater good of someone else.
For example, you could offer the last cookie to a coworker instead of taking it for yourself. You could offer to cook dinner so your spouse doesn’t have to worry about it. While these types of acts are simple, they are also selfless, which can help you be more grateful for what you have in life and also what others contribute to your life as well.
Day 24: Spend some time pondering an alternate reality.
Most people are familiar with the old saying, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. There is a lot of truth in these words. Often, people don’t realize how good something is in their life until it is no longer there.
Today, challenge yourself to spend some time pondering an alternate reality where you do not have a lot of the good things in your life. How would you feel? What would be different about your life if you didn’t have these good things anymore? When you take time to think about how things could be different, it can help you feel a lot more appreciative and grateful for having these things in your life now.
Day 25: Turn your “I have to” into an “I get to.”
Another great way to develop a grateful mindset is to change the language around your daily tasks. instead of saying “I have to” do something, change your phrasing to “I get to.” For example…
- –  “I have to go to work” becomes “I get to go to work.”
- –  “I have to visit my family” becomes “I get to visit my family.”
- –  “I have to see the doctor” becomes “I get to see the doctor.”
- –  “I have nothing to do” becomes “I get to do nothing.”
The power of reframing your thinking to the idea that you get to do something immediately helps you see your life through a more grateful lens. Getting to do something is a privilege – having to do something forced and stressful. Instead of lamenting over things you feel you “have” to do, think about why you “get” to do them.
Day 26: Recognize your own skills and talents.
Always remember that you are your own greatest asset. Today, spend some time reflecting on and recognizing your own unique set of skills and talents. Give yourself kudos and compliments for all the things you can do well. You bring value and talent to the table, and when you spend time recognizing the unique set of skills you possess, you can feel a lot more grateful and appreciative of who you are and how your uniqueness fits into the world around you.
Day 27: Look for the overlooked.
Even the most grateful people among us can overlook things in their life that they did not realize brought them gratitude. For example, you may unintentionally take advantage of the fact of having…
- –  Access to clean water
- –  Enough food in your cabinets and refrigerator
- –  A safe home
- –  A support system of people you can trust
- –  Access to medical care
- –  …and much, much more!
When you live a life with these types of privileges, they can become very commonplace. You might forget that it is crucial to be appreciative and grateful for things like these. Today, challenge yourself to express gratitude for something you may have overlooked. Doing so will deepen your grateful mindset and make you even more appreciative than you were before.
Day 28: Talk to yourself with kindness and respect.
This challenge may seem obvious, but you would likely be quite surprised to learn that many people do not talk to themselves with adequate amounts of kindness and respect. Many people are quick to treat others with kindness and respect, but when it comes to speaking to themselves, they are far more harsh and critical. Today, challenge yourself to be observant of the way you speak to yourself. Do you use a lot of negative or cruel language? If so, change your speech to be more kind and respectful. You deserve the same amount of kindness and respect you show to others, and doing so can help you appreciate yourself a lot more.
Day 29: Get into gratitude with a friend or relative.
Find someone you care about a lot, such as a close friend or family member, and set up a gratitude challenge with them. Each day, challenge each other to talk about what makes you feel most appreciative and grateful in your lives. Not only does sharing your gratitude with another person better understand what resonates most with you in your own life, but it also serves as a way to spread positivity into the world and strengthen your relationship with this other person.
Day 30: Keep up the momentum!
On the last day of this month-long challenge, look back through the previous twenty-nine challenges you completed and choose one or two of the activities to become routine habits you adopt to continue developing a stronger grateful mindset.
Repetition is key when you are trying to change an aspect about yourself, such as your mindset. In order to be a more grateful and positive-minded person, you will need to continue practicing and repeating these habits in order to become a permanent part of your established daily routines.
