12 Gratitude Exercises: Jumpstart Your Adventure!

12 GRATITUDE EXERCISES

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

GRATITUDE ISN’T ALWAYS EASY

As helpful as having a grateful attitude might be, it may not always come easily. Redirecting our thoughts can take time and discipline. While there is often much to grieve over, be concerned about, and address when living with a chronic illness, there can also be much for which to be thankful. Gratitude exercises help us focus on and shift our perspectives to what we can be grateful for (even amid challenging circumstances). Below are twelve ideas to jumpstart your gratitude adventure.

GRATITUDE EXERCISES

1. THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW – Think of a different person each day for one week and why you are thankful for them.

2. 26-DAY ALPHABET CHALLENGE – Each day for 26 days, choose one letter of the alphabet, think of all the things for which you are grateful that start with that letter, then journal your thoughts.

3. DESPITE IT CHALLENGE – List things you are still grateful for, despite living with the challenges accompanying those things. Print out the Gratitude Jumpstart! 12 Creative Exercises guide to keep handy.

• What do you still have?
• What can you still do?
• In what ways can you still serve God?

4. FROM GRANTED TO GRATITUDE – Focus on being grateful for things you might take for granted, such as:

• things in your home that worked today, such as appliances, devices, and utilities.
• services you received that were reliable, such as garbage pickup or snow removal.
• things that keep you comfortable, such as a heating pad or a favorite chair.
• a loved one making it home safely.
• food in the cupboard.
• clothes in your closet.
• a roof over your head.

5. IT’S IN THE JAR – Keep a gratitude jar. Decorate it and place it somewhere prominent. Each day, write one thing you are thankful for on a slip of paper (Post-its work great), and put it in the jar. When you need some encouragement, take out one slip and focus on what it says.

6. TANGIBLE REMINDER – Find a tangible reminder of gratitude. It could be a family photo, a homemade item, or one of your favorite gifts. It can also be something simple that doesn’t have any particular meaning but that you see routinely throughout the day (such as a light switch or a door knob). Every time you see that object, make it a reminder to be grateful.

7. FOCUS ON THE SENSES – List and express gratitude for things you can:

• see.
• hear.
• taste.
• smell.
• touch.

8. GRATITUDE BRAINSTORM – Use the following list to inspire thoughts of the vast variety of things for which you are thankful (Write brief answers or use the list for journal starters.):

• a simple pleasure in your life.
• a meaningful gift you received.
• a relationship.
• a past event.
• a future event.
• a sentimental item.
• a special birthday.
• a goal you accomplished.
• a compliment you received.
• a time you made someone laugh.
• a favorite joke.
• a helpful resource you appreciate.
• a pet.
• a book you like.
• a Bible verse that touched you during a challenging time.
• a song that makes you smile.
• a loved one’s milestone you celebrated.
• an item that makes your life easier.
• an event you attended.
• an emotion.
• an opportunity you had to serve others.
• something in nature.
• something that makes you laugh.
• the spiritual gifts God has given you.

9. SILVER LININGS – Use the following list to concentrate on being thankful for the good that came out of a negative or difficult circumstance:

• a lesson learned.
• the way something unexpectedly worked out better than you had hoped.
• the timing of an event that softened the blow of a difficult circumstance.
• the support from others amid a trying time.
• Even though something challenging happened, something worse was prevented.
• a difficult situation that kept you from making a mistake.
• a negative experience that revealed something about yourself, showing you a new area where you can grow.
• an event that equipped you and allowed you to support others going through something similar.
• an experience that helped you learn to see something from a different perspective.
• an outcome of a circumstance that could have been worse, but it didn’t end that way.

10. COLOR ME GRATEFUL – Think of things you are grateful for that are a particular color. Choose a different color each day, week, or month.

11. 16-DAY APPRECIATION CHALLENGE –  Thank someone for their kindness, compassion, courtesy, generosity, or selflessness. Write your note on a card, send a text or email, or say it in person. Finding the words to express our appreciation and gratitude can sometimes be difficult, so we’ve jump-started the process for you in our newsletter: You are Appreciated!

12. BE GRATEFUL TOGETHER – Find a gratitude buddy or form a gratitude group to do these exercises. Brainstorm with each other to come up with more gratitude exercises. Prayerfully leaning in to Jesus will inspire gratitude. Jesus is the ultimate gratitude buddy.

AN INVITATION AND A CHALLENGE

Choose one gratitude exercise to try. Attempt a different one on another day. Use these suggestions as inspiration to create your own gratitude exercises. Give your mind and emotions a breather while you focus on all the good things inside and around you. Embrace some peace and joy as you thank God for the bright spots and silver linings in your life. 

For more on this topic, see Chronic Joy’s I Will Give Thanks printable.