While we don’t understand how gratitude impacts the brain, we understand it can build both hope and health.

Stacy Crawford, Owner of Klear Water Coaching and Wellness, says it’s all about building a gratitude practice that works for you.

Here’s some of what this could look like:

Gratitude journaling – Start or end the day with a short entry with what you are grateful for. Molly Ovenden gave us examples of the types of gratitude journaling.

Writing a gratitude letter– Write a letter to someone and explain why you are grateful for them. You can chose to share it with this person or not.

Words of Affirmation to others– Don’t take things for granted. Tell someone that they what they do is appreciated.

Starting or ending each day with a “gratitude scan”– In Qigon there is a practice where you are grateful for everything. Look around the room and break what you are grateful for into small pieces.

Gratitude jars– You can do this one as a family. Write down what you are grateful for and put it in a jar.

Stacy also shares an article about how gratitude changes you and your brain from Greater Good Magazine.