Gratitude helps people appreciate what they have instead of focusing on what they don’t have. Everyone has so many things to be grateful for, yet many people never feel happy or satisfied until every need is met, and this rarely happens. They are constantly waiting to be truly happy or content. When I was younger, I used to put so many things on hold until I lost weight. I am grateful that I passed that stage and learn to appreciate what I have and enjoy life to the fullest, even if I have a few pounds to lose. There will always be things that we lack in life no matter how lucky we are, but if we focus on what we do have, we will enjoy life so much more!
Reflect on the good in your life. Achievement is pointless if you don’t stop to recognize it and appreciate it.
Gratitude List Templates
We offer a free digital and printable gratitude journal and individual gratitude list template printables that can be customized online. The backgrounds can be changed or deleted if you want a blank list.
We also offer a 30-day gratitude challenge.
Feel free to make any changes since you can edit the title. Here are some of the gratitude list templates available on this site:
Daily Gratitude list
The titles can be edited and the colors can be changed.
I am grateful for
You can change the title and the titles of the boxes. You can also change the colors.
50 Things to be Grateful for.
You can print as many copies of this list as you want and change the title. For example, if you want to make a list titled “500 things to be grateful for” then print 10 copies of the list and complete it over time. You can turn it into a gratitude binder. See our binder covers to make a special cover. You can, of course, use any number. You can also put any number of items per page. There are many templates. This is just an example.
Weekly Grateful List
Monthly Gratitude List
I am thankful for
This can be used anytime but it is perfect for Thanksgiving. If you are not using it on Thanksgiving then change the background which has a Thanksgiving theme at the moment but can be changed.
We also offer an online gratitude list that you can print, email to yourself or download as a PDF document. You can keep coming back to the site to add to the list and it will save your previous list.
Do whatever works for you, and feel free to make changes.
Bullet Journal Gratitude Journal
Make these gratitude spreads your own by adding your text. You can also move the doodles around or change them with other doodles with a click of your mouse. No artistic skills are required to make this creative spread.
Gratitude List Examples
Here are some examples of gratitude lists or things to include in them:
- My health
- My family
- My friends
- My job
- My home
- My comfy bed
- My comfy sofa
- My favorite book
- My favorite song
Feel free to use these gratitude examples to get ideas for your gratitude list.
Benefits of Gratitude
Being thankful benefits you in so many ways. According to Psychology Today, Amy Morin, Mental strength trainer and international bestselling mental strength author, claims that there are 7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. Gratitude:
- Increases mental strength. It makes us happier and less likely to suffer from depression.
- Improves self-esteem. When you recognize the good things that people do for you, then you feel loved, which is great for your self-esteem.
- Helps you make new friends by showing appreciation.
- Can improve your physical health.
- Can improve your psychological health.
- Helps you show more empathy toward other people and makes you less likely to seek revenge.
- Can improve your sleep.
Adding a gratitude list to your journal will ensure that you take a few moments to focus on all that you already have instead of the things that you lack. Since a journal is often used to set goals and help you reach them, you might be focusing a lot on what you want to achieve. I think that this is great since it enables you to achieve your goals, which is really important. However, even if you are striving to achieve more, you can still stop and recognize and appreciate what you already have.
Benefits of Writing a Gratitude List
Dr. Robert Emmons, UC Davis psychology professor and author of “The Little Book of Gratitude: Creating a Life of Happiness and Wellbeing by Giving Thanks”, asked three groups of people to write in a journal once a week for ten weeks. One group was asked to write 5 things they were grateful for, the second group wrote 5 things they were displeased about and the third group wrote about 5 neutral events.
At the end of the 10 weeks, Dr. Emmons compared the well-being outcomes to those measured before they started writing in their journals. Participants who wrote five things that they were grateful for each week were 25% happier than the other participants. They felt better about their lives and were more optimistic in general than the other two groups.
Try this for yourself! Each week write 5 things that you are grateful for in your journal and see how much better you feel.
A gratitude list can also help to turn your relationship around. According to the Law of Attraction, when you complain too much about your partner, you land up getting more of those things. On the other hand, when you focus on their strengths and appreciate the things that they do for you then you will get more of those things. It is easier said than done and one of the ways in which to make it happen is a couples journal with a gratitude list for each partner in a couple. See our free couples journal.
How Long Does it Take to Feel the Benefits?
In the study mentioned above, Dr. Emmons reported that participants who wrote five things that they were grateful for each week were 25% happier than other participants after only 10 weeks!
According to Joel Wong and Joshua Brown, the mental health benefits of gratitude writing do not happen overnight but rather accrue gradually over time. During their studies, a small improvement in mental health was seen after one month, and a more significant difference was felt after 12 weeks. If you add a gratitude list to your journal, don’t expect to feel much better right away. However, if you consistently add to this list and read it over occasionally, then you should start reaping the benefits of gratitude over time.
Ways to cultivate gratitude
Harvard Health Publishing lists some ways for people to cultivate gratitude.
Keep a gratitude journal, or add a gratitude list to your journal. Write down all the things you are grateful for and try to add to this list each day or week. To make an entire journal, print many copies of our lists and get them bound or insert them in a binder or journal. You can also make a coordinating binder cover on this site.
Write a thank-you note. Thank you letters can obviously be written to others to improve your relationship with them but you can also write yourself a thank you note. Thank yourself for who you are and what you do.
Count your blessings. Harvard Health Publishing suggests that you pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings. Reflect on what went right or what you are grateful for. They suggest that you write detailed blessings that include the emotions that you felt when something good happened to you.
Write gratitude affirmations.
How to Make a Gratitude List
- Select any gratitude template from the selection available.
- Either use our suggested title or change the title. See some possible options above.
- Either use an online list or a printable list. To access the online list, you will need to register to ensure that your list is saved. If you prefer a printable list, then no registration is required.
- Add things you are grateful for. Spend a few minutes every day adding to your list. Need ideas? See some examples and questions above.
When should you write your gratitude list?
It doesn’t really make a difference when you write your list. Still, since it takes a while for the benefits to accrue, you might find that in the beginning, you see the benefits right after you start thinking about your gratitude list, whereas after a while, the benefits should last all day.
First thing in the morning
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To Feel Happier
If you feel stress or suffer from anxiety or depression, then why not try to work on your gratitude list each morning and see if you notice any difference after a month to three months. Once you develop an attitude of gratitude most people feel happier than they felt before.
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To Exercise More
I love getting my exercise done in the morning, but I am often not motivated enough. When I don’t exercise in the morning, then it usually doesn’t happen at all. I keep putting it off all day. Dr Robert Emmon’s studies showed that people who kept gratitude journals exercised 33% more than those who weren’t keeping such journals. Being grateful for one’s health possibly makes you want to protect it by exercising more.
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To Be More Creative
According to Barbara Fredrickson, in her book “Positivity,” gratitude can broaden our minds and help us to come up with creative solutions to problems.
Before you go to sleep
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To Sleep Better
Writing your list before you go to sleep can make you sleep better and longer, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. If you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, why not try writing a few things that you should be thankful for each night before you go to sleep. You can also just put your gratitude list next to your bed and read it every night.
Gratitude List for Kids
Teaching kids to be grateful is a gift we can give them while they are young. They will develop a beneficial habit that will help them throughout their lives. We offer a free printable gratitude journal for kids to help get them started.