Expressing gratitude has been shown to increase our happiness levels and reduce stress and anxiety. Thinking about the wonderful things in our lives is a great daily ritual which we can all benefit from. It can help us to appreciate what we have and stop focusing on what we don’t have. Below are our top tips for helping you bring more gratitude into your life.

Here are our to tips on gratitude
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1. Start a Gratitude Ritual
​Start a small daily ritual where you stop and think about the things you are thankful for in your life. Starting a daily ritual can help us to make time to think about the great things in our lives E.g. Write down 5 things every day that you are grateful for.

​​2. Be Mindful
​There are so many things that happen to us every day that we can be grateful for. Often, these things can be so small we don’t even notice them. Take a moment to think of the things around you that other people don’t have, things as simple as hot running water. Some people don’t have access to things as simple as clean water.

​​3. Be Grateful for People
​Think about the people in your life who bring you happiness. A great idea is to write them a letter to let them know how special they are to you. Sharing your gratitude with others for what they bring to your life is a special way to bring joy to you both.

​​4. Affirmations
​Write positive affirmations about the things you are grateful for and place them up in your room. This is a wonderful way to be reminded of all the little things that make our lives so special.

​​5. Share Your Gratitude
​Don’t be afraid to share your gratitude. Often, we can be influenced by other people’s lack of gratitude. Instead of switching off your gratitude, share it with the people around you. Your positivity might just rub off on them!

​​6. Help Others
​Help others to think about the things they are grateful for in their lives and teach them how to express their gratitude by asking them what they are thankful for.

Family Activity:
Gratitude rituals are a great way to bring families together and to appreciate each other and the great things you have in your life. An example of a simple gratitude ritual is going around the dinner table and asking each person to share three things they are thankful for each night. You can be more specific and ask everyone to say something from their day or week that they are grateful for. It’s a great idea is to add in why you are grateful