A year of gratitude

A year of gratitude. A conscious focus on things you are grateful for can have a positive impact on your emotions and state of well-being.

In a 2003 study, participants were placed in different groups. Group 1 kept daily or weekly records of their hassles, while group 2 kept a journal of the things they were grateful for. The group that were recording their blessings reported higher well-being across most of the measures, including mood, coping behaviours, health, physical symptoms and over life quality. So, a focus on gratitude can boost most and provide a strategy for proactive wellness.

The Balance Planner has space each week to reflect on things you are grateful for. This gratitude journal prompt supports you in a year of gratitude. Having a positive outlook of life can help get you through tough times, providing resilience through the ups and downs.

Here’s 52+ themes and prompts for gratitude every week throughout the year.

Connection

1. Family – being grateful for having supportive family
2. Family – being grateful for happy times spent together
3. Friends – being grateful for their support, chats, love and friendship
4. Re-connection – gratitude for re-connecting with long-lost friends
5. Social events – gratitude for being able to enjoy social events like parties and other celebrations
6. Social events – being grateful for sharing a meal or a cup of tea with friends
7. Relationships – gratitude for anniversaries of special relationships
8. Relationships – appreciating the support from your loved one
9. Love – gratitude for the love you have, love you experience or are shown
10. Parenting – being grateful for your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews
11. Parenting – celebrating milestones or achievements that your children have
12. Celebrations – acknowledging special events like birthdays and anniversaries
13. Colleagues – being thankful for supportive colleagues

Stuff and things

1. Money – being grateful for having enough money this week for what you need
2. Sharing – gratitude that you have enough, so you can share with others e.g. through donations
3. Food – being thankful for nourishing and delicious food that sustains you
4. Food – acknowledging the treats you love, like chocolate, coffee, cake or potatoes
5. Entertainment – gratitude for fun times like going out, watching movies, going to concerts
6. Entertainment – having times of laughter that lighten your day
7. Housing – being grateful for having a house over your head
8. Water – being grateful for access to fresh running water
9. Toys – being thankful for the things you have – toys, games, books, etc
10. Clothing – gratitude that you have clothes to wear today
11. Pets – being grateful for having animals in your life for companionship and fun
12. Technology – being grateful for having a phone/internet/ability to connect with people and work
13. Beauty – gratitude for the things around your house that inspire an appreciation of beauty

State of Being

1. Health – gratitude for having good health and a functional body
2. Health – gratitude for having accessible medical care and people to look after you
3. Weather – being thankful for the weather – sun and rain to help plants grow
4. Sleep – being grateful for a good night’s sleep
5. Fullness – being grateful for having enough to eat that you can feel satisfied and full
6. Warmth- being thankful that you are warm in winter
7. Comfort – thankfulness that you are comfortable, regardless of the weather
8. Work – gratitude that you have a job that provides for you
9. Work – gratitude for having a career that gives you satisfaction and purpose
10. Opportunities – gratitude for the opportunities you’ve had and your ability to work
11. Learning – gratitude around learning new things and growing as a person
12. Moments – gratitude for a moment during the day that stood out
13. Awe – feeling gratitude for something that inspired awe, such as nature

The little things

1. A cup of tea – enjoying a hot cup of tea
2. A sunset – experiencing beauty in nature
3. A walk in nature – finding peace through engaging with the world
4. An experience of a lifetime – having adventures that bring joy
5. Snuggling up in a blanket – having moments of great comfort
6. Experiencing flow – being totally engaged in an activity
7. Learning a new skill – achieving something for the first time
8. Creating memories – doing things and having adventures that bring a smile
9. Rest and peace – having moments of peace that restore your body and mind, such as holidays, a warm bath, hugs, sleep-ins
10. Productivity – achieving things at work or home that bring about satisfaction
11. Laughter – a funny joke, video, meme or book
12. Reading/Watching – enjoying a great book or movie
13. School – having a place that your children can learn in
14. Faith – being grateful for faith or spirituality that guides you
15. Gifts – being thankful for gifts you have received or given to others
16. Conversation – an enjoyable, challenging or late into the night chat
17. Clean and tidy – a clean house that feels good to be in
18. Music – listening to your favourite music