Harness the life-changing magic of gratitude.
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of grateful is to be “appreciative of benefits received.”
Being grateful can be difficult when dealing with stress, anxiety, rough patches in life, or a low mood.
If you’re getting stuck when coming up with things to be grateful for, you may be attempting to come up with exceptional items.
To help you add gratitude to your life, I’ve compiled a list of 50 simple things to be grateful for to boost your mood.
Use this list as a springboard or inspiration to find things that make you feel gratitude in your own life!
What Are The Benefits of Gratitude?
Studies show that gratitude has several positive effects on our daily lives.
Having gratitude helps you to refocus on what is essential, things that you should be appreciative of, and can even create positive feelings in your brain when you need it most.
When you’re feeling down, the prospect of cultivating gratitude can seem challenging.
However, having gratitude when your mood is low is key to changing your mindset.
How To Come Up With Things To Be Grateful For
Did you know that thinking of things to be grateful for can be easy?
One way to cultivate gratitude is to think about things, big and small, in your life that evoke positive feelings.
If you’re new to be mindfully gratefully, start by taking a couple of minutes every morning and evening to write down (or think about) three things to be grateful for.
The items you come up with can be relevant to your entire life or even that day. The key is to stop and reflect on the things to be grateful for to shift your mindset.
Having gratitude doesn’t have to be complex or fancy, and it can be for the most fundamental things.
Need some ideas? The 50 simple things to be grateful for are below to get you started.
50 Simple Things To Be Grateful For To Boost Your Mood
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Practical Things To Be Grateful For To Boost Your Mood
Your Home
Remember to feel grateful for having shelter and a home that serves as a sanctuary keeping you safe, warm, and content.
Your Pet (If You Have One)
Your pet brings love, a sense of purpose, and even humor into your life as your buddy. Don’t forget to take the time to snuggle with your pet whenever you can.
Clean Water
Do you have a water bottle full of water or access to clean tap water? If so, please don’t forget to be grateful for easy access to this necessity.
Your Family
If you have loving and nurturing family members who are there through thick and thin, showing gratitude for and to them is a great way to cultivate feelings of warmth and joy.
Your Job (If You Have One)
Having a job allows you to earn income which helps you afford things you need like shelter and food to stuff you want like entertainment and recreation.
The Outdoors
The great outdoors features fantastic views, beautiful animals, and breathtaking nature that we often take for granted. Every once and a while, consider giving thanks for mother nature.
Your Friends
Your friends can serve as a support system, listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, and even a source of laughter which helps to bring reliability and enrichment to your life.
The Internet
Whether you use the internet to learn, work, socialize, shop, or do countless other things, the world wide web is an invaluable resource in your daily life.
Transportation
With the help of transportation, you can travel to places you want and need to go. This underrated item is likely crucial in your life.
Paid Vacation Time From Work
Taking paid time away from your job is an incredible perk and should be relished. *Pro Tip: Don’t forget to bask in anticipation of having time off, which can sometimes be more exciting than PTO itself.
Your Significant Other (If You Have One)
A significant other can be a confidant, best friend, and companion, adding liveliness and joy to your life.
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Basic Things To Be Grateful For To Boost Your Mood
Your Phone
Your phone is a necessary tool in your life as it allows you to communicate, learn, be accessible to others, and even partake in entertainment.
Sleep
Sleep allows you to recharge your body, rest your mind, and reboot for the upcoming day.
Fresh Flowers
Fresh flowers, indoors or outdoors, bring a beautiful aesthetic, pleasant smells, and can cultivate feelings of calm.
Hugs
In addition to feeling good, hugs have countless benefits like increased oxytocin release (which is excellent for happiness) and stress reduction.
Your Favorite Cup of Coffee or Tea
Drinking your favorite coffee or tea can help to give energy or bring relief. Just the act of sipping your favorite warm beverage can be calming.
Warm Blankets
If you’ve ever wrapped up in a warm blanket, you’re well aware of the comforting and contented feelings you experience.
Your Favorite Food
The taste of your favorite food on your tastebuds is something you likely don’t stop and express gratitude for often, but you should as it brings you enjoyment.
Your Coziest Pajamas or Loungewear
After a challenging or extended day, slipping into your coziest pajamas or loungewear is a welcome feeling. It’s a simple pleasure for which you may be forgetting to have gratitude.
Your Bed
Your bed brings you the comfort and safety you feel when climbing and laying down to rest and sleep, which warrants appreciation!
Your Favorite Pen
Sometimes little joys, like the smoothness or color of your favorite pen, can make you smile or simplify your life!
Warm Baths
Slip into a warm bath, and you’ll understand the calming effects that they elicit. Having the option to take a bath is something to be appreciative of.
Fresh Laundry
There’s no better feeling than slipping under clean sheets or wrapping up in a freshly-washed warm towel. The feeling of the clean fabric against the skin is undervalued!
Weekends
Weekends are a short reprieve from the weekday hustle and bustle and allow you to reset and recharge for the upcoming week.
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Fun Things To Be Grateful For To Boost Your Mood
Funny Memes
If you’re on the internet, you’ve likely laughed at least one funny meme (if not more). These basic images bring humor to our lives which helps to create laughter and joy.
Streaming Services
With the help of streaming services, you can watch your favorite TV shows or movies to elicit feelings of nostalgia, amusement, calm, and excitement on demand.
Your Favorite Song
Being able to listen to and enjoy your favorite song is something that you may not typically show gratitude for but should as it brings you gratification.
Takeout Food
The excitement of opening the container of your favorite takeout brings happiness with the prospect of filling your belly with delicious food. And, even better, no dishes to wash when you’re done!
Laughter
Laughing is fun to do and elicits positive feelings, but it also enhances healthy hormones and can even help to boost your immune system.
YouTube
Whether you watch YouTube for entertainment purposes, explore new places and ideas, or have endless other reasons, this service can be an excellent resource for various uses.
Your Favorite Snack
Knowing that you can devour your favorite tasty snack for enjoyment can sometimes be just the thing you need to get through a tough day.
Podcasts
Podcasts serve as a source of entertainment, learning, amusement, and even time accelerator (when necessary) that you may often forget to be thankful for.
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Unique Things To Be Grateful For To Boost Your Mood
Crying
While it may not seem like it, crying is a good thing as it’s a sign of unrestricted emotions. Try to be glad that you’re experiencing free feelings.
Your Imagination
Having an imagination allows you to dream, create goals, and even fantasize, which is something we often forget to be appreciative of.
Meditation
The practice of meditation allows you to rest your mind, relax, get in touch with your thoughts, and more. And, the best part is, it can be done as needed on your own, with guidance, or even with apps.
Rainy Weather
Whether you enjoy thunderstorms due to their ambiance or the sound of raindrops falling brings you calm, rainy weather is a temporary change of outdoor scenery sure to create a mood.
Quiet Mornings
Quiet mornings are underrated but can be used to take care of yourself, get a head start on your day, meditate, or even work without interruption.
Sunny Days
Stepping outside into sunlight is an excellent way to boost your mood and experience fresh air whenever you’re privileged enough to be in the sun.
Compliments
Don’t forget to bask in compliments for simple things like your hair or outfit to essential things like your personality and work ethic.
Home-Cooked Meals
A good home-cooked meal can make you nostalgic, comforted, or proud (if you made it yourself), which is something to be grateful for.
Relaxation
Having relaxation options at your disposal is something to be grateful for as it’s a reminder that you’ll be able to rest and reset whenever necessary.
Your Comfiest Chair
Your comfiest chair (or sofa) supports and cradles you while reading, watching TV, eating, and doing mundane tasks like work or folding laundry.
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Abilities To Be Grateful For To Boost Your Mood
The Ability To Read
Your reading ability makes it possible for you to consume written content (like this article) for learning purposes, entertainment, and many other reasons.
The Ability To Learn
Learning new things is often taken for granted, but it helps you keep your life interesting, diversify your knowledge, etc.
The Ability To Travel
If you can travel to other places, be it locally or internationally, you have the privilege to see new things, meet new people, and diversify your life.
The Ability To Rest
If you’re lucky enough to experience rest, you’re fortunate! Having the capacity to rest and recover doesn’t come naturally to some and should be appreciated.
The Ability To Communicate
Having the ability to communicate allows you to socialize with people, stay in touch with friends, have employment, and learn from others.
The Ability To Write
Having the ability to write means that you can express your emotions, unload the thoughts in your brain onto the page, or even create new fictional worlds.
The Ability To Move Your Body
Having the ability to move your body means exercising, dancing, or being active in however your body allows.
The Ability To Choose
If you’re reading this, you likely have some freedom of choice in your life, and for that, you should be grateful.
The Takeaway
If you struggle to think of things to be grateful for, you’re not alone!
You may experience difficulty because you didn’t realize that gratitude can stem from life’s simplest things.
Remember that things to be grateful for don’t have to be fancy!
Many of the items discussed here help me to express gratitude daily in practical ways.
Every item on this list may not apply to you, as only you can know the exact things to be grateful for to boost your mood.
This list should serve as a reminder that countless simple things can create feelings of gratitude!
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