Research findings are pretty clear about how feelings of gratitude and thankfulness affect us. A variety of benefits have been found to occur when we focus on those things for which we are grateful. Some of these benefits include better sleep quality, increased feelings of happiness, increased physical and psychological health, improved self-esteem, more hope for the future, stress relief, improvements in friendships and other relationships, reduced blood pressure, help with recovery from substance misuse and even better performance at work.

With all of these advantages, why don’t we all take time to practice gratitude every day? Well, life gets busy, difficult things happen that use up our energy and focus, and, sometimes, we just forget. So, the trick is to find ways to remember and fit it into our busy lives.

How we can we better focus on gratitude, even when we are going through tough times? One easy way is to think of five things we are grateful for first thing every morning and again right before going to bed at night.

We know the many benefits of daily meditation. A lot of people use this time to think about and focus on gratitude. Many people write in a gratitude journal, adding to it every day, focusing on the positive events that happened that day. These journals are great because we can also go back and read about past blessings when we need a little pick-me-up. They can also serve as a personal history.

Writing thank you notes is a good way to think about what we are grateful for as well as thanking others for their kindnesses. These kindnesses don’t have to be major favors that take a lot of time. They could be simple. A note might read, “Thank you for always saying hello to me at work” or “Thank you for always making me laugh.” The simple act of writing the note can be uplifting.

Sharing on social media about things for which we are thankful can spread the important message to others. Sometimes these posts can seem boastful, but looking past that to see the positivity that the writer is sharing can brighten our mood.

Use a gratitude jar or box. Tell family members to write something they are grateful for on a piece of paper each day and drop it in the jar. These will be fun to read in the future and especially on days that are difficult.

Walking or going for a drive can be therapeutic. Make a conscious effort to look around while walking or driving and spotting things for which you are thankful. This gratitude walk or gratitude drive can be a daily practice.

Many parents of young children take time at bedtime for gratitude sharing, making this part of the nightly routine. Others read books about gratitude to their children.

Whatever we choose to do, this is the perfect time to begin practicing gratitude more.