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Gratitude affirmations

60 affirmations in 6 sets · Updated

Gratitude affirmations are short first-person lines, such as “I’m grateful for one kind thing someone did today,” that help you notice what’s going right in an ordinary day. Said regularly, they’re a simple way to practice gratitude: instead of only feeling thankful when something big happens, you train your attention to catch everyday good things.

These lines don’t ask you to be grateful for everything or to pretend hard things are fine. They point at specific, ordinary things: a warm drink, a kind message, a body that got you through the day. Read through, pick a few, and say them at a set time each day, morning or night.

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To start the day

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  1. I’m grateful to have a new day to work with.
  2. I’ll look for one good thing today and notice when I find it.Setting this in the morning gives your attention something to look for. Good things are easier to spot when you’re watching for them.
  3. I’m thankful for the first sip of something warm.
  4. This morning, I can name three things I’m glad about.
  5. Another chance to try is something to be grateful for.
  6. Something I have now is something I once wished for.
  7. I’m grateful I had a bed to sleep in last night.
  8. I can start today by thanking someone.
  9. Even a rushed morning has something good in it.
  10. Whatever today brings, I’ll notice the small good parts.

For everyday things

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  1. I’m grateful for clean water, a hot shower and a warm meal.
  2. Small things that make my day easier are worth noticing.
  3. A good song, a funny text, a kind stranger: I’m glad for all of it.
  4. Ordinary days when nothing goes wrong are a gift.
  5. I can enjoy simple things without needing more.
  6. I appreciate the home I come back to, however small.
  7. I’m thankful for things that work, like the bus, the kettle and the lights.The more specific, the better. “I’m grateful for my life” is hard to feel. “I’m grateful the bus was on time” is easy.
  8. Fresh air and a bit of sky are worth a pause.
  9. Books, music and the people who made them make my life better.
  10. Good things are happening around me, and I can notice them.

For the people in my life

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  1. I’m grateful for the people who show up for me.
  2. I’ll tell someone today what I appreciate about them.People tend to underestimate how much a thank-you means to the person receiving it. A short text counts.
  3. Friends who make me laugh are a gift.
  4. I appreciate the people who taught me things, even when I didn’t listen.
  5. Kindness from strangers I’ll never see again still counts.
  6. The people who love me are something I don’t take for granted.
  7. I’m thankful for the people who forgave me.
  8. I’m grateful for the ones who check in.
  9. So much of my day runs on work other people do, and I appreciate it.
  10. I can be grateful for people and still have boundaries with them.Gratitude doesn’t mean owing anyone unlimited access to you. You can appreciate someone and still protect your time.

For my body and health

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  1. I’m grateful for every breath I don’t have to think about.
  2. Today, I’m thankful for what my body lets me do.
  3. My hands do so much work, and I appreciate them.
  4. Right now, there’s something I can see, hear or smell that I enjoy.
  5. Rest, when I get it, is something to be thankful for.
  6. My body has healed from more than I remember, and I’m grateful.
  7. Food that keeps me going is worth being thankful for.
  8. I appreciate the people who look after my health.
  9. Even on days my body struggles, I can thank it for trying.If you live with illness or pain, gratitude for your body can feel out of reach. Start with one small thing it did today.
  10. Whatever strength I have today, I’m grateful for it.

On hard days

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  1. I can be grateful and struggling at the same time.
  2. Hard days still have small good moments, and I’ll look for one.
  3. I don’t have to be thankful for the hard thing itself.Gratitude works best when it’s honest. You don’t need to thank a loss or a setback. You can be thankful for what helped you through it.
  4. I’m grateful for the people who help me through.
  5. I’ve made it through hard days before, and I’m thankful for that.
  6. Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending things are fine.
  7. Right now, one thing is okay, and I can notice it.
  8. A moment of rest in a hard week is worth being grateful for.
  9. I appreciate myself for getting through today.
  10. Even now, there’s something I wouldn’t want to lose.

Before bed

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  1. Today had good moments, and I can name a few.
  2. One thing went better than I expected, and I’m grateful.
  3. I’m thankful for this bed and the chance to rest.
  4. Someone was kind to me today, and I noticed.Try ending the day with three specific good things, written or said. Details keep the habit from going stale.
  5. I can let today go and keep the good parts.
  6. I appreciate what I got done, even if it wasn’t everything.
  7. The quiet at the end of the day is a gift.
  8. Something made me smile today, and I’m glad it did.
  9. I’m grateful to be here for another day.
  10. Tomorrow, I’ll get another chance to notice good things.

How to use them

  1. Pick a set time. Morning sets your attention for the day; bedtime helps you look back on it. Many people do both: one line when they wake, one before sleep.
  2. Add one real detail. After the affirmation, name something specific: “I’m grateful for the people who show up for me, like Maya, who called on Tuesday.” Details are what keep it from going stale.
  3. Write it down now and then. Listing a few things you’re grateful for each week is one of the most studied gratitude exercises (more below).
  4. Say it to someone. Once a week, turn one line into a message to the person it’s about.
  5. Be honest on hard days. Use the section for hard days, which lets you be thankful for small things without pretending the hard thing is good.

What the research says about gratitude

In a classic set of studies, people who regularly listed things they were grateful for came out ahead on several, though not all, measures of well-being compared with people who listed hassles or ordinary events. The clearest effect was on positive mood (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

Later research is more cautious. A meta-analysis of gratitude exercises found that they do improve well-being, but modestly, and that they didn’t clearly reduce anxiety. They also worked about as well as, not better than, other positive activities they were compared with (Davis et al., 2016). So gratitude is a good habit, not a cure-all.

The most underrated part may be saying it out loud to someone. In experiments where people wrote thank-you letters, the writers underestimated how surprised and happy the people receiving them would feel, and overestimated how awkward it would be (Kumar & Epley, 2018). If a line on this page makes you think of someone, tell them.

Why these lines are specific and honest

Gratitude affirmations go wrong when they ask you to be thankful for everything, all the time. That’s hard to believe on an ordinary Tuesday and impossible on a bad one. These lines point at small, real things (a hot shower, a funny text, a kettle that works), so you can mean them. And on hard days, you’re allowed to be grateful and struggling at once.

For lines about the people you love, see love affirmations. For more to say at the start of the day, see morning affirmations, and for the end of it, sleep affirmations.

Loops to play

Questions

What is a gratitude affirmation?

A gratitude affirmation is a short first-person line that points your attention at something good, such as “I’m grateful for one kind thing someone did today.” Saying it regularly is a simple way to practice noticing what’s going right.

How do I practice gratitude every day?

Pick a set time, say one or two gratitude affirmations, and add one specific detail from your own day. Once a week, write a few things down or thank someone directly.

Does gratitude really make you happier?

Usually a little. Studies find gratitude exercises improve well-being modestly, about as much as other positive activities (Davis et al., 2016), so think of gratitude as one helpful habit among several.

What if I don’t feel grateful?

Start smaller than you think: one thing that’s okay right now, like a warm drink or a quiet minute. You don’t need to feel a rush of thanks. Noticing is enough.

Are gratitude affirmations the same as a gratitude journal?

Not quite. A gratitude journal is writing down what you’re grateful for; gratitude affirmations are lines you say. They work well together: say a line in the morning, and write a few specifics at night.

Sources

  1. Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003
  2. Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions · Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2016
  3. Undervaluing gratitude: Expressers misunderstand the consequences of showing appreciation · Psychological Science, 2018