Does Practicing Gratitude Every Day Improve Your Mental Health?

Practicing gratitude is more than saying thank you, it’s a mindfulness habit that can improve your mental health.

As a child, you’re taught to mind your manners – always remember to say please, thank you and be gracious to others. For many people, that’s the beginning and the end of how they think about gratitude.

Intentionally appreciating and focusing on positive things can have a real impact on your life. Approximately 14% of adults over 60 are living with a mental health disorder.1 Gratitude may offer relief. 

How does gratitude affect mental health?

According to numerous studies, gratitude does impact your mental health.² It’s also accessible, easy, and affordable, which are good reasons to add it into your wellness routine. If you’re considering practicing gratitude, here are two ways it may help your mental health:

• Being grateful may lessen your chances of depression and anxiety.3
• People who practice gratitude have higher self-esteem and are less likely to compare themselves to others.3

What are some ways to practice gratitude?

Now that you’ve learned about the health benefits of gratitude, it’s time to start thinking about how to add it to your wellness routine. While there are many approaches, here are three easy ways you can incorporate gratitude into your daily life.

Start a gratitude journal

Journaling is a great way to organize your ideas. Choosing to focus on positive thoughts, such as what you’re thankful for, may further improve mental health in comparison to normal journaling.4 The benefits increase over time, so it’s important to stay consistent.5 Try starting or ending your day reflecting on what makes you grateful.

How to keep a gratitude journal

Don’t treat this like a diary. Typical journals are useful for many things, from preserving memories to brainstorming ideas. A gratitude journal has a different purpose. In this journal, focus on positive thoughts rather than recording the good and bad of your life. Here are five prompts to get you started.

• What am I grateful for today?
• What is one of my favorite things?
• What is something I love about my family?
• What is something I own that makes me happy?
• What is something I’ve enjoyed this week?

Positive mantras

Another way to practice gratitude is repeating positive phrases to yourself. Try telling yourself one of the following mantras:

• I am grateful for _____________. This is one you can personalize! Mention positive things in your life, whether big or small. For example: I am grateful for a nice cup of tea on a chilly day.
• I am thankful for the roof over my head.
• I’m thankful for my family/friends.

Gratitude meditation

Studies show that meditation has both physical and mental health benefits, including helping with anxiety and depression.⁶ There are many ways to meditate. You can focus your breath or follow a guided meditation concentrating on a particular subject. We have a gratitude-focused meditation in our webinar library. Sit down, relax and focus on what you’re thankful for.

Make gratitude a lifelong habit

Being grateful doesn’t mean you need to always be positive and cheerful. The point isn’t ignoring negative things that happen in your life. The goal is to find positive parts to focus on. When practicing gratitude, give yourself time to discover what works for you. Some people might enjoy journaling over meditation, but it’s worth trying more than one approach. The most important part of practicing gratitude is finding a routine that works for you and sticking with it. The goal is to make gratitude a part of your daily life.

Sources:

• World Health Organization. "Mental Health of Older Adults." WHO, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults. Accessed 25 July 2025.
• McCarthy, Colleen Walsh. "Harvard Researchers Study How Mindfulness May Change the Brain in Depressed Patients." Harvard Gazette, 9 Dec. 2015, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/12/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/. Accessed 25 July 2025.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness. "When Looking for Happiness, Find Gratitude." NAMI, https://www.nami.org/family-member-caregivers/when-looking-for-happiness-find-gratitude/. Accessed 25 July 2025.
• Wong, Joshua, et al. "Does Gratitude Writing Improve the Mental Health of Psychotherapy Clients? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial." Psychotherapy Research, vol. 28, no. 2, 2018, pp. 192-202, https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2016.1169332. Accessed 25 July 2025.
• Brown, Jason Marsh and Jeremy Adam Smith. "How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain." Greater Good Magazine, 16 June 2017, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain. Accessed 25 July 2025.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. "Meditation: Take a Stress-Reduction Break Wherever You Are." Mayo Clinic, 18 June 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858. Accessed 25 July 2025.