Everyday Awe Part 1: Simple Practices to Deepen Your Gratitude
Happy November and welcome to the first post in my new series on Gratitude! Over the next few weeks, we'll dive into practices that make gratitude feel less like a “should” and more like a genuine source of joy and inspiration. Each post will explore a research-backed strategy you can use to feel more present, connected, and fulfilled.
Part 1: Journaling
If you’re ready to start your gratitude journey, I’d love for you to join me for a free virtual Gratitude Workshop on tonight Monday, November 4th, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm CST. We’ll dive into the science of gratitude, practical techniques, and exercises for reflection. Plus, you’ll have the chance to join a 21-Day Gratitude Challenge that starts Thursday (11/7) to keep the momentum going!
Gratitude Journaling: The Power of Detail Over Lists
When we think about gratitude, a common approach is to list everything we’re grateful for each day—our health, a good meal, a sunny day. But what if simply making a list isn’t the best way to tap into the transformative power of gratitude? Recent research from the University of Southern California offers some fascinating insights: when it comes to gratitude, the dividends are in the details.
In a 10-week study, researchers divided participants into three groups to see how different journaling styles influenced their mood and well-being:
The Generalists: This group followed a classic gratitude practice, listing out various things they were grateful for each day.
The Specifics: Each person in this group chose one thing they were grateful for each day, but went deeper, writing five detailed sentences about why it mattered.
The Comparers: The last group reflected on ways they felt better off than others in life.
The results were eye-opening. Those who wrote five sentences about a single, specific gratitude not only felt more elated, excited, and alert than the others but also experienced less tiredness, sadness, and lethargy. This approach seems to do something special: when we immerse ourselves in one moment of gratitude with depth and intention, the benefits multiply.
Why Details Matter in Gratitude
There’s something powerful about focusing on a single gratitude experience and letting it fully unfold on the page. In honing in on the specifics, we start to relive that experience, noticing the feelings, textures, and subtleties that often go unnoticed. When we explore a specific gratitude more deeply, our minds engage fully, creating a sense of joy and energy that simply isn’t as accessible in a rapid list.
Try It: A Shift in Your Gratitude Practice
For the next week, try changing your gratitude journaling approach. Rather than listing several items you’re grateful for, choose one experience, person, or moment each day and explore it fully in five sentences. Describe the colors, the sounds, the reasons it matters to you. If it’s the coffee you savor each morning, talk about the warmth of the mug, the aroma, or how that ritual gives you a moment of calm.
By the end of the week, see if you notice a shift. You might just find yourself feeling more energized and attuned to the little things that bring joy to your day.
