We recognize that habit-building and good mental health can’t be isolated to just one corner of the internet. Myrth is our favorite tool, but it’s not our only tool. In our regular Recommended Reading series, we’ll share links to articles, books, and other tools that we think you’ll find helpful in your journey.

One of our favorite tools for wellbeing here at Myrth is having a thriving gratitude practice. There’s just one problem: we’ve never talked about what that looks like, and it’s not totally clear to the casual observer what that might involve. The truth is that gratitude can take on almost as many different forms as there are people in the world, but there are a few common methods that seem to work well for a lot of people.

In this installment of Recommended Reading, we’ll be exploring why it’s important to have a gratitude practice and how to start one of your own.

1. What is Gratitude, and Why Should You Practice It?

Gratitude is synonymous with thankfulness, yes, but it also means more than just being thankful for something. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence hit the nail on the head: 

Gratitude acknowledges connection, and perhaps for this reason it is central to spiritual traditions worldwide, including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and East Asian religions. When we contemplate our place in the intricate, interdependent network of life, we feel wonder and joy. That realization can lead us to express thanksgiving.

When we practice gratitude, we find things that help us feel more connected to those around us. It’s an opportunity to step outside of our self-focused daily activities and realize our interconnectedness.

2. Try Keeping a Gratitude Journal

We love gratitude journals as a simple way to practice gratitude, for a few reasons. They’re simple and easy, they’re low-tech, and they help you see trends. You can look back at your gratitude journal and realize that, even during very dark periods in your life, you had something to be grateful for. The folks at LifeHack have a great guide to starting your own gratitude journal here:

Whether it’s on a regular journal, a notebook, or just some scrap paper, anything can be used to simply take note of the things you are thankful for. The key is to just do it both intentionally and consistently.

That’s one of the best things about gratitude journals: because they’re just for you, they don’t have to be fancy. Do what works for you.

3. Help the Young People in Your Life Start Gratitude Early

There’s been a lot written about how hard the teenage years can be. A gratitude practice won’t fix that, but it can help with some of the aches and pains of growing up. We loved this guide to gratitude that’s geared specifically toward teens but has advice that’s useful for everybody:

True gratitude doesn't leave you feeling like you owe other people something — after all, if you've done someone a favor, you probably don't want the person to feel like you expect something back in return. It's all about feeling good and creating a cycle of good.

Do you have a gratitude practice? What does it look like for you? Share in the comments below!