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Română50 Things to Be Grateful For, Big and Small
Many things to be grateful for are small and ordinary: a hot shower, a message from a friend, a bus that came on time, a quiet half hour at the end of the day. You don’t need a big event to have something to write down. Below are ideas grouped by part of life, plus two simple ways to notice the good things you walk past without seeing.
Why it’s easy to miss the small good things
It’s easy to stop noticing what you have every day. You notice hot water when it runs cold, not on the hundred mornings when it’s fine.
In the study by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, the instructions reminded people that there are things “both large and small” to be grateful for. In the first study, participants wrote down up to five each week for ten weeks.
Small things to be grateful for every day
- The first sip of coffee or tea in the morning
- Hot water in the shower
- Clean sheets
- A song you like coming on by chance
- A meal you didn’t have to cook
- A green light when you’re running late
- A phone that’s still charged at the end of the day
- Five quiet minutes before anyone else wakes up
- Sun coming through the window
- A good night’s sleep
People in your life to be grateful for
- A friend who texts just to ask how you are
- Someone who laughs at your jokes, even the bad ones
- A family member who still calls on Sundays
- A neighbor who waves
- A colleague who covered for you
- The cashier who was kind on a busy day
- Someone who taught you something you still use
- The people who know your coffee order
Things to be grateful for in your body and health
Bodies are different and health changes, so pick what’s true for you today.
- Legs that carried you up the stairs
- A headache that finally went away
- A deep breath of cold air
- Hands that can cook, type or hold someone
- A doctor who listened
- A day with less pain than yesterday
- Being able to taste your favorite food
Things to be grateful for at home
- A door you can lock
- A warm blanket on the couch
- A window with something nice to look at
- A kitchen that smells like dinner
- A plant that’s still alive
- A quiet room when you need one
- A pet waiting for you
Things to be grateful for at work or school
- A task you finally finished
- A colleague or classmate you like
- A lunch break outside
- Learning something new today
- A problem that turned out smaller than you feared
- A paycheck that arrived on time
- The end of a long meeting
Things to appreciate about yourself
These can feel strange to write at first. They’re still worth writing.
- You asked for help when you needed it
- You kept a promise to yourself
- You were patient with someone today
- You tried something new, even if it went badly
- You went to bed instead of scrolling for another hour
- You’re still learning
On days when it’s hard to say anything kind about yourself, a short sentence can help. Our list of positive affirmations has 100 to choose from.
Things to be grateful for on a hard day
A hard day doesn’t have to become a good one on paper. You can feel sad, tired or angry and still write down one small thing that helped.
- Someone who listened without trying to fix it
- A meal, even a simple one
- The moment the day was over
- A shower that helped you reset
- Being able to cry
- A text from someone who checked on you
You don’t have to be grateful for the hard thing itself. Write down what made it a little easier.
How to notice the good things you miss
Try these two methods when your list keeps coming out the same.
- Imagine the good thing never happened. In a study by Minkyung Koo and colleagues, students wrote about something good in their lives. The ones who wrote about how it might never have happened felt better afterwards than the ones who wrote about how it came to be. You can try it with a friend: how did you meet, and what if you hadn’t?
- Write down the detail. “My friends” is easy to write and easy to forget. “Ana sent me a photo of the cake we baked last year” points to one real moment. Our guide on how to start a gratitude journal has more examples of general entries turned into specific ones.
How to turn this list into a gratitude journal
Pick one item from this list each evening and make it about your day. “Hot water in the shower” becomes “a long hot shower after the cold walk home.” That’s one entry.
If you’d rather answer a question than pick from a list, try our gratitude journal prompts. They’re grouped by morning, evening, hard days and the people in your life.
We built Graceup for exactly this: one good thing a day, written in about 30 seconds. A reminder comes at the time you pick, and at the end of the month you open a jar with everything you wrote.
Photo: engin akyurt on Unsplash
Frequently asked questions
What are five things to be grateful for today?
Look at the last few hours: something you ate or drank, a person you talked to, a moment you could rest, something that worked and something you saw outside. For example: warm toast, a call with Mom, ten quiet minutes, the bus came on time, the light on the building across the street.
What are some small things to be grateful for?
Hot water, a charged phone, clean sheets, a good song, a message from a friend and a meal you didn't have to cook. Small things are easy to name, which makes them a good start on days when nothing big happened.
Is it okay if I don't feel grateful?
Yes. You can write down something good without feeling especially thankful for it. Gratitude isn't a test you pass, and on some days a small, true sentence is all you can manage.
Can I be grateful for the same thing every day?
You can, but try to say what was different about it today. "My partner" becomes "my partner made tea without asking." The detail helps you notice the moment instead of repeating a word.
How do I make a gratitude list?
Write down one to five things, each in a short sentence, and make each one specific. Doing it at the same time each day, like before bed, makes it easier to remember.
What can I be grateful for at work?
A colleague who helped, a task you finished, a lunch break outside, a problem that turned out smaller than expected or simply having a steady paycheck. Even a bad workday can have one person or one hour that went fine.
I'm Eric, and I want to help make the world a better place. Studies show that people who make gratitude a habit are happier, sleep better and are kinder to the people around them. I built Graceup so this habit is within anyone's reach.
