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In this post, we are going to delve into some fun gratitude activities for adults that you can start using in your daily life to help you develop an attitude of gratitude, and start seeing the benefits of practicing gratitude as soon as possible.
Many of these activities can be performed on your own, but we will also go over some fun gratitude group activities for adults as well.
Gratitude Journaling
Keeping a gratitude journal is one of the most popular ways people develop their own gratitude practice, and it’s easy to see why. Gratitude journaling allows us to reflect on our day in a way that helps us appreciate what has happened rather than focusing solely on what hasn’t gone well. You could even do this as part of your morning routine or before bedtime.
Just pick a time when you will be able to sit down quietly with pen/pencil and paper. Write about all the things you are grateful for from the previous 24 hours. The more detailed you are, the better.
Once you’ve written everything on your paper, take a moment to think about each item or experience and really let yourself enjoy them, and remember you can come back to your gratitude journal whenever you are feeling a little down, and look through past entries to remind yourself of all the things in your life that make you happy and give you a sense of gratitude.
Though keeping a Gratitude Journal takes a bit of consistent effort, you will quickly get into the habit of doing it and it’s without a doubt one of the best gratitude activities for adults, as it’s something you will do daily to help keep you in a state of gratitude, and you can also look back through it, to see just how many things to be grateful for you have, which can really help lift your mood and sense of appreciation for what you have.
Gratitude Letter Writing
Write a hand-written letter to express your feelings of gratitude towards a special person in your life who may not know how important he or she is to you. Simply put together a short (or long if you like) gratitude letter expressing your appreciation for this person, and giving your reasons why. Make sure you sign off with a sincere thank you.
This is one of my favourite fun gratitude exercises for adults, as it not only fills you with gratitude but also the person you are sending it to, so you both get to feel the benefits of gratitude.
Thank people who have made a difference in your life.
This one is similar to the method above but instead of writing a letter it’s done face to face. Whether it’s an old friend, teacher, mentor, parent, sibling, grandparent, or whoever you choose, find some way to acknowledge the positive impact these individuals had on your life and go tell them, it will fill them with happiness, and you too.
Gratitude Vision Board
Create a vision board of photos of things that give you feelings of gratitude. Maybe you have pictures of loved ones, places you have visited, your pets, hobbies, whatever makes you smile. Put them around your vision board to remind you of what you have to appreciate in life.
Gratitude Jar
We all have things to be grateful for. To remind yourself of this, start gratitude jars for you and your loved ones. The way it works is, each day, you all write on a piece of paper one thing you’re grateful for and put it into your jar. Over time, you’ll have a jar full of reminders of the good things in your life.
Then, whenever you are having a negative experience or emotions, or just need to feel more positive and grateful, you can open your jar and start reading the pieces of paper. A popular use of gratitude jars is to wait until Thanksgiving before opening them.
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
This is a gratitude activity that is popular with children, but adults enjoy this gratitude exercise to so I have included it here.
Start out by making a list of all the things you can think that you and everyone playing has to be grateful for, such as something that makes you smile, makes you feel safe, smells nice, tastes nice, etc. Once you’ve compiled a list, then go and do your gratitude scavenger hunt.
Each item on your list must be found before you move on to the next one. This is such a fun activity, that it’s likely you will feel many positive emotions and your happiness level rise.
Gratitude List
Here you want to come up with a list of everything you are grateful for. Think about it: we spend so much time complaining about our problems and circumstances; however, most of us cannot realize that we should be thankful for the opportunity to live another day! So, why not start listing off all the blessings you have?
Before going to sleep, write as many things as you can think of that happened today that you are thankful for. If you are using a journal, you can write them in this.
Gratitude Quote Wall
Another fun gratitude activity for adults is to create a wall or board filled with inspirational quotes and messages of gratitude that encourage you to stay focused on the positives in your life.
Some examples could be I am grateful for my family and friends, my good health, the kindness in others, the time with my children, or anything else you can think of.
Also, be sure to add to this wall as often as you like, and ensure it’s in a place you will see frequently, so it will remind you of all the things you have to be thankful for in your life.
The Appreciation Chair Game
The next time you and your family and friends meet up for thanksgiving or another special yearly event, it’s the perfect time to express gratitude towards each other with the Appreciation Chair Game.
To play this, the person who’s turn it is to be appreciated must sit down in the chair, while everyone else takes turns in complimenting them for the things they have done for them during the year.
Sadly, with us all living such hectic lives it can be all too easy to forget to show our appreciation to our friends and loved ones, and this is a great way rectify that and let them know how much we love them and how grateful we are to have them.
This gratitude group activity is also featured on our full post completely dedicated to gratitude games that can be played in groups, which you can find in the post below.
Get the Gratitude Party Started with These Fun Group Activities!
Gratitude Meditation
Another simple yet effective technique to help increase feelings of gratitude is doing a gratitude meditation. It helps clear away any negativity from your mind and allows you to focus only on what you’re grateful for. You may also find yourself feeling happier overall when meditating regularly.
Write Down Your Feelings
When you wake up in the morning, take some time to reflect upon the previous Day. What did you appreciate? Did someone make you laugh? Were there moments where you felt happy? If yes, write those thoughts down. Then, at the end of the week, review these notes and try to remember more details. By doing this, you’ll notice an improvement in your mood throughout the week. Again, you can use your gratitude journal to do this if you have one.
Show Appreciation More Often
Many of us say thank you and show our appreciation less than we should. Try adding it to every interaction you have with people. For example, instead of simply thanking someone after buying something, tell them how much you enjoyed their company and how much you enjoyed talking to them. This shows genuine interest in the other person and makes them feel valued.
Give Thanks Every Night Before Going To Bed
As mentioned earlier, sometimes we complain about our situations rather than appreciating the opportunities we have been given. However, by giving thanks before going to bed, you’ll change your mindset and start thinking positively. So, go ahead and give thanks for everything you have today!
Smile At People Who Cross Your Path
Smiling is contagious, so smile at everyone who crosses your path. Not only does smiling improve your mood, it will also make the people you are smiling at feel great as well.
Take A Walk In The Park
Go outside and take a walk in nature. It’s well known that spending time in nature helps people relax and calm down. It’s also known to increase happiness levels.
Take Time Out Each Morning To Reflect On How Lucky You Are
Taking time each morning to reflect on all the blessings in your life can help to increase feelings of well-being.
Bonus Gratitude Activity
As promised, here is what is without a doubt my favourite gratitude activity, which I perform every night before going to sleep and every morning as soon as I wake up.
It is a wonderful Gratitude Meditation by Jessica Heslop, which transforms your life in just 21 days. Jessica has a lovely tone to her voice and has done a fantastic job with this video. It’s simply perfect, and I am sure you will love it too, so press the play button below, and let your gratitude flow…
Conclusion
Thanks for reading about these gratitude activities for adults. I hope they have shown you the power of gratitude and how effective it can be for reducing negative emotions, and keeping you in a happy frame of mind.
There are a lot of gratitude exercises here, so to start off, I would recommend that you pick a few that resonate with you the most and focus on them. Once you have picked the ones you want to focus on, start implementing them as soon as possible, so you can develop an attitude of gratitude, and increase your overall happiness and joy for life.
