Do We Know How to Be Grateful Without a Big Reason?

Tiny things matter. Wonderful tiny things matter even more. We are complex creatures always running somewhere, searching for new opportunities and excitement. In this dopamine-driven race, we forget that everyday things that make us happy can be more important than anything else. The feeling of sun on your face, a laugh you’ve coaxed out of your friend, or a desert that tastes divine — small wonders that happen every day, if we only dare to look.

Gratitude is a powerful tool, a viewfinder of all that brings us happiness. Today, we explore whether we know how to be grateful without a big reason, and how shifting our attention to everyday encounters can make all the difference. 

What Is Gratitude and Why It Works

Is gratitude just saying “thank you” to everything that happens and blindly accepting everything? From a psychological perspective, it’s a much more fascinating practice. 

Gratitude is recognizing and appreciating everything good in our lives, regardless of how seemingly insignificant this factor may be. Two key stages of gratitude are noticing and acknowledging. We identify a detail that brought us joy, and then we accept that our ability to see these things, rather than having a perfect day, is what deserves appreciation. Nothing is perfect, but finding the moments of goodness shifts our focus and helps us redirect our perspective. 

Gratitude has long-term benefits for our mental health. It’s often used in positive psychology. What should we consider introducing it to our routine? Let’s take a look at the key advantages. 

• Happier life. The research demonstrates that gratitude leads to a more optimistic outlook on life. People who practice it tend to suffer less compared to those who overlook such small benefits. Our brains have a natural negativity bias — we are used to scanning for threats or problems. Gratitude disrupts it by training the brain to notice and savor what’s going well. 

• Better health. Gratitude motivates us to pay more attention to our bodies. We focus on ourselves and no longer ask questions like “what is procrastination” or “how to start paying attention” because we know how to be in the moment and enjoy it. Studies show that people focused on the positive tend to be more physically active and listen to their physical state more often. They eat more mindfully, too.

• Improved relationships. Individuals who recognize the value of their relationships more often and express their appreciation more regularly will have stronger connections. Many people forget about the value of regular gratitude when with others, and such a change will have its positive consequences. 

Mundane & Joy: Unbelievable Combo?

We rarely find routines fascinating: the same road to work, the same people, even the same favorite coffee. This tendency can turn even the most exciting daily things sour. After all, they are the same every day. But if we are happy only when things are extraordinary, we might lose hundreds of opportunities per week that can make us smile. 

Micro-gratitude allows us to notice and appreciate even the smallest of nice things in life, even if we feel that they have been here before. It doesn’t mean enjoying the boring routine. Instead, why not find something excitingly new in our daily activities? The beauty of this practice is how accessible it is. You don’t have to spend money or resources on doing something that can make you happier. 

If you’re bored with walking every day to your job, notice a few smiling people as you do. 

If you’re tired of the same healthy lunch, add a new ingredient and focus on the taste. 

If you’re exhausted with the same tasks at your job, make a note of the tiny things that you’re good at.

Simple Techniques to Be More Grateful

Even if you’re a Grumpy Gnome’s distant relative, you can train yourself to see more things deserving of gratitude. It’s a skill that we can uncover just by trying a few practices — some of them will work better than others, but give all of them a try.

The Three-Minute Evening Ritual

Take three minutes before bed to write down or mentally list three things you appreciated during the day. It helps you to finish every day with at least something good, even if it feels a bit strange at first. Don’t look for big wins every time. It can be something as easy as a nice comment from your coworker or a perfect blend of spices you’ve tasted in your dinner. Over time, you will scan for these moments during the day, noticing and enjoying things more.

Achor Your Gratitude

Make a deal with yourself and connect a certain ritual, such as locking your door or brushing your teeth, to a short gratitude pause. No, we don’t mean being grateful for brushing your teeth — though if you’ve got a tasty strawberry toothpaste, why not? — but for everything that you can remember in the moment. As suggested in the liven app review, every time you perform a ritual, it will be a reminder for you to think about things you’re happy about.

Be Creative

Everyone can smile when something good is happening, but what about sprinkling just a little bit of positivity into an awful or annoying situation? Challenge yourself, but don’t go for toxic positivity — just be open to a chance that most situations in your life aren’t without some benefits. For example, what was something that annoyed you in the moment but had a positive influence on you in the long run? Was there a disaster event that motivated you to do something? 

Use Your Senses

This one’s quite a trick — if you’re at a loss at what to be happy about, think about what your senses are telling you. What about the feeling of the wind, or a taste of a good dessert, or the smell of blooming flowers? These tiny details are what matters in the perspective of the entire day; you just need some time to learn it.

The Gift of Seeing

Being grateful for every day isn’t silly or strange — you give yourself a right to see more than before. The small becomes sacred. Even the grayness of the sky becomes meaningful if you dare to look. So why not give yourself a moment and find the courage to see it all?