11 TACTICS TO INCREASE GRATITUDE

AND HAPPINESS IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE

BY JASON OTTE - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

1. DOCUMENT GRATITUDE

NAME WHAT YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR. WRITING IT DOWN SPURS RECOGNITION

AND GIVES SUBSTANCE TO YOUR APPRECIATION.

WHETHER IT’S A JOURNAL, NOTEBOOK, BLOG, OR A SIMPLE

DRY-ERASE BOARD ON THE REFRIGERATOR, FIND A

CONVENIENT MEANS TO GIVE THANKS AND DEVELOP IT AS A

HABIT.

2. FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES

ON THE SURFACE, THIS SEEMS LIKE A “NO-BRAINER”, BUT THE

OPPOSITE HOLDS TRUE: REMAINING POSITIVE REQUIRES CONSISTENT ATTENTION TO THE

THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS THAT OCCUPY YOUR MENTAL

REAL ESTATE.

FORTUNATELY, YOU GET TO CHOOSE YOUR TENANTS EVERY

DAY.

3. MIND YOUR INFLUENCE

NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, BEHAVIORS, AND BELIEFS HAVE NO PLACE IN YOUR WORLD OF

GRATITUDE. THE SAME APPLIES TO PEOPLE THAT SABOTAGE YOUR HAPPINESS OR ARE IN OTHER WAYS EMOTIONALLY

DAMAGING.

REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE TO NEGATIVE MESSAGING AND YOU WILL GREATLY BROADEN YOUR

OPTIMISTIC VIEW.

4. CONSUME LESS AND APPRECIATE MORE

FOOD, CLOTHING, ELECTRICITY AND CLEAN WATER ARE

SCARCITIES FOR HUMAN BEINGS ALL OVER OUR PLANET.

BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE AND MINDFUL OF WHAT

YOU THROW AWAY.

5. WRITE A LETTER OF GRATITUDE

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK AND APPRECIATE THE

PEOPLE THAT HAVE POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE -

WHETHER THEY KNEW THEY DID IT OR NOT.

A SINCERE LETTER LIKE THIS CAN HAVE LONG-LASTING

POSITIVE EFFECTS FOR BOTH THE SENDER AND THE

RECEIVER.

6. MAKE GOOD CHOICES

YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS DRIVE YOUR

DECISION MAKING PROCESS. MAKE CHOICES THAT UPHOLD YOUR VALUES AND REINFORCE YOUR POSITIVE BELIEFS AND

ACTIONS.

YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON EVERY LIFE EXPERIENCE, SO SHAPE IT

CAREFULLY .

7. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR INNER DIALOGUE

WE ARE TYPICALLY HARDER ON OURSELVES THAN ANYONE ELSE.

IF YOUR INSIDE VOICE LACKS COMPASSION, ENCOURAGEMENT OR SUPPORT, THEN IT’S TIME TO

RE-WRITE THE SCRIPT.

8. SEND HAND-WRITTEN THANK YOU

NOTES

GRATITUDE OR RECOGNITION OF A JOB WELL DONE IS MORE

MEMORABLE AND MEANINGFUL WHEN

DELIVERED THIS WAY.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS A PERFECT WAY TO INSPIRE

OTHERS TO DO WELL.

9. REDUCE SARCASM

IF YOU SAY “THANKS A LOT”, MEAN IT.

SARCASM AND NEGATIVITY ARE LIKE ANYTHING ELSE; THE

MORE THEY ARE PRACTICED, THE EASIER THEY GET.

INSTEAD, BECOME KNOWN FOR GENUINE COMMUNICATION AND

HONESTY.

10. SUBSCRIBE TO A POSITIVE DAILY

MESSAGE

USE TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER NEWS, IDEAS, AND THOUGHT S

THAT MOVE YOU FORWARD RATHER THAN HOLDING YOU

BACK.

LOOK FOR THE VALUE IN THE MESSAGES THAT BECOME YOUR

INFLUENCE.

11. TEACH GRATITUDE

DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE TO CHILDREN. INSTILL IT IN THEM

AS BOTH A BELIEF AND AN OUTLOOK.

THEY WILL EXPERIENCE MORE JOY AND HAPPINESS AS A

RESULT.

WHILE NOT ALWAYS AS EASY, THIS ALSO WORKS FOR ADULTS.

THANK YOU FOR READING!