Did you know that expressing gratitude boosts happiness and reduces depression? Showing gratitude can be a beautiful form of self care. Try one of these strategies if you need to say “thanks”, pick a friend up, or lift your own spirits.

1.Write a thank you note. Go old school and send a note to say thanks or even provide encouragement. This is also a cool skill to pass on to your children.

2.Smile and share a genuine compliment. Smiling releases feel good hormones, so even if you have to fake it at first, you’ll feel happy pretty quickly. Complimenting someone may be a tiny insignificant part of your day, but to someone else, it could be the best part of their day.

3.Clean up after yourself. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation suggests cleaning up after yourself both in public and private. This is a silent way to show others that your respect their experience in a shared space.

4.Give of your time. Our time is valuable, which is why volunteering is so generous and feels so good. You can volunteer with your church, a local group that you feel strongly about, a hospital or nursing home, an animal shelter, a homeless or women’s shelter, etc. Feel free to get a group or your family together to volunteer together.

5.Tip well. For many of us, we can easily afford the difference between 10% and 20%. The people in service industries have an often thankless job where they give of their time to others. Their incomes may be based primarily off of tips. If a server, hairdresser, door man, masseuse, etc. goes above and beyond to make sure you have a great experience, you’re likely already splurging on a treat, so add a little extra to your tip.

6.Keep a gratitude journal. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to write down three things that happened that day that you are grateful for. This helps you to be intentional about finding good things mundane. Keeping these three things in a journal can help you to look back on and celebrate your blessings.

7.Give hugs. Physical touch can help us have deeper connections with those who we are close with. Hugs lasting about 15 seconds have the power to boost the mood of both parties. When you give a verbal thank you, pair it with a hug!

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The views expressed in this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any condition and should not be substituted for medical or nutritional advice.