How to Start a Gratitude Practice (That Actually Sticks)
- Melissa Hughes
- Nov 21
- 2 min read
Life can be exhausting and relentless. We’re swiping, scrolling, reacting, comparing, and trying to keep up with a world that moves faster than our biology ever intended. I don’t know a single person who feels like they’re fully caught up on anything.
Most days, I’m juggling a to-do list that looks like a CVS receipt. The idea of adding one more thing — even something good for me — feels laughable. But here’s what I learned: gratitude doesn’t require time. It requires intention. The right habits take less than two minutes and still pack a measurable neurological punch. Once I figured that out, everything shifted.
Here are 5 evidence-based habits to start a gratitude practice that sticks:
The 3×10 Method
List 3 things you’re grateful for. Spend 10 seconds on each one.
Depth > length.
The Gratitude Cue
Pair your practice with something you already do daily: making coffee, brushing your teeth, or warming up your car. A daily activity triggers your brain to refocus in seconds.
Micro-Thank-Yous
Once a day, express one tiny, sincere thank-you to someone in your life, or even to yourself. Keep a few small notecards handy. Jot a quick note to someone when you think about the positive impact they have on you.
The “Look for Good” Challenge
Train your brain to notice one positive moment each day. Not a big moment, not a profound life-changing moment. Just a small, positive one. Sometimes the smallest moments can have massive impact.
The Jar Method
Write one good thing per day on a slip of paper and collect it in a jar. At the end of the month, you’ll have visual evidence that joy is cumulative.
Gratitude Is a Power Tool
We live in a world that pulls our attention toward outrage, distraction, and comparison. Gratitude is not naïve optimism — it’s neurological counter-programming. It slows the chaos. It fills the empty spaces. It reminds us that even on the hardest days, there is still something worth noticing.
Gratitude won’t solve every problem.
But it changes the brain that meets the problem.
And that changes everything.
If you missed my Gratitude Unlocked course, why not start today? A few minutes a day to understand the science of gratitude can make all the difference!
Comment below and share your go-to gratitude habit. I'll surprise 5 lucky readers with a copy of my gratitude journal!
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