How to Use a Gratitude Jar

Increase your well-being in 2024 with a gratitude jar practice.

A gratitude jar is easy to make and is a simple way to practice gratitude in a meaningful way. Did you know that you can cultivate more joy in your life by simply being more grateful? A gratitude jar will help you be grateful for not only those memorable, happy occasions, but also the little things that punctuate everyday life and make us smile. Joyful moments increase as we orient ourselves to the small gifts that are all around us.

Moments to be grateful for include:

• the person who smiles as you walk past

• the person that waves you into the lane you want

• a phone call from a friend or family member

• a moment of stillness found in a busy day

• a shared laugh over an inside joke

• a warm hug

• a positive exchange with a store clerk

• unexpected praise from a co-worker or boss

The Science of Gratitude

It is scientifically proven that people who take the time to think about what they are grateful for are happier, sleep better, show more compassion and kindness, and have a stronger immune system. In Derrick Carpenter’s article, “The Science behind Gratitude (and How it can Change Your Life)” he shares some important insights and useful tips like documenting the things that bring you joy and gratitude.

He also recommends that it helps to keep journaling fresh and prevent it from becoming tedious or too general, like, “I am grateful to have a job.” Narrow your entries down to an event that brought that reflection home to you. For example, “Today my co-worker mentioned how much my help on the Hiring Committee has meant to her.”

A New Beginning with Gratitude

The start of 2024 is an opportunity to reflect upon that which we are grateful for from the past year and is the perfect time to start a gratitude jar practice.

Now that the year 2023 has drawn to an end and we have stepped into a new year, it is a great opportunity to reflect upon that which we are grateful for from the year that has passed. Many people have gone through difficult and challenging times, and yet there are no doubt aspects of our year that we can be grateful for. As we shift our focus from what may seem like the doom and gloom of challenging times, to those experiences that have been the source of compassion, understanding and kindness, we begin to relate to the year that has passed with a new light.

As an idea for a new year resolution, why not approach 2024 from a different perspective and look at ways to cultivate more gratitude in your day-to-day life and thereby awakening a new sense of joy? One simple, yet fun idea we would like to share is to create a jar of gratitude. It will cost you nothing but can potentially turn your life around very quickly.

Why Use a Gratitude Jar?

• To have a reminder of all the blessings in your life

• To have a jar full of positive messages

• To regularly draw a message that makes you feel good

• To build a habit of thankfulness

How to Create a DIY Gratitude Jar

The first step is to get a jar big enough to fill with small pieces of paper or post-it notes that you accumulate on a daily or weekly basis over the year. Next, you can decorate your jar as much or as little as you wish to make it special.

Once your jar is ready, you can leave it next to it the blank pieces of paper or post-it notes with a pencil or a pen ready to use to write what you are grateful for.

Leave your jar and pieces of paper in a visible location, like your kitchen counter, bathroom vanity or bedroom bureau.

How to Use a Gratitude Jar

Set a goal to write down at least one thing you are thankful for each day or each week and add the piece of paper to your gratitude jar. Try to be as specific as possible; memorable moments, little daily happiness, anything you are grateful for.

You’ll see that there are plenty of opportunities to slip a piece of paper in your gratitude jar, an evening with friends, a giggle, an inspiring reading. Even if your life seems gray to you, you’ll always find something to be grateful for. You’ll also get a sense of satisfaction to see the jar fill up.

At the end of the year you can open your gratitude jar to reread all your little notes and remember all those good times and realize that you had a great year.

Remember also on those inevitable days when you feel down, overwhelmed by life, or upset – to reach into your gratitude jar and read a handful of notes. It will help you focus on the positives in your life.

Set a goal to write down at least one thing you are thankful for each day.

Writing down what you are grateful for increases your well-being, so why not create your own gratitude jar today?!

Cultivating Gratitude

Like any New Year’s resolution, the challenge is in sustaining the new practice. So often we have great intentions but quickly lose momentum. All of this then becomes another reason to feel bad about ourselves. So how do we sustain this gratitude practice in a way that is loving and kind? Here are a few ideas that may help.

• Establish a routine that works for you. For example, you may think that you are going to write your gratitude jar offerings each evening, but then you realize you are so tired that you put it off. Why not write them down immediately? Not creating a chore around this practice but keeping it alive and fun. When something happens that you are grateful for, say something like, “well that’s one for the gratitude jar!”. Remember that success builds upon success. Celebrate each offering you make to the gratitude jar.

• See how creative you can be in expressing your statements of gratitude. For example, going beyond “I am grateful for my family”, to something like, “I am so grateful that my son vacuumed for me today when I was feeling so tired”, “I feel deep gratitude for my wife for loving me”, or “I am so grateful that I was able to stay calm at work today.” It helps to go beyond the usual ‘mundane’ expressions of gratitude.

• Appreciate all that you are by expressing gratitude for all of your skills and talents, all of your strength and resilience. As we begin to acknowledge these positive attributes we begin to change the tone of our self-talk to being more loving and kind.

• Expand beyond the confines of your family and friends to expressing gratitude for the little details in life itself such as gratitude for the beautiful flowers and trees that you see on your way to work. Gratitude for the grace in finding a parking spot so easily. Gratitude for the stranger who acknowledged you as you walked by.
  

• Bring joy to the practice by being mindful of all of your interactions each day.
  

• And of course, as you begin to recognise a change in your attitude, express gratitude to yourself for sustaining a gratitude practice.

Whenever you are feeling negative or resistant in doing this practice, grab a handful of the messages that are in the gratitude jar and begin to read them.

This articles draws on the research of UC Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, author of, Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier. His book emphasizes that writing down what you are grateful for increases your well-being.

Recommended Gratitude Meditations

Morning Gratitude Meditation - begin the day by expressing gratitude and then allow it to radiate throughout the whole of our being through the entire day.

New Beginnings Meditation - review of the past year with gratitude for all that occurred and letting go of the disappointments. It creates a space for new beginnings for what you want to create in the coming year.

Cultivating Gratitude - a soothing meditation to cultivate a grateful heart. 

Body Scan Meditation - in this guided meditation we bestow the amazing gift of gratitude upon our whole body to appreciate, nurture, restore and regenerate every cell of our being.

Gratitude Sleep Meditation - A deeply relaxing gratitude sleep meditation that helps you to review your day with the lens of gratitude for all that occurred.

View all our gratitude meditations.
Visit our Gratitude Compilation page to learn more about the benefits of gratitude.