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5 Ways To Celebrate World Gratitude Day

World Gratitude Day is celebrated annually on September 21st. The purpose of World Gratitude Day is to express what and who you’re thankful for and celebrate your appreciation.

Think about all of the things you have in life that you should be grateful for: family, friendships, a relationship, perhaps children, pets, your good health, a stable career, your access to education, the roof over your head, the food in your refrigerator, and the clean drinking water running out of your faucet, just to name a few.

Regardless of your circumstances, we each have a lot to be thankful for in our respective lives. No person, place, or object is too big or too small to acknowledge and show your appreciation for on World Gratitude Day.

Here are a few ways you can celebrate World Gratitude Day this year:

1. Keep a gratitude journal.

While this is a great routine to practice all year long, consider picking up a journal on World Gratitude Day and make a list of all of the things you’re thankful for in your life. It can be as small as appreciating your dad’s gesture of clearing the snow off your car in the winter, or as large as recognizing your fortune in having freedom in this country.

Practicing gratitude is a great way to not only give thanks to all of the good things in your life, but also to humble yourself. Being grateful for even the smallest of things can help put everything in life into perspective.

Related: 7 Easy Ways To Become More Grateful This Year

2. Reflect on the worst of times.

Maybe you’ve experienced loss, a health scare, the loss of your job, or battled with debt. Thinking about the rough patches you’ve been through can really help you feel grateful for making it through those dark times.

When you’re in the midst of a minor bout of stress or feeling down on your luck, thinking about your worst of times can help put things into perspective, bringing light to all that you should feel grateful for. Good things and bad things will continue to happen to us. The important thing to remember is that it gets better.

There is no better day than World Gratitude Day to shed light on all that you’ve been through that helped get you to where you are now.

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3. Give back to your community.

Being thankful for food in your refrigerator and a roof over your head prompt you to think about the people in your community who may be struggling.

Consider giving back to your community on World Gratitude Day by volunteering at a local food drive, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter. Have a closet full of clothes you never wear? Appreciate that you’re in a position to have an excess abundance of clothes and consider donating your gently used items to clothing drives in your community.

Think about what you have to share in your life. It could be canned goods, gently worn clothing, or even your time. Consider donating your goods and services to those in need.

4. Use affirmations.

If religion plays an important role in your life, take an extra moment today to acknowledge that. Use affirmations to bring positive thoughts to mind.

Even if you are not religious, a day of affirmations can manage your stress and increase optimism in your mind. Practicing positive statements can increase your confidence, calm your nerves, and help you feel more positive about your life.

Related: 8 Positive Affirmations To Speak To Yourself Daily

5. Spend time with your favorite people or in a favorite place.

Ultimately World Gratitude Day is about celebrating all that you’re thankful for. Spend the day with the people you’re most grateful for in your life. Take a trip to a place that means most to you. Do an activity that fulfills you. Spend the day taking advantage of the best parts of life. Go for good company, scrumptious food, beautiful vistas, and nothing but happiness in your heart.

World Gratitude Day is a great reminder to give thanks for your life. Being grateful for all that you have, every experience you’ve had, every person who has made a difference to you, and every place you’ve been is humbling and memorable. Spend World Gratitude Day 2018 (September 21st) by celebrating all that this day is about!

About the Author

Rachael Warren (Tulipano)

Rachael is a University of Southern Maine graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Sociology. She remotely works full-time as a Senior Content Marketing Specialist for Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. In her leisure time, Rachael enjoys traveling with her husband, finding the next Netflix series to binge, and taking too many photos of her dogs Jax and Kai. Rachael is obsessed with chapstick, favors the Oxford comma, and is a proud Mainer. You'll likely find her exploring New England + beyond.