Did you know that practicing gratitude is a skill? You can cultivate an attitude of gratitude just like you would build any other skill- through a consistent practice.
But if I told you to practice gratitude every day for 30 days, how would you go about that? When beginning to build a mindset of gratitude, some guidance can be helpful.
That’s where this Gratitude 30 day challenge can help you out. In the 30 day challenge, each day has a separate task or activity that will help you practice gratitude.
If you commit to practicing gratitude for 30 days using this gratitude challenge, you’ll be one step closer to reaping the immense benefits of practicing gratitude.
Why Should I Do this 30 Day Challenge
Practicing gratitude has immediate benefits. Think about the last time you really focused on something you’re grateful for. Didn’t it give you the warm and fuzzies?
But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of gratitude.
They actually extend much further than just a feeling. Practicing gratitude has immense long term benefits for both your mental and physical health. Some of the benefits of gratitude include increased self confidence, improved decision making, and increased productivity… Just to name a few.
If you’re eager to enjoy the benefits of practicing gratitude, the 30 day gratitude challenge is a great place to start. The goal is to build a framework for how you can continue to practice gratitude beyond 30 days. So, I’d encourage you to reflect each day on how you might continue your practice.
Get This 30 Day Gratitude Challenge Journal as a PDF
If you want to complete the 30-day challenge, I also have the gratitude challenge available on Etsy as a guided PDF journal. The Journal comes with each of the prompts in this post, as well as a month overview page and space to complete journal prompts and activities.
Using this journal is a great way to make the gratitude challenge more fun and inspire you to continue each day.
30 Day Gratitude Challenge
This Gratitude 30 Day Challenge is broken up into 3 10 day parts— noticing, reflecting, and acting. Each of these is a way in which you can practice gratitude.
Gratitude Challenge Days 1-10: Notice
The first step towards cultivating an attitude of gratitude comes from simply noticing what you can be grateful for on a daily basis. For the first 10 days of this challenge, we will focus on practicing mindfulness.
For these days, take notice of things you can be grateful for by taking a photo or drawing a picture.
Day 1: Something in your home you are grateful for
Day 2: Something in nature you are grateful for
Day 3: Someone in your life you are grateful for
Day 4: Something that made you smile or laugh
Day 5: A meal, snack, or beverage you enjoyed
Day 6: A book, movie, or podcast you found valuable
Day 7: Something that brings you peace
Day 8: Something that makes you feel safe
Day 9: Something you accomplished
Day 10: Something that gives you energy
Gratitude Challenge Days 11-20: Reflect
Sometimes, we don’t encounter things and people we are grateful for on a regular basis. We can also be thankful for things like memories, qualities, and more. From days 11-20, we will focus on building a reflective gratitude practice through journaling. If you want to go the extra mile and do more gratitude journal prompts, check out my list of 45 inspiring gratitude questions to journal on.
Treat these like journal prompts, and reflect on your answers
Day 11: What do you love about your family? If it feels more supportive, write about your friends instead
Day 12: What is one difficult situation you are going through right now? What is a hidden blessing in this experience?
Day 13: Write about 5 of the greatest blessings you have in your life right now.
Day 14: What are your best qualities? Write at least 5.
Day 15: What is something you are looking forward to and why?
Day 16: What experience in life has shaped who you are today? What can you be grateful about that experience for?
Day 17: Write about your favorite memories from the past year.
Day 18: What’s one way you have grown in the past year?
Day 19: Write about 5 things you are proud of.
Day 20: What is something you take for granted? How can you be more grateful for this?
Gratitude Challenge Days 21-30: Act
While appreciation and gratitude are not the same thing, in order to show appreciation you must first practice gratitude. For the last 10 days of this challenge, we will focus on taking action towards being a grateful person through showing appreciation to ourself and others.
Day 21: Donate items you don’t use. Donating helps us practice gratitude towards our material belongings. By taking the time to sort through our items and recognize how they have served us. Then, we can show appreciation and respect to our items by donating them and giving them a second life.
Day 22: Tell someone you love them
Day 23: Do a random act of kindness for a stranger. Some ideas: Pay for the person behind you’s coffee, hold a door for a stranger, give a stranger a compliment, tip extra.
Day 24: Send a thank you note— to anyone, for anything
Day 25: Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
Day 26: Dedicate 30 minutes to self care.
Day 27: Choose 5 affirmations for gratitude that resonate with you. These can be general, like “I am thankful for the opportunity today brings,” or more specific, like “I am thankful for my health.” Write them on a post in note and place it somewhere you will see every day.
Day 28: Do a gratitude meditation or prayer
Day 29: Write someone a handwritten letter
Day 30: Reread every gratitude entry so far. Reflect on how you will continue your gratitude practice and make a plan. Was there a particular method that stands out to you? Think about how you might do that on a regular basis moving forward.
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30 Day Guided Gratitude Challenge
What’s Next? Continuing your Gratitude Practice
There’s a reason this gratitude challenge is 30 days long. Because practicing a habit for 30 days make it easier to continue long term.
So, if you’ve completed the 30 day gratitude challenge, then the hard part is already over!
And now, it’s up to you to decide which gratitude methods felt most supportive to you and make a plan for how you will continue. Some of the most popular ways are:
- start a gratitude journal and write 3 things you are grateful for each day
- Say gratitude affirmation each day
- Commit to a gratitude meditation practice.
I hope that you are feeling all the warm and fuzzy’s even just thinking of the people and things you are grateful for, and feel inspired to continue your practice.
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