“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for” – Zig Ziglar
Gratitude is the most powerful and omnipotent force in the universe. In simpler terms, it means “being thankful”. It is a path to abundance. Moreover, living with a spirit of gratitude helps us grow and expand our horizons. It instills feelings of joy and happiness in our lives. In fact, those who regularly practise gratitude have a higher vibrational resonance. In today’s fast-paced and materialistic world, we have forgotten to express gratitude to people who make us happier and wiser. We are so involved in worldly things that we hardly stop to think about others.
Tell me honestly, when was the last time you expressed thankfulness and appreciation to someone?
Are you struggling to remember the day when you appreciated someone? Don’t you think you should incorporate the magnetic attitude of gratitude into your life?
In this article, I’ll walk you through 17 different ways of expressing your feelings of gratitude. Before we proceed, let me enlighten you about the incredible impact of gratitude on our brains. We, humans, feel more inclined to adopt those habits that impact our lives positively.
Effects of gratitude on the brain
Do you know why is gratitude so powerful? Studies reveal that being grateful ushers a positive effect on your brain.
When people feel gratitude, the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex areas of the brain show activity. You may ignore the technical terms. But let’s straight away dive into the main point – these regions of the brain are associated with the feelings of empathy, social cognition, and rewards. So, this means that the effect of gratitude on our brains is undeniably positive. Besides, gratitude releases dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. These hormones produce increased levels of happiness and pleasure, along with reduced levels of stress and pain.
How to express gratitude to someone?
If you want to unlock the secret to long-lasting and cheerful relationships, cultivate the habit of expressing gratitude and appreciating people more often. So, here are 17 magical ways of saying thank you to someone:
- Express gratitude to a friend
People who have friends are fortunate. Good friendships are concerned with creating a positive impact on your health and improving your overall well-being. Moreover, gratitude plays a key role in developing a relationship with strangers into friendships. Appreciate those friends who shared a laugh with you, cried with you, had adventures with you, or tried to understand you when your family couldn’t.
I’m sure you all had beautiful flashbacks of memories of one of those friends while reading it. So, how about thanking your friend? Send her flowers with an expressive note telling how lucky you feel about her being a special part of your life.
- Show gratitude at work
Human beings need appreciation. And we all crave even more appreciative words in our workplaces. The encouraging words keep us motivated and driven to achieve our targets. So, cultivate an attitude of gratitude at work by adopting these tips:
- Appreciate your colleagues for their wins;
- Express gratitude in an email (use supportive, powerful, and encouraging words while sending emails to your boss, employee, or your co-workers);
- Provide positive feedback to your team;
- Reward your employees with some useful services.
- Spend time with your grandparents
Your grandparents are the pillars of your family. Thus, you should be grateful for the little things they do. The best gift that you can give them is your time – listen to their stories, take them to a park, and teach them how to use new technologies such as YouTube, Smart TV, and other cool things.
- Say thanks to your teachers
Did you ever try teaching a kid? Was it easy? It must have required a great deal of patience. Teachers invest their time in helping their students grow in all aspects, be it academically, morally, or ethically. They play an important role in maximizing the intellectual capabilities of a student. However, most of the time, we do not notice their efforts. Our educators deserve appreciation. So, express gratitude to your teachers by conveying a thankful message to them.
- Be thankful to your parents
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward.
To be grateful to your parents is the least that you could do for them. Period. Show appreciation to your parents in whatever ways you can. For instance, write a thank you note, buy them the things they always wanted to get, listen to their words, be grateful for any advice that they give, spend time with them, ask them about their health, or help them in their chores. Show your active involvement with your parents when you sit with them by not using your phone.
- Gift a gratitude journal to someone
If someone among your knowns is going through a hard time, consider gifting him or her a gratitude journal. When you give a gratitude journal to others, you’re actually giving them a gift of happiness, joy, and abundance. So, let them make their channel wide open with all the grateful reflections that they will jot down in their journal.
- Switch the roles
Do you notice how your mother cooks such a sumptuous meal for you even when she’s tired? Or how your partner gets up every time you need something? Wouldn’t you want to thank them for their love and support?
As an expression of gratitude, try to switch roles sometimes — do those things that your parents or partner often does for you.
- Send birthday cards
Nowadays, in this technology-driven world, we send birthday wishes either through social media or via text. Don’t you feel that birthday cards are losing their charm now? How about breaking the social media pattern and sending eco-friendly birthday cards to our loved ones?
- Write a handwritten letter
Honestly, I miss those old days when people used to send and receive letters. Don’t you? Writing a handwritten letter to someone has its own essence that emails can’t replace. Have you seen how your parents have safely kept all their old letters? And just observe the emotions on their faces when they sift through them. Read their eyes. They re-live all their beautiful days by opening a pandora of memories through those letters. Along these lines, I would love to suggest you show how grateful you’re to someone by writing a letter to that person.
- Buy a special gift
The law of reciprocity states that when you receive something, you feel the need to return that favor. If someone has supported you or has done an act of kindness to you, pay him or her back with gratitude. Buy a special gift for that person.
- Do something for your helpers
Many people help us in our daily routines. They may be our domestic helpers, cooks, drivers, or security guards, among others. We should appreciate their help by paying gratitude for the service they offer to us. You can thank them by doing things like:
- give them food;
- buy new clothes for them;
- Buy books for their children;
- Give them a day off when they need it.
- Have a ‘gratitude ritual’ in family
When all family members get together either during special occasions or festivals, they can plan to have a fun activity that I would name as “gratitude ritual.” Do it this way — sit in a circle, make some chits with the names of all members. Each person picks up a chit. Then, he or she speaks about the good qualities of that person whose name is on the chit. It’s a fun game. Try it! This activity will strengthen the emotional connection between the family members.
- Telephone someone
The social media world has now curbed the idea of a phone call. We simply send a text to people. We hardly give them a phone call. Even during birthdays or special occasions, we send wishes to people via social media. We all feel exhilarated when an unexpected call brightens up our phone’s screen. Isn’t it?
Just call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while and have a pleasant conversation with him or her.
- Use the gifted items
When someone gifts you something, use it. Don’t let it sit in the corner of your house. Using the gifted stuff is one of the wonderful ways of expressing thankfulness to the person who has taken out his or her time to buy a gift for you.
- Be kind to strangers
If you observe people in public spheres, do you see their heads always down, completely immersed in their phones, and their faces sometimes carry an expression of dullness and arrogance?
If you see people doing this, just smile! Smile is a contagious emotion and it can really lighten up somebody’s bad day. Be kind to everyone around you. If someone seems in a bad mood, ask them if they’re feeling well or not. Kindness is a virtue that all should possess.
- Plan surprises
How do you feel when someone surprises you with your favorite meal, a simple note, or your most-awaited trip?
You experience a sudden surge of joy. You feel intensified emotions. Isn’t it? According to neuroscience, a sudden positive surprise activates those regions in our brain that are associated with an affective feeling. Do something unexpected for your family and friends. Something that truly deviates from your personality. Surprise them. Just loosen up a bit.
- Learn to express gratitude by observing other people
There can be several others ways of expressing gratitude to people. There are hundreds of ways of saying thank you to someone. Observe people around you and look at how they express gratitude in their words or actions.
Saying thank you is no formality
Amid the amalgam of modern and complex lifestyles, being grateful has become even more important. No Indian curry tastes good without a pinch of salt. Likewise, life doesn’t feel great without gratitude – it’s a vital ingredient. Expressing thankfulness and appreciation is not a mere formality. It’s a positive emotion that has the power to expand your happiness. And to put it in the words of William James, “the deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” So, ladies, wear the makeup of gratitude and shine up. And gentlemen, keep your video games aside and play the thanksgiving game once in a while.
Also Read: How To Enjoy Life – Be Grateful & Happy For Every Moment!
