As we say goodbye to the 2024 year, we also tend to set goals for the New Year. But before we do that, it is important to reflect on the passing year with gratitude.

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is the practice of finding good in each day. The word gratitude comes from the Latin word “gratus,” which means “thankful” or “pleasing.” If we make an effort to see the good in our lives, it will improve our mental state. We will feel better.

We were able to reach some of our goals for 2024, and some were not simply because we live in a complicated world and not everything depends on us. However, if you are reading this post, it means that you are alive and reasonably healthy, two major accomplishments for which we all need to be grateful. Meryl Streep once said, “If you have health, you have everything.” I agree. Also, be grateful for your delicious cup of morning tea or coffee. Many people don’t have this opportunity. I like to drink it looking at my garden in the morning sun with all the trees and beautiful nature around me.

When you feel down or overstressed, it’s best to shift your mental state and start thinking about all the blessings you have in your life right now, all the things that are working out for you. Making an effort to see the good in your life will almost immediately put you in a better mental state.

You can make a list of problems you have on the left side of the page and blessings on the right, and most of the time, the blessing list will be longer. It’s difficult to get stuck on negatives when you’re writing and counting your blessings. Research says that people who practice gratitude daily have a better and healthier life. Practicing gratitude may help boost your immune system, lower blood pressure, help you cope with stress, help you sleep, and lower the risk of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.

You don’t need to medicate your depression, anxiety, or mood swings with substances since you’re medicating them with gratitude. Of course, in the case of severe mental problems, practicing gratitude won’t be enough. You may need medications and intense therapy. However, practicing gratitude will facilitate healing.

Everything gets better with practice; start practicing your gratitude. The best way is to do it daily at the beginning or the end of the day. It doesn’t have to be in a written form but can be a reflection. If you’re serious about it, you can also start a gratitude journal and write down all your daily blessings and nice moments, even the small ones, like the fragrance of your flowers. When you need a lift, you can return to your journal and read it. It will instantly make you feel better. In some of her interviews, Oprah Winfrey mentioned she keeps a gratitude journal. Research also says that sharing your grateful attitude with a friend will make you both feel better. Why not do it?

One of the most influential contemporary teachers and writers on gratitude is a 98-year-old Benedictine monk, David Steindl-Rast (2016 and 2018), who said, “Want to be happy? Be grateful.” Every day brings a lot of moments that may not be exactly positive experiences, but it’s important not to dwell on those moments and to have a grateful attitude. This means being grateful for all the experiences that come into your life since they’re here to teach you something about yourself or the universe you’re an integral part of.

Practicing gratitude several times daily is a good way to go through the day. It can be especially helpful if you are having a difficult day. This will be a day when difficult or “bad things” just keep coming at you. If you take a little time to think about the good things or blessings in your life, it instantly makes it a lot better. You can think about good health if you have it, having family or just the sunshine or the color of the sky. I love to think about the colors of my roses in the morning sun and other flowers in my garden. I believe the colors in nature are the most incredible and difficult to replicate, even with the most advanced technology.

If you don’t have the time or energy to do a gratitude journal, at the end of your day, take a moment before you go to sleep to think about positive things in your life or things that you’re grateful for. It can be a “cream of the cream” for your brain. The late counseling psychologist Wayne W. Dyer noted that your brain will be “marinating” in sleep for many hours. Therefore, it can be marinating in positive, not negative, thoughts.

Let's finish with a statement from one of the most influential women of our time.

Gratitude is the foundation of happiness. So if you want to start being happy, get grateful first.
—Oprah Winfrey (Parade, April 14, 2017)