How Gratitude Can Positively Influence Our Overall Mental and Physical Health
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
By Laurie Hallihan Minding the Waves, Founder
When a dear friend suggested we partner for a daily gratitude practice, I was a bit concerned about the time commitment that could involve, and so we set some boundaries together. The first was that unless a gratitude is exceptionally impactful or emotional, we did not need to respond to each other. Whoever remembers first would text the other person their gratitude for the day. This could be any time of day. The other person sends their gratitude whenever they are available. No pressure! Very doable, I said to myself! This was the beginning of a long term, deeply connective practice of daily gratitude.
Being a mindfulness and compassion teacher, I have felt gratitude for many parts of my life. But this daily intentional practice has been a life changing experience. Before I send the gratitude text for that day, I allow myself to close my eyes, focus on a few mindful breaths and say the word “gratitude” to myself until an answer arises. This way of connecting to gratitude encourages me to connect with my body, particularly my heart, and explore the question deeply. What am I truly grateful for today?
Some days a simple answer may come to me. Feeling the soft little body of my cat lying next to me or the birds singing. Some days, it might be a little deeper, such as the joy of knowing I’m alive and breathing or that I am so lucky to have supportive people around me.
This simple practice feels like I am cultivating gratitude to the things in life I DO have as opposed to what I don’t have. Inclining the mind towards gratitude has helped me develop a more positive mind as well as connecting with how my body and mind feel when I not only send my gratitude, but when I receive it as well. I never imagined when I began this practice that I would feel such lightness and joy from the other person’s gratitude!
We can practice gratitude in so many ways throughout our day. I enjoy connecting gratitude with my Mindfulness practice. I take a daily mindful hike with the intention of being fully mindful during the hike. Using all of my senses, I can connect with mindfulness and gratitude more easily, Feeling the breeze gently washing across my face, hearing the cry of a nearby hawk, smelling the deliciousness of nature as a whole, allowing the sight of the clouds rolling by to fill my eyes, and yes, even tasting comes into play. The air itself has a subtle taste that permeates my palette. It’s easy for me to embrace gratitude while I focus on all of these beautiful aspects of nature. But we can practice with our senses anywhere, not just in nature.
When we are mindful with our senses, we can more easily notice the beauty around us instead of focusing on the pain and suffering in the world. We aren’t ignoring the pain, but in order to keep ourselves healthy and happy and growing in a positive direction, we must find the goodness in our lives.
Finding what gives you joy is imperative to increasing happiness. I would invite you to begin with simple daily observations. Being grateful you have teeth to brush as you brush your teeth or that we have clothing to wear as we do the laundry. It’s worth exploring what brings you joy and gratitude. My wish for you all is that this type of practice can bring you increased overall health in your life.
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