30 Days of gratitude – can we really cultivate a heart of gratitude and thankfulness in just 30 days?
This year has just been plain crazy! So much has happened that seems to keep us focused on what is going wrong instead of the so many things that we have to be grateful for.
Although gratitude is something we should focus on all year, November is often considered “gratitude month” because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
This makes the perfect time to really focus on being thankful for all we have AND for showing gratitude to others.
If you are struggling with finding things the be thankful for, this 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge is just what you need to refocus your mindset to the positive so you can see the world through a gracious and thankful filter!
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What is a 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge
Challenges are always a great way to boost our way towards a goal. While it easy to say that you are grateful for things, when you challenge yourself to dig deep in focusing on all the many things you have to truly be grateful for, the outcome is going to be so much more than what you expected.
What is a 30 days of gratitude challenge? It is a way to challenge yourself to be more intentional in showing gratitude over the course of one month.
And when you do things over and over like this, it becomes a habit that you will continue long after the challenge is over!
Aside from being thankful, yourself, it is important that we show gratitude to others! In the hustle and bustle of life, we can easily get into a rhythm and overlook opportunities to share gratitude to those around us.
A gratitude challenge is a focused framework for increasing your own thankfulness and for being more intentional with showing gratitude to others.
How Do You Express Gratitude Daily
Expressing gratitude daily really isn’t that difficult, but it does require discipline and for you to intentionally focus on the good things.
Too often, we can let the noise of the world distract our focus, leaving us pondering over the seemingly negative things impacting us. You must wake up daily with the specific intention to focus on something to be grateful for and to express your gratitude opening (and/or out loud).
The best way to get started with expressing gratitude daily is to start by giving gratitude to God! Start your morning in prayer and thank Him for all that he has done for you and the many blessings He will continue to provide.
You should also start using a daily gratitude journal to help you keep track of your many blessings!
What Are the Benefits of a Gratitude Challenge
Gratitude is something that can truly change your life because it provides so many benefits! Too often, we become focused on the things that are going wrong and completely miss out on the things that are going right!
A 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge will help you to be more intentional about being thankful for all the wonderful and amazing things God has already done in your life.
And, an attitude of gratitude has been proven to provide many health benefits:
- Gratitude causes you to be happier.
- Gratitude improves your mental health.
- Gratitude improves your physical health.
There is a popular saying (by Tony Robbins) that says “Where focus goes energy flows.” What we focus on will multiply.
That means if we focus on the negative things, more negative will follow. But if we focus on what is good, more good will come!
Challenge yourself to show more gratitude and you will be much happier!
30 Days of Gratitude Challenge
If you are ready to super-charge your gratitude, a 30-day gratitude challenge is just what you need! Challenge yourself to be intentional about doing these specific things to show your gratitude to those around you – family, friends, and strangers!
For this particular gratitude challenge, we are going to focus on showing gratitude to others.
30 Days of Gratitude Prompts
The best way to embark on a 30-day gratitude challenge is to have a list of things to focus on for each day throughout the month. Starting on the first day of the month, make it a point to do one of these things each day! Use these 30 days of gratitude prompts to get started!
- Post a thoughtful message to someone on social media about how much your friendship means.
- Send a thoughtful text to your spouse/significant other.
- Send a thoughtful text to a family member that you don’t see very often.
- Do something special for your child.
- Send a thoughtful text to your mom or dad.
- Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru.
- Compliment the cashier at the grocery store.
- Compliment and thank the drive-thru cashier.
- Go for a walk and be intentional about smiling and saying hello to every person you pass.
- Leave your waitress/waiter a huge tip and a handwritten note of thanks.
- Thank a Veteran for their service.
- Thank an active-duty person that you know.
- Offer to help an elderly or sick friend or neighbor with yard work.
- On trash day, bring in your neighbors’ trash bins.
- Text your Pastor to tell them how much you appreciate them.
- Volunteer to do an unpleasant task for someone.
- Buy lunch for a co-worker.
- Text a friend to see if they need help with anything.
- Compliment a random person today.
- Go for a walk and pick up any trash that you see in your neighbors’ yards.
- Look for an opportunity to be kind to a stranger.
- Send a thoughtful and encouraging email to your child’s teacher.
- Find a police officer and tell them how much you appreciate them.
- Deliver a meal or snacks to your local Firehouse.
- Thank your mail delivery person with a thoughtful note or a special gift.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
- Donate toiletry items to a local shelter.
- Leave a thoughtful note for co-workers.
- Thank a janitor.
- Thank a coach/mentor.
30 Days of Gratitude Printable
Need a little help with organizing your gratitude challenge for the month?
Grab our 30 Days of Showing Gratitude printable (shown below) to help you keep track of all the wonderful blessings you are showering on everyone! Print it out and put it on your fridge or bathroom mirror as a daily reminder!
30 Days of Gratitude Journal Challenge
In addition to challenging yourself to show gratitude to others daily, another way to do the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge is to reflect on the things you are grateful and thankful for. The easiest way to do this is with a gratitude journal challenge.
Each day, you’ll reflect on one thing that you are thankful or grateful for. This can be a person, your health, your home, your job, your pets, the seasons, a color, a certain animal, etc. There are so many things to be thankful for!
30 Days of Gratitude Journal Prompts
Need some help with gratitude prompts for your journaling challenge? Cultivating a heart of gratitude requires that we be intentional every single day in focusing on all the many wonderful things we truly have to be thankful for.
But sometimes, especially when things seem to be chaotic in our lives, we can easily forget about these things! Here are 30 days of gratitude journaling prompts to help you remember!
- What are you most thankful for today?
- Who are you most thankful for today?
- Why are you thankful for your spouse/significant other?
- Name one thing about your children that you are most thankful for?
- Who is someone you are thankful to have in your life and why?
- Who is someone that you are thankful for meeting and why?
- What music are you thankful for?
- What time in your life are you most thankful for?
- What opportunities are you most thankful for having?
- Why are you grateful for the mornings?
- Why are you grateful for the evenings?
- What are your favorite things about nature?
- What is your favorite animal?
- Which is your favorite holiday?
- What do you love most about Spring?
- What do you love most about Summer?
- What do you love most about Fall?
- What do you love most about Winter?
- Which is your favorite season?
- Who is someone you are thankful for because they make you laugh?
- What past struggle are you thankful for?
- What is your favorite verse of Scripture?
- What is your favorite quote?
- What is a luxury that you are thankful to have?
- Who is someone that you are grateful for having left your life?
- What are some personality traits that you are grateful to have?
- What are some gifts or talents that you are grateful to have?
- What memory from childhood are you most grateful for?
- What are some doors that you thank God for closing?
- What is something that you saw or heard today that made you more thankful for your own life?
30 Days of Thankfulness Bible Reading Plan
Another great way to boost your gratitude and feelings of thankfulness is to meditate on God’s Word! Grab our free printable 30 Day of Gratitude Bible Reading Challenge!
I hope this 30 Day Gratitude Challenge really helps you reflect on all of God’s many blessings and to share those blessings by encouraging others through kindness!
I’d love to hear of any other Gratitude Challenge variations that you might be doing! Comment below and share what you are doing this month!
