Create Your Own Gratitude Challenge: 43 Prompts to Kickstart Your Practice

Do you want to feel happier, get better sleep, and improve your heart health? Then you should try a gratitude challenge! A gratitude challenge is a simple yet fun way to kickstart a gratitude practice!

Simply choose a length of time that works for you and complete short prompts each day during this period to help you appreciate the good in your life. Below I'll share the benefits of starting a gratitude practice, show you how to set up your challenge, and give you 43 different prompts you can use to make it your own!

The benefits of practicing gratitude

Scientific studies have confirmed that gratitude has real benefits for your mental health. One study found that spending 10 to 20 minutes a day practicing gratitude increased positive emotions, life satisfaction, and happiness. And multiple studies have shown that gratitude can help reduce stress.

Science has also shown that gratitude can have a big impact on your physical health. Studies have found that practicing gratitude can help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease and help you get better sleep.

So there's plenty of reasons to make gratitude a part of your daily routine! And a gratitude challenge makes doing so quick, easy and fun!

How to start a gratitude challenge

To start your gratitude challenge, you first need to decide how long you want it to last. 30 days is a popular choice, but if that seems too daunting, 21 days or even 7 days are both good alternatives!

Once you've decided on the duration of your challenge, it's time to choose your prompts. You'll need one prompt for each day of the challenge. Once you have your prompts, you can write them down on a piece of paper or add them into a challenge tracker to help you track your progress!

Below are 43 prompts for you to choose from, organized into different themes. For the best experience, you'll want to choose prompts from a variety of categories.

Everyday gratitude prompts

1. Name one thing today that you're thankful for
2. Name a person you're grateful for
3. Name a book you're thankful for
4. Name a movie you're grateful for
5. Name a TV show you're thankful for
6. Name a song you're grateful for
7. Name a food you're thankful for
8. Name a piece of technology you're grateful for
9. List three things in your space you're thankful for
10. Describe a part of your daily routine you're thankful for
11. Name something about today's weather you are thankful for
12. Name something in the bathroom you are grateful for
13. Name something in the kitchen you are grateful for
14. Describe a gift you were thankful to receive
15. Recall a quote you are grateful to have heard
16. List three things you're grateful for about your work

Reflective gratitude prompts

17. Recall a memory you're thankful for
18. Name three personal strengths you're grateful for
19. Describe a lesson you are thankful to have learned
20. Recall a time you felt grateful for your resilience
21. Recall a piece of advice you are grateful for
22. Name a goal you are working toward that you are grateful for
23. Recall a time you were grateful for your courage
24. Recall a quiet moment you are thankful for
25. Recall an exciting moment you are grateful for
26. Describe a family tradition you're grateful for
27. Describe something kind you are grateful to have done for someone else

Gratitude for your surroundings prompts

28. Name a season you are thankful for
29. List three things in nature you're grateful for
30. List three things about where you live that you're grateful for
31. Describe a trip you are grateful to have taken

Acts of gratitude prompts

32. Tell a loved one you're grateful for them
33. Thank a business by leaving a good review
34. Thank your body for all it does for you
35. Draw something you are grateful for
36. Take a photo of something you're grateful for
37. Do a gratitude meditation
38. Thank someone who made your day better
39. Share a quote about gratitude with others (here's some inspiring gratitude quotes to get you started)
40. Thank a colleague for their good work
41. Read and reflect on an article about gratitude
42. Do something kind to make someone else feel thankful
43. Take a deep breath and feel grateful for the present

Continuing your gratitude practice after the challenge ends

To keep your momentum going after the challenge ends, try picking one of your favorite gratitude prompts and incorporating it into your every day routine. A great way to do this is to make use of a technique called habit stacking.

In habit stacking, you attach a new habit you're trying to develop to an existing one. So you can add your favorite gratitude practice to a habit you already have, such as drinking your morning coffee, brushing your teeth, or having a bath at the end of the day. For example, whenever you brush your teeth, you could reflect on someone you are grateful for.

When you add your gratitude practice to an already ingrained habit like this, it's more likely to stick. And, eventually, it will become just as automatic as the habit you attached it to!

Final thoughts

I hope this post inspires you to start your own gratitude challenge! I'd love to hear about your progress and which prompts were your favorites!

References

Cheng, Sheung-Tak, Pui Ki Tsui, and John H. M. Lam. “Improving Mental Health in Health Care Practitioners: Randomized Controlled Trial of a Gratitude Intervention.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 83, no. 1 (2015): 177–86. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037895.

Clear, James. “How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones.” James Clear, August 1, 2014. https://jamesclear.com/habit-stacking.

Cunha, Lúzie Fofonka, Lucia Campos Pellanda, and Caroline Tozzi Reppold. “Positive Psychology and Gratitude Interventions: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” Frontiers in Psychology 10 (March 2019). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00584.

Emmons, Robert A., and Michael E. McCullough. “Counting Blessings versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84, no. 2 (2003): 377–89. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377.

Fekete, Erin M., and Nathan T. Deichert. “A Brief Gratitude Writing Intervention Decreased Stress and Negative Affect during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Happiness Studies 23, no. 6 (2022): 2427–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00505-6.

Jackowska, Marta, Jennie Brown, Amy Ronaldson, and Andrew Steptoe. “The Impact of a Brief Gratitude Intervention on Subjective Well-Being, Biology and Sleep.” Journal of Health Psychology 21, no. 10 (2016): 2207–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105315572455.

Wang, Xiaoxiao, and Chunli Song. “The Impact of Gratitude Interventions on Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review.” Frontiers in Psychology 14 (September 2023): 1243598. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1243598.