Simple Gratitude Practices To Get You Through Tough Times
When life feels heavy, gratitude can be a difficult word to sit with. During tough times, being told to “focus on the positives” can feel dismissive, or even impossible. This isn’t about pretending everything is fine, or bypassing difficult emotions. It’s about finding small points of steadiness when things feel uncertain or overwhelming.
Below I’m sharing a few simple gratitude practices that you can go to when your energy is low and life feels challenging.
Why Gratitude Can Help During Difficult Periods
From a yoga perspective, gratitude can be a settling practice for the nervous system. It invites us to pause, soften, and notice what is supporting us in the present moment, even briefly.
This isn’t about cultivating constant positivity. It’s about awareness. Just as in yoga, we notice sensation, breath, and effort without judgement, gratitude asks only for gentle attention. Especially during difficult periods, simple practices are far more effective than anything elaborate!
Practice 1: The “One Small Thing” Check-In
This practice mirrors the simplicity of returning to the breath in yoga.
Rather than searching for big reasons to feel grateful, bring your attention to one small, ordinary thing:
The warmth of a mug in your hands
A moment of quiet
Fresh air through an open window
A supportive message
Pause for a few breaths and notice it fully. There’s nothing to improve or expand on. Just awareness.
You can practice this at any point in the day, particularly when your mind feels busy or scattered!
Practice 2: Gratitude Through the Body
In yoga, we often begin by feeling into the body before engaging the mind. Gratitude can work in the same way.
Try noticing:
The steadiness of your feet on the floor
The support of the ground or chair beneath you
The gentle rhythm of your breath
Allow your attention to rest where there is even a small sense of ease or support. This body-based approach can be especially helpful when emotions feel complex or difficult to put into words.
Practice 3: Writing It Out (Like a Short Reflection)
Gratitude journaling doesn’t need depth or eloquence. One sentence is enough. Try to finish these phrases:
“Right now, I appreciate…”
“Something that helped me today was…”
Over time, these brief reflections can help create moments of clarity and perspective when you look back at them!
Practice 4: Gratitude in Gentle Movement
Gratitude doesn’t need to be still. It can move with you.
This might look like:
A slow walk, matching steps to breath
Gentle stretches in the morning or evening
A few mindful movements between tasks
As you move, notice what your body is offering today, rather than what it should be able to do.
Practice 5: Acknowledging Support
Gratitude can gently widen awareness to the support around us.
This may include:
People who listen or help
Professional or practical support
Familiar routines
Nature or moments of stillness
Acknowledging support isn’t about obligation or comparison. It’s simply noticing that not everything rests on your shoulders alone.
When Gratitude Feels Out of Reach
There will be times when gratitude feels difficult or inaccessible. On those days, try neutral awareness instead:
“I am breathing.”
“I am here.”
“This moment is passing.”
Even this is a form of practice. Gratitude can wait until it feels supportive again.
There’s no need for perfection. Some days will hold more ease than others. The practice adapts, just as you do.
Closing Reflection
Gratitude, like yoga, is not about achieving a particular state. It’s about returning - again and again - to what is steady, supportive, and real in this moment.
During tough times, these small moments of awareness can quietly build resilience. Not by removing difficulty, but by helping you meet it with presence, breath, and compassion.
I hope you found this useful! If you do test out any of the practices yourself I’d love to hear from you - email me hannah@workerbeeyoga.co..uk.
