The gratitude jar is a simple exercise that can have profound effects on your well-being and outlook. Even in our current enclosed conditions, perhaps even especially, it is beneficial to recognize gratitude where it arises. It only requires a few ingredients: a jar (a box can also work); a ribbon, stickers, glitter, or whatever else you like to decorate the jar; paper and a pen or pencil for writing your gratitude notes; and gratitude!
Step 1: Find a jar or box.
Step 2: Decorate the jar however you wish. You can tie a ribbon around the jar’s neck, put stickers on the sides, use clear glue and glitter to make it sparkle, paint it, keep it simple, or do whatever else you can think of to make it a pleasing sight.
Step 3: This is the most important step, which will be repeated every day. Think of at least one thing throughout your day that you are grateful for. It can be something as benign as takeout from your favorite restaurant, or as grand as the love of your significant other or dear friend. Do this every day, write down what you are grateful for on little slips of paper and fill the jar.
If you are isolating with others, invite them to start a gratitude jar with you. If they do, after a while you can share some of what makes you grateful with each other. This will not only keep what you are grateful for present, it will help you to understand what those you may be close to are thinking!
Consider continuing your jar for the duration of your isolation; this will serve as a reminder in the future of a) what you were feeling at the time (almost like a form of journaling), and b) that even in trying circumstances, we can find things for which to be grateful.
For more info on the benefits of gratitude and mindfulness, check out these papers!
Algoe, Sara B. “Find, Remind, and Bind: The Functions of Gratitude in Everyday Relationships.” Social and Personality Psychology Compass 6.6 (2012): 455–469. Web.
Emmons, R. A., Froh, J., & Rose, R. “Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures.” American Psychological Association. (2019): 317–332 Web.
For more exercises and information (including the one this is based on), check out this webpage!