The Gratitude Grid

 

THE GRATITUDE GRID

Directions – Fill out the following 16 space grid by writing down at one thing that you are grateful for today in each space. Feel free to put anything or anyone you want in any order as long as it is something that you feel appreciation, thankfulness or gratitude for

Process

This Gratitude Grid will be discussed in somewhat of a “game” format as the group should follow the instructions of the group leader and then discuss thoughts and feelings related to the instructions – See below for explanation

Instructions for Counselor/Group Leader for processing the “Gratitude Grid”  -

 

Read each instruction below to the group. Make sure to pause in between each instruction to discuss thoughts and feelings related to each action listed below.

1.    What do you like best about what you wrote in box A1?

2.    How would you think and feel if someone stole or took what you wrote in box B2?

3.    If you got into a legal situation that limited your contact or exposure to what you wrote in box C3 how would that impact you?

4.    If you had money to spend to help or improve what you wrote in box D4 what would that be like for you?

5.    Look at what you wrote in box A2 – What is one of the first things that comes to mind?

6.    Which would be harder to live without, what you wrote in box A3 or B3?

7.    If what you wrote in box A4 became the primary focus of your life for the next month, what would your life be like?

8.    How would you protect what is in box B1 if there was danger or risk involved?

9.    What do you see in the future for what you wrote in box B4?

10.  Is there any relationship between what you wrote in box C1 and box C2? If so, what?

11.  How would you describe box C4 to someone who you never met?

12.  Look at box D1, D2 and D3 – Which one of those means the most to you of the three and why?

13.  If you got to choose to improve or enhance or help what is on any box, which would you pick and what would that improvement be?

14.  What is one thing in your grid that you need to give more attention to in your life?

15.  Are there one or two things in your grid that stand out as the most important of all?

16.  What is one thing in your grid that you need more of in your life?

17.  If you were to relapse related to substance use, how would some of the things in your grid be negatively impacted?

18.  When you are doing well with substance use and mental health recovery, what are some things in your grid that truly improve a great deal?

19.  What is something from your grid that you could show even more appreciation for?

20.  Pick one thing in your gratitude that you have not shared about yet – Tell the group about who or what it is

21.  As this group ends, what are one, two or three things in your grid that you are going to leave here today and try to actively think about over the next several days (in a positive way)

Additional Information: Discuss if there is time

 

 

The Grateful Eight – 8 Ways to Become More Grateful

 

 

Use your senses and be observant – Take extra time to really look at things in life you want to be more grateful for

 

 

Daily Reflection – Wake up or go to sleep thinking about things you want to be more grateful for

 

 

Keep a gratitude journal

 

 

Watch your words – Try to use more thankful and grateful language while trying to minimize complaints and criticism

 

 

Change from “I have to” to “I get to” – Increase gratitude by expressing things as a privilege rather than a chore For example “I get to pick up my kids today!” instead of “I have to pick up my kids from school today”

 

 

Consider what it would be like not to have things – For example if you want to be more grateful about your job, try to focus on what it is like not to have a job

 

 

Use visuals – Pictures in our surrounding can help us remember to be grateful

 

 

Reframe perspective – Things could always be worse – For example, if you get a flat tire, instead of focusing on how stressful it is to get a flat tire, reframe it and think to yourself “if this is the worst thing that happens to me today, this is still a pretty darn good day!”

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