In today’s article you’re going to learn everything you need to know about how to express gratitude to Friend. So, let’s begin!
How To Express Gratitude To Friend:
1. Get Creative and Write a Letter
We all have one friend or person who influenced our lives the most, and while you may choose not to send a letter, you can still write one and keep it for yourself.
These days, people can easily send a text message or e-mail which are usually just composed of thoughtless messages that appear to be less genuine like ‘thnx’ (thanks), ‘imy’ (I miss you), or ‘ily’ (I love you).
A short letter written on something visually appealing will feel refreshing and is a good way to begin practicing gratitude.
2. Be There for Someone
Try sticking around for a friend. Even though that friend has not ‘been there’ for you in the past, someone else has likely done the same thing for you, and since you have most likely expressed gratitude to that someone, it feels much better ‘paying it forward’ to somebody else too.
Humans have the ability to feel empathy towards others and we are fulfilling our social needs through empathy. More so, empathy is related to gratitude, so by being there for a friend, we are already performing two important aspects of social and positive psychology.
3. Connect with Your friends
Never forget that gratitude is also synonymous to appreciation. When you spend time with your friends, try to make each moment special or memorable.
Of course, this does not always have to be the case, because the simple fact that you are in an exchange of companionship, means you are showing appreciation and gratefulness with one another.
Connecting with your friends can enliven your heart as you realize how thankful you are to have the privilege of being in the company of your friends.
4. Have a Little ‘Me Time’
Oftentimes, we find ourselves wanting to spend time alone, especially after working overtime six days a week. You can utilize this ‘me time’ to reflect on the little things that made you happy for that week.
We live in a very fast-paced and highly-stressful environment, and because we are so caught up in the moment, we tend to overlook the little things that might have made us happy. Take your time to reflect on these little things; perhaps someone who offered you his or her place in a long line at the cafeteria?
5. Share the Small Things
At some point in your life, you will come across people who barely have anything. You can do a small act of kindness like sharing a sandwich you brought for lunch or a jacket for that cold New York weather.
As you talk to this person, you will see a hint of warm joy and gratefulness; you realize just how much you have, how that person is just as deserving of your privileges, and how both of you feel the same gratefulness for the same thing you just shared.
6. Cook Something for Your Family or Partner
Work and school can be really draining to one’s energy. If you arrived home early or just have some spare time, cook something special that your family or partner would love.
You may not be a seasoned chef, but the simple thoughtfulness that you have given for them is very heart-warming and can relieve one’s stress at work or school.
Study cook books that have your family or partner’s favorite dish and recipe listed; learn it while they are not around or simply work with a friend who knows how to cook.
7. Compliment Someone’s Work or Skill Set
Achieving a certain skill set and accomplishing work is never easy, especially for new hires, so if you come across someone in your work place or even at the university, you can acknowledge their work and skills set, and tell them they are doing a great job at it.
This does not only make people feel better about them, but it also inspires them to seek ways on improving their craft. Complimenting someone is extremely satisfying, especially in a corporate setting where people are so fixated on their own projects and work load.
SEE ALSO: How To Behave On First Date: Do’s and Don’ts (For Girls And Guys)
8. Leave a Note for Someone Who Just Helped You
Waiting tables, providing customer service, technician visits, and jobs similar to these do not really pay much, and additionally, people who work on these jobs are already doing their best to please customers and clients.
After you have received help from them, let them know that you appreciate the work they have done for you, either through the phone, personally, or just a small note.
People who receive even the smallest ‘thank you’ immediately experience a boost of happiness and feel less tired about their job.
9. Give Time for Your Hobbies
At times, work can be a deterrent for play, but allowing yourself to indulge in your hobbies once in a while can let you forget about the stress and hardships from your workplace or school.
Taking the time to enjoy these hobbies causes the mind to release happy thoughts, resulting to happy feelings.
If you find yourself lost and unable to find a hobby, try hanging out with some of your friends and see what they do on weekends. The most common ‘therapeutic’ hobbies are painting, photography, playing an instrument, active sports, and cooking.
10. Offer Someone Coffee at work
Coffee is one of those great things in life that can make a bad day into a good one, but it becomes even better if you make the offer to get someone coffee, or make them one through a coffee maker or brewer. It may seem like a very small thing to do, but it works wonders.
The simple act of giving coffee to someone gives that person a sense of being loved and cared for, and in this instance, the person feels ready for another day’s work.
11. Give Your Best Friend or a Family Member a Hug
The gesture that one does when hugging somebody (1) is an open arm gesture, and because of this, we are instantly in a state of openness. Similarly, a hug is a simple way of silently telling someone, ‘Thank you for your gift of companionship; I appreciate it, and you, among many other people close to my heart, matter to me.’
The person whom you just hugged will not only feel appreciated or loved, but also ‘feel’ the words that you have silently said to them.
12. Offer a Little Help in Disaster-Stricken Areas
While it is true that most of us get tied up with work once we are finally able to settle into a career, there are still ways to offer help in disaster-stricken areas like donating money to reputable disaster relief organizations, sending in food, water, or even items that can be used for a temporary shelter or an emergency.
There are also some organizations that accept volunteers for a day, where you can help in packaging relief goods, organizing schedules, or participating in other fields if you are in a medical profession.
13. Call a Friend Who is Going through a Hard Time in Life
It is just impossible for us to be physically present when our friend needs us at times. Calling your friend is the next best thing, and even if you cannot provide the soundest advice, simply listening to your friend is more than enough.
If you know what time your friend goes off from work, surprise him or her with a call and ask how your friend is doing. Resist the temptation of leaving a generic text message; instead, you can leave a voice mail.
14. Go Out on a Nature Trip
The sights and sounds that we see are a natural gift given to us on the day of our birth. A hectic work schedule always gets in the way, and most of what we see these days are computers, cubicles, buildings, cars, and train stations.
Treating yourself to a trip out with Mother Nature can relax your mind, heart, and body, and you will realize just how much our world has.
Additionally, when a person begins to appreciate nature, he or she will, at some point, make an effort to protect the planet.
15. Smile at Someone
When you share a smile with someone, that person will most likely smile back, conjuring happy thoughts and feelings. Smiling is a universal gesture that everyone learns during their first 12 months in this world.
It is a gesture that is so contagious that the person next to you cannot help but smile back.
Interestingly, countries which have been surveyed, and showed results of being happy and smiling all the time, are found to have the most accommodating community, which in turn, attracts a lot of tourists.
SEE ALSO: How To Be Good At Small Talk: The Ultimate Guide To Strike Conversation
16. Make Someone’s Birthday Extra Special
We all do special things for our friends during their birthdays, but try asking yourself what else have you not done for them? Are you good at playing guitar? How about singing? Do you have a secret recipe for cookies or muffins? Which of your hobbies can you use to make your friend’s birthday extra special?
Sure, while the usual cake and party hat combo has become the standard for over a century, making your friend feel extra special enables him or her to have more memories to pin on her journal or scrapbook.
17. Help out a Neighbor Who Just Moved in
It is ideal to give space to your neighbors when they need it, and remember, moving in is both exciting and tiresome. It becomes more difficult when an entire family moves into a village or subdivision where they have not made any friends yet.
You can offer a little help if they need any or you can try other helpful methods like making your place less foreign to them by showing them around, telling them important or interesting locations where they can shop and dine, or just simply introducing yourself.
18. Leave a Motivational Book on a Library Table or Desk
If you have just read a motivational book, learned things from it, or even know a friend who has read it, you can leave that book on a library table or someone else’s desk. There is a big chance that the person might read it and learn the same things that you and your friend have.
In life, there are so many lessons to learn and although experience is still the better teacher compared to a motivational book, you are still doing someone a favor by getting them started.
19. Send Your Friend a Photograph of Your Travel Adventures
When you are far away from a friend, you seek ways to ease your longing for each other. Social networking and sending text messages have been the solution to that, but how special are your messages, and do they feel too standardized already?
Exchanging letters and photographs through snail mail is in no doubt a great way to stay connected with your friend (2). It also eliminates any staleness with your communication. Who knows, maybe next time, you and your friend could go together on the same trip?
20. Occasionally Spend Time Watching the Sunrise or Sunset
Recent studies have proven that humans, even if they were born and bred in a city, will long for quiet places with relaxing scenery.
The sole reason behind that is, when we were still developing as a species, we were born and bred in a hunter-gatherer atmosphere, and one of our favorite pastimes was watching the sunrise or sunset.
More so, there were no buildings or long hours of working in front of a computer, and thus we are hardwired to efficiently function in a place where we were once used to.
21. Watch a Movie with Family and Friends
Movies let the mind wander into a different world than ours. We see visually-appealing images in the form of motion picture and we are told stories that catch our interest.
Watching a movie with our family and friends is a great way to bond, and we all know that bonding makes us grateful for one another.
More so, treating ourselves to a movie is a kind way of telling ourselves, ‘You worked hard this week, now it is time to go out and enjoy a good movie with your family and friends.’
22. Invite Someone out on a Weekend
We usually plan our dates and agenda before the weekend, but it would be more exciting if we stopped planning for a while and allowed spontaneity to happen. Inviting someone, especially one whom you know is not socially engaged, can make that person feel better.
Just try to observe their behavior from the moment you started going out, until you part ways at the end of the day; you will eventually see a positive change in that person, and you can enjoy the fact that they are feeling just as grateful as you are.
23. Tell Stories
When we were still at a young age, we were sometimes left alone because our parents were too busy. You know what that feels like already, so try making a kid’s life a little better by being around, entertaining their adventurous imaginations, and telling them a story.
Reading a book is fine, but did you know that Alice in Wonderland just randomly came from the top of someone’s head when he was asked by a group of children to tell a story? Little things still count to a child.
Thank you for reading this article about how to express gratitude to a friend and I really hope that you take action my advice.
I wish you good luck and I hope its contents have been a good help to you.
