Thankful Thursday: 52 Ideas, Quotes, & Prompts for An Entire Year

Thankful Thursday

Trying to learn to be more grateful? One easy way to add more gratitude to your life is by practicing Thankful Thursday each week. A gratitude mindset is pretty much a game changer. If you’re trying to do one thing to better yourself and your life, try practicing gratitude! I promise you, you won’t regret it!

Why Thankful Thursday?

While you’ll get the most benefit from practicing daily gratitude, sometimes it’s easier to start small. A weekly practice of Thankful Thursdays might just be a routine you can get into!

How to Practice Thankful Thursdays Throughout the Year

So…what’s the big deal about gratitude? Research has shown that people who practice gratitude regularly are:

happier
able to sleep better
more optimistic
healthier
able to cultivate better relationships
more focused
and more resilient

And who doesn’t want more of THAT in their lives?? I know, I surely do!

Here are 52 different Thankful Thursday ideas, quotes, and prompts to get you through an entire year!! Use whichever ideas resonate with you and pass on the rest. Some of these ideas may work for you while others will not- it’s your gratitude practice- do what works for you!!

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Thankful Thursday: 52 Ideas, Quotes, & Prompts for An Entire Year - (1)

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” – Karl Barth

Thankful Thursday Quotes

One of the easiest ways to practice Thankful Thursday’s is through gratitude quotes. I’ve always been a huge fan of quotes. Words are powerful. I like to think of quotes as the world’s most inexpensive motivational coach. LOL.

How do you use Thankful Thursday motivational quotes?

Save these gratitude quotes on your phone- make a special folder designated just for gratitude or Thankful Thursdays.
Share them over social media.
Text or email a Thankful Thursday quote to friends and family.
Use them as your phone wallpaper.
Start a quote journal.
Create a gratitude board on Pinterest.
Add them to your daily, weekly, or monthly planner!
Print them out for a bulletin board, your refrigerator, or even wall art.
Save them as the background on your computer.
Laminate one and carry it in your wallet.

Thankful Thursday: 52 Ideas, Quotes, & Prompts for An Entire Year - (2)

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” -G.K. Chesterton

“In the end, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” — Germany Kent

More Thankful Thursday Quotes

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie

“The more we express thanks, the more gratitude we feel. The more gratitude we feel, the more we express thanks. It’s circular, and it leads to a happier life.” -Steve Goodier

“Shine brightly. See beauty. Speak kindly. Love truly. Give freely. Create joyfully. Live thankfully.” –Mary Davis

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” –Ralph H. Blum

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” -John F. Kennedy

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” -William Arthur Ward

“Be present in all things and be thankful for all things.” –Maya Angelou

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” –Marcus Tullius Cicero

“When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.” -Emmanuel Dagher

“The struggle ends when the gratitude begins” –Neale Donald Walsch

“The Universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are.” -Rumi

Want to dig a little deeper? Learn more about who you are and what you want in life with theseself love journal prompts.

Thankful Thursday Instagram Captions

Adopting a gratitude attitude
Gratitude is a game changer
Thankful, grateful, blessed
Gratitude looks good on you
Living a gratitude lifestyle
Counting my blessings
So damn thankful
In my gratitude era
Join me on the gratitude train
Making gratitude a habit.

I love a themed day! Check out my favorite Self Care Sunday captions and Motivational Mondays too!

Thankful Thursday Prompts

Another easy way to practice gratitude is through journaling. If you already journal everyday, try dedicating Thursdays to journal about gratitude. Not sure where to start? Here are some prompts to get you thinking:

Three people in my life that I am grateful for are…
Something I saw today that made me smile was…
Something that was hard for me today was…
A time recently when I pushed out of my comfort zone…
Something or someone that makes me feel safe and loved is…
Something I have today that I wanted in my life just one year ago is…
I am really proud to say that I accomplished…
The thing I love the most about where I live is…
Something that helps me slow down and be more mindful is…
I could not have made it through today without…

Need a little more inspo? Grab my FREE 30 days of gratitude journal prompts and social media templates or read my list of 100 things to be thankful for.

Of course you can use a simple blank notebook or journal. There are plenty of free printable journals online too. Or you can snag an inexpensive one off Amazon like this one.

More Thankful Thursday Ideas

Research has shown that gratitude has four parts: Noticing, Thinking, Feeling, and Doing. By practicing a variety of different gratitude activities, we are able to dive a little deeper and reap the most benefits!

Send a hand written thank you note.
Send a thank you text.
Send a thank you email.
Do a Thankful Thursday social media post.
Start a gratitude journal or make an A to Z gratitude list.
Practice gratitude affirmations.
Make a gratitude list. Having a hard time? Make a list of simple joys or things that make you smile.
Try a random act of kindness. Something as simple as holding the door open for a stranger counts!
Volunteer.
Give someone a compliment.
Shop local.
Leave a positive google review.
Donate.
Try a gratitude app.
Recite a gratitude mantra.

Thankful Thursday at Work

A happy workplace can make such a difference! Here are some simple ways to show your employees or coworkers that they are appreciated:

Tell someone they are doing a good job and you are thankful for them!
Recognize publicly and reward employees for hard work and going the extra mile.
Ask a friend or coworker, “How can I help you today?”
Bring treats to your coworkers or employees. Be mindful- are they all eating healthy? Do they all love coffee? Or would homemade brownies make them smile?
Post gratitude quotes and sayings in common areas.

Working remotely? Host a virtual happy hour, record and send a message of thanks, or simple small e-gift cards are a few ideas to show your gratitude even when you’re not in the office together.

Ideas for Thankful Thursdays with Kids

Teaching kids to be grateful can lead to a lifetime of benefits! But how do you go beyond saying please and thank you? Try some of these Thankful Thursday ideas for students and kids:

Start a gratitude jar or make a gratitude tree.
Acts of kindness are an important part of teaching gratitude to children. Help a neighbor: pull in their trashcans, pick up pinecones from their yard, or bring them a homemade treat.
Smile!
Give someone a hug and tell them thank you!
Go on a gratitude walk. Point out things you are thankful for and explain why.
Call or Facetime a family member. Tell them something you love about them.
Give thanks before each meal.
Let your kids start their own gratitude journal.
Talk about emotions with your kids. Teach them they can be grateful for all their feelings!
Read books about thankfulness and gratitude. Here are a few recommendations: Gratitude is My Superpower, The Little Things, or The Grumbles.

And of course you can’t go wrong with Winnie the Pooh! (One of my personal favorites.)

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” – A.A. Milne

Want even more ideas? Learn three of the easiest ways to foster a more grateful heart!

I hope these ideas for Thankful Thursdays have got you inspired to adopt a weekly gratitude practice. I promise you, it really does make a difference!