How To Write a Gratitude Letter — And Why Doing So Can Be So Impactful

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Excerpt: Writing a Gratitude Letter is one of those small actions that can have a huge impact on a person—never underestimate its power. Good luck!

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Introduction: Why a gratitude letter? Why not a call, text, post, or simple, ‘Thank You?’

Silent, unexpressed gratitude doesn’t do anybody any good. It is through the conscious and deliberate effort of expressing gratitude that all of the gratitude goodness comes to life. In the moment when gratitude is being expressed, it is not possible to feel depressed or upset in that same moment. And that, in and of itself is a remarkable insight and strategy that should be reason enough for its frequent and deliberate use.

In those moments when gratitude is being expressed fully it sweeps a person’s entire emotion up and blankets them in a feeling of warmth and contentment. Maybe you’re familiar with the feeling?

What’s more is that gratitude doesn’t usually just stop there—it tends to ripple out into the world from that singular moment of origin that you created. In the moments that follow you may experience the lingering effects of gratitude as your mood will likely be boosted and you may come back, time and time again, to that moment of warmth and contentment.

When your mood is elevated, so too are your thoughts and actions.  And as you continue to take more kind and positive actions from that elevated mood, the results will only continue to ripple from there.

Now, imagine how you might multiply this ‘ripple-effect’ if you were to express the gratitude, not just to yourself, but directly to others. Think about the continued ripple effect their improved moods might have as a result. The power of gratitude is felt both when it is given and when it is received.

This, also is a remarkable insight and strategy that should move you to express gratitude more frequently and deliberately. Imagine the waves of positivity, kindness, warmth, contentment, and peace that you could be responsible for sending out into the world? And all from what? Labor intensive, grandiose plans, that require huge financial investments to manifest and incredible amounts of time to deploy into the world?

Of course not! It requires a moment and a focused, deliberate effort. That’s it.

There are numerous ways you can express gratitude towards another. Some of the quick and easy examples might include: Simply telling people thank you; by calling them on the phone and thanking them for something they did; by sending them a text message and commenting on something meaningful they said; by sharing a picture and captioning it with some of your thoughts of gratitude; or you can even get old fashioned and whip out a pen and paper and write to them a gratitude letter in full.

Of course, any expressed gratitude is better than silent gratitude so never let the delivery method stop you from expressing any gratitude at all—especially if you’re feeling a wave of gratitude towards a person that you want to express. Never let a moment of gratitude pass with some form of expression.

If, however, you do feel the urge to go above and beyond, the method that I think can have a deeper and longer-lasting impact is the handwritten gratitude letter. What’s different about the gratitude letter versus phone calls, text messages, social media shares, or even face-to-face expressions, is that it’s tangible and can be hung up on the fridge.

Phone calls, text messages, social media shares, and face-to-face expressions are all shared moments, but are abstract and will eventually fade. Life continues to happen, our minds get filled with other things, and the moment of gratitude we share will eventually get pushed aside or forgotten about. A physical letter, however, captures that moment of gratitude in its raw form and is there for the person to reference whenever they want.

If they decide to put that letter on the fridge, for example, then that one letter may inspire not one, but many, many ripples of warmth and contentment from that point forward. And now, not only are you multiplying the gratitude by expressing it within yourself and outwards to others, but you’re multiplying how often people might feel your gratitude by implanting these letters into the homes of those you care about. And how powerful is that?

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Related: 41 Gratitude Picture Quotes That Will Warm Your Heart (and Inspire your Mind)

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How to Write a Gratitude Letter:

Ultimately, gratitude should be expressed however you want it to be expressed in a format that comes naturally and uniquely from you. There is no “proper way” or “designated format.” There is just a pen, a paper, an intention, and a will to bring that intention to life. Worry less about grammar, punctuation, and organization of the letter, and worry more about actually getting your thoughts down onto paper.

The best advice I can honestly think to give you would be to just start writing the first thoughts that come to your mind. Starting is the hard part. Once you get going, I think the gratitude momentum will carry you the rest of the way through. Nonetheless, if you’re still looking for a little guidance, below, you will find an excerpt from the book Flourish by Dr. Martin Seligman in which he discusses a strategy for writing out and delivering a simple gratitude letter. I hope this finds you well and I hope that by the end of this post, you’ll grab a pen and paper and get something started today.  Thank you for reading this and good luck.

Close your eyes. Call up the face of someone still alive who years ago did something or said something that changed your life for the better. Someone who you never properly thanked; someone you could meet face-to-face next week. Got a face?

When we feel gratitude, we benefit from the pleasant memory of a positive event in our life. Also, when we express our gratitude to others, we strengthen our relationship with them. But sometimes our thank you is said so casually or quickly that it is nearly meaningless. In this exercise… you will have the opportunity to experience what it is like to express your gratitude in a thoughtful, purposeful manner.

Your task is to write a gratitude letter to this individual and deliver it in person. The letter should be concrete and about three hundred words: be specific about what she did for you and how it affected your life. Let her know what you are doing now, and mention how you often remember what she did. Make it sing!

Once you have written your gratitude letter, call the person and tell her you’d like to visit her, but be vague about the purpose of the meeting; this exercise is much more fun when it is a surprise. When you meet, take your time reading your gratitude letter to her. :)

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Read Next: 50 Thankful Quotes (and 6 Exercises) to Inspire Gratitude and Kindness

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