Finding Gratitude and a Gratitude Practice with Essential Oils
- Kristin O'Reilly
- Nov 23, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2025
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When November hits, all things seem to turn to thankfulness and gratitude. We often use these words—thankful and grateful—interchangeably, but did you realize they are actually different?
Thankful tends to be the response we give when we receive something; actions around thankfulness only last a moment. Gratefulness, on the other hand, is the emotional response we have when we reflect on the things that have been given to or happened to us—both positive and negative.
While many of us focus on being thankful this time of year, how often are we actually taking the time to be present in our thoughts and reflect with gratitude on how we got here? The thing is, gratitude isn’t something tangible—we can’t just write a list or say thank you and instantly feel it. Gratitude is found in its practice. It’s showing up regularly and making time to reflect. Yes, it includes the things you’re thankful for, but it’s also going deep into the uncomfortable, hard, painful moments that you endured to get here.
With the season of thankfulness upon us, I want to share a little about what I’ve learned about gratitude this year and how I’ve incorporated it into my life. A key part, and the biggest struggle, in my health journey has always been emotional health. I’m a constant work in progress—always ebbing and flowing from progress to regression. Emotional work is challenging for me because there is no definitive “do this and you will get that” outcome. I like directions and direct results, so I tend to avoid emotional work because it’s messy. However, you eventually get to a point in your health journey when you have to address it and do that hard, messy work.
I always thought I was being grateful, but I could never remain in that state of gratitude I’d read so much about. Truth be told, my motivation to find gratitude was more for the physical health benefits—I wanted it conquered and done—but in my haste to check it off my list, I lost the point. It was this realization that really helped me understand I had been going about it all wrong. I realized that while I was so busy focusing on the tangible, I had been missing the key point—the intentional practice of gratitude.
When life seemed to get flipped upside down this year, I certainly had times when I wasn’t feeling grateful. But by making intentional time to reflect on my life and circumstances daily, I have found more gratitude this year than ever before. The beauty of all I had to be grateful for has surrounded me for the past seven months—it was always there, I had just been too busy to see it.
While many things this year have been more stressful, I’ve made more intentional time to start and end my day in gratitude, to breathe, and to find the good in all situations throughout my day. I still make lists, say thank you, and count my blessings, but after continued intentional practice, I’ve started to find myself in that mysterious state of gratitude even on the hard days.
Tips to Practice Gratitude
I wish I could give a definitive checklist or directions on how to find a state of gratitude, but this is very personal, messy work. The most challenging part is making the time to stop and recognize the things you can be thankful for, even in tough situations. The more you practice it, the more you will default to gratitude. Here are a few strategies that have helped me:
Start in the morning: Before getting out of bed, take a minute to take a few deep breaths while thinking of something you’re grateful for (mine is usually sunshine…on gloomy days it’s for my warm bed).
Find the good in everyday tasks: Instead of being annoyed about cleaning the bathroom or cooking dinner, give thanks for having a home to clean, food to eat, or even grandma’s mixing bowl.
Turn off distractions: Pause TV, podcasts, or social media and enjoy silence. If you’re going through something difficult, distractions make it easy to numb emotions—but intentional reflection helps you find the good.
Drop the guilt: Want to binge-watch Netflix? Do it and be grateful for the choice! Gratitude comes from intentional living, not perfection.
Help someone else: Make a meal, help a neighbor, or do something extra for a partner or friend. Getting out of your own head fosters empathy and gratitude.
Before we busy ourselves with decorating, shopping, turkey dinners, and all the festivities, let’s take a breath, be still, and choose to make gratitude a practice in our lives—this month and throughout the year.
A Gratitude Practice with Essential Oils
Scents affect the brain and can trigger emotional responses on both psychological and physiological levels. Science shows essential oils can alter brain waves, reduce stress, decrease cortisol levels, and trigger positive emotional responses. Essential oils have played a huge role in helping me with my emotional health, so naturally I’ve reached for Gratitude Essential Oil Blend a lot this year. I use it on the crown of my head in the morning and keep a roller blend by my bedside to use during evening reflection.
Gratitude Roller
This exclusive Young Living blend was designed to bring relief to the body while fostering a grateful attitude.
Supplies:
Instructions:
Add essential oils to roller bottle and top with carrier oil.
To use: Apply behind the ears, over the heart, on the wrists, the back of the neck, or at the base of the spine. Use alongside the Gratitude Protocol below.
Gratitude Protocol
Morning:
Add 1–2 drops of Gratitude essential oil to the crown of your head.
State one thing you are thankful for and one challenge you’re thankful for, or use this morning affirmation: I am grateful for another day, for all that will be, and for the chance to learn today.
Evening:
Before bed, apply a roller of Gratitude essential oil blend to your wrists.
Breathe deeply while stating or writing three things, people, or experiences you are thankful for today. Or use this affirmation: I am thankful for this day, for all I experienced, and for the wisdom I gained.
Take it Further
Use this meditation from my husband, and mindfulness coach, Christopher O’Reilly:
"Create space in your life to be still, to observe what is happening in your body, and in your environment. Reflect on how you came to this place. Recognize and accept with gratitude that you are exactly where you are supposed to be in your life. Every experience is a teacher. Practicing gratitude is being thankful for everything because life is one opportunity after another. An opportunity to grow, to love, to learn, and to feel. We learn a lot more from challenging feelings than we do enjoyable ones if we spend time with them being curious. We need to be grateful for it all. Sunny and enjoyable days don’t create character—it’s often hard to see the meaning in the cloudy days, or when you’re in the storm. Practicing gratitude is creating space to find the meaning in both and not wishing away even the darkest days.”
There are lessons in all things. Use this practice, or create your own, to work on strengthening your gratitude for more vibrant health, positivity, and grace in your life. We all have the ability to cultivate gratitude in our lives, and the more we practice it, the more it will grow.
Gratitude Set Printables
Download and print the free Gratitude Practice Printable in my shop. Keep it next to your oils to easily follow in the morning and evening. Take it further with the Gratitude Essentials Label Set Printable, simply download, print, and label your rollers right at home.
If you joined Young Living with me or any Oils Collaborative Member, all printable files in my shop are FREE for you! Check your email for the exclusive coupon code.
Learn more about Young Living and our team here.
Keep Learning
Want to learn more about essential oils and emotions? I love these books to dig deeper.
