Gratitude can make your life happier, healthier, and more satisfying.

Remembering something that you’re grateful for can increase positive thoughts and feelings and stop a bad mood in its tracks. Plus, people who feel grateful typically have less stress, stronger immune systems, and tend to take better care of themselves in general. And when you express gratitude for the people in your life, you strengthen those relationships and create more opportunities to give and receive support.

So, how do you do gratitude? Here are two exercises to get you started:

Jot down what you’re grateful for.

1. List three things that you’re grateful for today or this week.
2. Form a picture of each one in your mind.
3. Focus on the positive feelings they bring up and allow those feelings to wash over you.
4. Savor them so you can recall each one the next time you need a mood boost.

Write a gratitude letter.

1. Think of someone who did or said something that changed your life for the better. This can be someone you’re already close to or somebody you’d like to have a stronger relationship with.
2. Write a letter to this person telling them what you are thankful for and why. (This action alone has mood benefits.)
3. Be specific about what this person did for you and how it affected your life. You can even mention how often you remember their contribution to your life.
4. Then—if you’re up for it and want an even bigger mood boost—arrange a visit with the recipient in person, if possible, and surprise them with the letter.
5. Read it aloud to them and pay attention to their reaction and your own.
6. Remember the good feelings this experience evoked so you can savor them later.