Examples of Gratitude for Nature: 3 Inspiring Examples to Transform Your Day

Instead of starting with theory, let’s walk into three very real rooms: a cramped city apartment, a hospital waiting area, and a suburban kitchen at 6 a.m. These are the heart of our examples of gratitude for nature: 3 inspiring examples that you can actually imagine yourself living.

1. The city window ritual: finding a sky in the concrete

Maya lives on the 14th floor in downtown Chicago. Her view is mostly brick, glass, and traffic. For years she told herself, “I’m not a nature person. I’ll appreciate nature when I finally move somewhere greener.”

Then burnout hit. Her therapist suggested a gratitude practice, and Maya rolled her eyes. But she agreed to try one tiny experiment: every morning, before opening her email, she would stand at her window for 90 seconds and write down one sentence of gratitude about anything she could see outside.

At first, her journal entries were stiff:

• “I’m grateful the sky is blue today.”
• “I’m grateful the tree across the street still has leaves.”

Within a few weeks, something shifted. She started noticing seasonal changes in that one tree. The way the sunrise bounced off the glass building across the street. The way rain made the city sound softer.

Her journal began to fill with specific details:

“Grateful for the way the wind pushes the clouds so fast today—it makes the whole city feel alive.”
“Grateful for that stubborn little tree still hanging on to its last yellow leaves in November.”

This is a powerful example of how even a sliver of sky can become one of the best examples of gratitude for nature. You don’t need a forest; you need attention.

Try this in your journal tonight:

Write three lines that start with: “Today I’m grateful for the way the sky…” and finish each sentence with something specific you noticed. If you can’t see the sky, use “Today I’m grateful for the way the air…” and notice temperature, smell, or movement.

2. The hospital parking lot walk: nature as a lifeline in hard times

Our second story is quieter, and heavier.

James spent weeks visiting his father in the hospital after heart surgery. The building was all beeping monitors, fluorescent lights, and stale air. He felt like he was living inside a plastic container.

One afternoon, after a rough conversation with a doctor, he walked outside just to breathe. He ended up circling the edges of the parking lot and noticed a small strip of grass with a few scraggly bushes and a single maple tree.

He sat under that tree for ten minutes and realized he could hear birds over the whir of traffic. That tiny patch of green became his daily ritual. Each visit, before going inside, he would:

• Sit on the low concrete edge by the grass
• Take 5 slow breaths
• Name three things in nature he was grateful for right there: the shade, the breeze, the stubborn dandelions in the cracks

He started keeping a short note on his phone:

“Grateful for the maple tree’s shade at 3:12 p.m. It felt like someone put a hand on my shoulder.”

In research on stress and nature exposure, even small, urban green spaces have been associated with lower stress and better mood (NIH). James accidentally created one of the most powerful real examples of gratitude for nature: using a tiny, imperfect patch of green as an anchor in a chaotic time.

Journal prompt inspired by James:

Think of a hard season in your life. Was there any natural element that made things 1% more bearable—a tree outside the window, a patch of sunlight on the floor, a view of the clouds from the bus? Write one paragraph starting with: “In that hard time, I’m grateful that nature gave me…”

3. The 6 a.m. backyard check-in: parenting, chaos, and a quiet sky

Our third story comes from Alana, a parent of two kids under six. Mornings in her house are pure chaos: cereal on the floor, missing shoes, someone crying about a sock.

One winter, completely exhausted, she started waking up 10 minutes earlier—not for a workout, not for email, but to stand on her back steps with a mug of coffee.

No phone. No podcast. Just her, the air, and the backyard.

At first she just stood there, half-asleep. But then she began to notice:

• The color of the sky changing week to week
• The way the cold air woke her up more than the coffee
• The neighborhood hawk that sometimes circled overhead

She started a “Back Steps Gratitude Log” in her journal. Every morning, one sentence:

“Grateful for the steam from my coffee mixing with the cold air.”
“Grateful for the way the frost makes the grass look like it’s covered in sugar.”
“Grateful for the hawk doing lazy circles over the cul-de-sac like it owns the place.”

Over time, those sentences changed how she felt about her days. Instead of “another long day with the kids,” she started thinking, “I wonder what the sky will look like tomorrow.”

This is one of the best examples of gratitude for nature woven into everyday life. No big hike, no vacation—just ten minutes on a back step.

Prompt to steal from Alana:

Start a single-page log titled: “Morning Nature Gratitude.” Each day, write one line that starts with: “Today I’m grateful that outside…” and finish it with whatever you notice: light, air, sound, temperature, plants, or animals.

More examples of gratitude for nature: 3 inspiring examples expanded into daily life

Those three stories are the backbone, but let’s expand them into more concrete practices. Here are additional examples of gratitude for nature that grow out of the same spirit, all of them based on real, doable habits.

Micro-moments: the 10-second nature thank-you

Think of this as the “espresso shot” of gratitude. No journal required (though you can always add it later).

Some real examples:

• Standing at a bus stop, you feel the sun on your face for three seconds and think, “Thank you, sun, for being warm today.”
• Walking from your car to the store, you notice the smell of rain on asphalt and silently say, “I’m grateful for this smell—it makes the parking lot feel softer.”
• Washing dishes, you catch the reflection of the sunset in the window and whisper, “I’m glad I didn’t miss that color.”

These might sound small, but studies on gratitude practices show that even brief, consistent gratitude moments can improve mood and well-being (Harvard Health). When those moments are tied to nature, you’re also getting the benefits of noticing your environment instead of being trapped in your head.

Journal idea: At the end of the day, write a short list titled “Tiny Nature Moments I’m Grateful For Today.” Aim for three lines. That’s it.

Tech-era examples include digital nature and “borrowed” wildness

Nature gratitude in 2024–2025 doesn’t always look like hiking boots and national parks. Sometimes it’s mediated through a screen—and that still counts.

Some modern examples of gratitude for nature:

• Being grateful for a live cam of an eagle nest or ocean reef that you watch on your lunch break
• Appreciating high-quality nature documentaries that let you “travel” to places you may never see in person
• Following a local park’s social media account and feeling thankful when they post the first cherry blossoms of the year

Research on exposure to virtual nature (like videos and sounds) suggests it can reduce stress and improve mood, especially for people who can’t easily access green spaces (NIH). That means one powerful example of gratitude for nature in our current era is simply saying:

“I’m grateful that I can watch the Northern Lights live from my couch.”

If you journal, you might add a section called “Borrowed Nature” and list digital or second-hand experiences of nature you appreciated that day.

Community-based gratitude: nature as a shared experience

Not all gratitude has to be private. Some of the best examples of gratitude for nature show up when people share it.

Think about:

• A neighborhood group chat where someone posts a photo of a rainbow and everyone chimes in with heart emojis and “I saw it too!”
• A coworker walking club that meets during lunch to circle the block and point out interesting trees or seasonal changes
• A local community garden where volunteers say things like, “I’m so grateful the tomatoes survived that heat wave.”

In these real examples, gratitude for nature becomes social glue. You’re not just thankful for the tree; you’re thankful that other people are noticing it with you.

Journal prompt: Write about one time you shared a nature moment with someone else—a sunset, a storm, the first snow, a funny bird—and how that shared gratitude felt different than if you’d been alone.

Turning examples into practice: how to write gratitude for nature in your journal

Now that you’ve seen multiple examples of gratitude for nature: 3 inspiring examples plus several more, let’s turn them into simple journaling structures you can reuse.

The “5 senses” gratitude scan

Pick one nature moment from your day—big or tiny—and walk through your senses in writing. This is a grounded example of a structured gratitude entry.

In your journal, write:

• “I’m grateful for what I saw…” (color of the sky, shape of leaves, movement of water)
• “I’m grateful for what I heard…” (wind, birds, distant thunder, city sounds softened by rain)
• “I’m grateful for what I felt…” (temperature, breeze, texture of bark, sand underfoot)
• “I’m grateful for what I smelled or tasted…” (rain, pine, ocean air, hot air before a storm)

This kind of sensory gratitude lines up with mindfulness techniques often recommended for stress and anxiety management (Mayo Clinic). It pulls you out of rumination and into the present.

The “before and after” nature check-in

Another powerful example of nature-based gratitude journaling is tracking how you feel before and after a tiny nature moment.

In your journal, create a two-part entry:

• Before: “Right now I feel…” (tired, wired, numb, overwhelmed)
• Go outside for 3–5 minutes. Look for one thing to be grateful for—a pattern in the clouds, a breeze, a plant in the lobby.
• After: “After going outside and noticing ____, I now feel…”

Over a week or two, you’ll build your own real examples of how nature shifts your mood. These become your personal best examples of why the practice is worth keeping.

FAQs about examples of gratitude for nature

What are some simple daily examples of gratitude for nature I can start with?

Some easy, real examples include: feeling thankful for the way the morning light comes through your window, appreciating a tree you pass on your commute, noticing the sound of rain on your roof, or being grateful for a cool breeze on a hot day. You can turn any of these into a one-sentence journal entry.

Can you give an example of a nature gratitude journal entry?

Here’s one:

“Today I’m grateful for the way the rain cleaned the air. Walking home, the world smelled fresh and the colors on the street looked brighter.”

That’s it. Specific, sensory, and honest. Many of the examples of gratitude for nature: 3 inspiring examples earlier in this article can be copied almost word-for-word into your own journal and adapted to your day.

What if I live in a city and don’t have much access to nature?

City life still offers many examples of gratitude for nature. These examples include small things: a single tree on your block, the changing sky, a houseplant, pigeons on a ledge, the feel of the wind between tall buildings, or even a patch of weeds in the sidewalk. You can also be grateful for digital nature—live cams, photos, or videos—especially if getting outside is hard.

How often should I write examples of gratitude for nature in my journal?

You don’t need to write every day for this to work. Many people find that 2–4 times a week is enough to feel a shift. What matters is that your examples are specific and genuine. A single honest sentence beats a page of forced gratitude.

Are there mental health benefits to focusing on gratitude for nature?

Emerging research suggests that combining gratitude practices with time in or attention to nature can support lower stress and better mood. Gratitude itself has been linked to improved well-being and sleep (Harvard Health), and time in green spaces is associated with reduced anxiety and stress (NIH). Your personal examples of gratitude for nature become a practical way to tap into both.

Gratitude for nature doesn’t require a mountain, a forest, or a plane ticket. The best examples often look like a coffee mug on a back step, a single tree in a parking lot, or a rectangle of sky between buildings.

Start with one line today. Notice one thing outside—no matter how small—and give it a sentence in your journal. Over time, those sentences add up to a different way of seeing the world: less background noise, more quiet wonder.