The gratitude meditation is a great idea.
Here's an article on "
Meditation 101: How to Start" with some suggestions that I've personally practiced and have found really useful.
Here's another related article "
Find Clarity and Inner Stillness through Meditation"
I would recommend sitting silently for 5-10 minutes for starters and focus on your breath. I also recommend Stan Richardson's japanese flute cd. It's linked off the first article.
Hope that helps.
Feel free to contact me should you have any questions.