Gratitude is the active appreciation of what one has in life. It boosts mental and physical health and promotes a sense of well-being. A habit of gratitude will lead to more happiness, improved sleep, reduced stress and anxiety, and stronger relationships. One simple way to say thank you is to use a gratitude journal.
What makes a gratitude journal special? When we focus on the positive aspects of life, feeling gratitude can reshape the brain, promote a positive outlook, and enhance the overall quality of life. But how many people actually stop several times a day to think about the things for which they are grateful?
In order to make the most of practicing gratitude, you need a gratitude habit that becomes as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth. If you keep it simple, a gratitude journal can be a five minute practice at the end of the day that will change your approach to life.
Negative Thinking
Negative thinking, or fixating on what we perceive as wrong or imagining worst-case scenarios, will color even the best moments of life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to start a negative thinking pattern. Because our brains are hard-wired to protect us, those doomsday thoughts often become our go-to in any situation.
Negative thought spirals can begin with a single negative thought that then triggers a flood of increasingly pessimistic thoughts, creating a feedback loop that is hard to break. Negative spirals can also be fueled by certain life events, past trauma, and chronic stress. Recognizing the triggers and practicing techniques like mindfulness and distraction can help break the cycle. But the easiest way to take charge of your thought patterns is by practicing gratitude. And one of the most effective way to practice gratitude is to use a gratitude journal.
How to Start a Gratitude Journal
Here is a simple way to begin a gratitude journal:
- Choose a notebook. While it is nice to have a fancy or decorative book, it is not necessary and it might even be less desirable. Choose a notebook that you’ll use as a tool, that you don’t mind getting messy, and that once filled, you can put away (or throw away) and not miss it.
- Choose a time of day when you will have 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted time. It may be right before you go to sleep, with your morning coffee, or during an after lunch break. Choose a time that will work for you on most days.
- For each entry, put the date and list five things you are grateful for that day. Why five? Listing five forces you to think closely about your day and come up with some specific moments, people, or events that were special.
- Try to avoid generalities, like “family”, “friends”, or “work”. You will get more out of this practice if you can be specific about what you are grateful for: “I ate at my favorite restaurant for dinner”, “The kids are getting along and we all had so much fun playing together”, “I was able to pick a vase full of flowers from my garden,” etc.
- Fill up your journal day by day, and once it is full, set it aside (or throw it out), and start a new one. The magic of this practice is in the doing, not in the resulting notebook.
A gratitude journal is an effective tool to guide your thinking back to the positive. Some days it will be easy to think of five things or more (and feel free to write more). Other days, it will be really hard to come up with five. Write in your gratitude journal anyway. You’ll be glad you did.