A little over a month ago, I was in Costco (shocker) when I spotted a gratitude journal for around £8.
Seeing the gratitude journal took me back to when I used a bullet journal around four years ago, which had been instrumental in getting me back on track during a difficult time. However, while satisfying and rewarding, keeping up with the bullet journal was quite time intensive. When life settled down again, I didn’t find myself able to stay on top with it.
However, after a quick flick through the pages of this gratitude journal, I could see that this wouldn’t take me very much time at all. The hard work – templates, sections, and designs – had already been done for me. For a few minutes in the morning (“Morning Meditation”) and a few before bed “Evening Reflection”, I might just be able to restart and maintain what I knew to be a powerfully positive habit.
So after much consideration, I bought the gratitude journal and have been using it ever since.
What is Gratitude Journaling?
Gratitude journaling is a simple practice that involves writing down things that you are grateful for on a regular basis. It can be anything from a sunny day to a kind gesture from a stranger, from a delicious meal to a good book, from a meaningful conversation to a beautiful sunset. The idea is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and appreciation for the good things in life, big and small.
The benefits of keeping a Gratitude Journal
The benefits of gratitude journaling include:
- Increased happiness
- A more positive mood and outlook
- Increased motivation and drive
- Greater satisfaction with life
- Enhanced mental health and wellbeing
- A supporter of better sleep and lower fatigue
- Decreased stress and anxiety
- Better resilience and coping skills
- Fosters patience, humility, and wisdom
- Stronger relationships and social bonds
- Improved work performance and satisfaction
Source: PositivePsychology.com
My reflections after a month of gratitude journaling
Here are some of the things that I’ve learned or considered in my first month of gratitude journaling:
1. It’s not always easy to find things to be grateful for, but it gets easier with practice
On a bad day, it can be tough to consider what I’m grateful for. But as I force myself to think of positives, I realise there is always something to appreciate. For example, we were recently on a short cruise and on the last night our cabin flooded. We had to leave at 4am and wait in the atrium until breakfast was available at 6am. It would have been easy to consider this a negative experience, but actually I found plenty of positives about it. I wrote how I was grateful for the friendly crew who helped so quickly, the fact that few of our belongings were damaged, and importantly that we would be first to the buffet! I was able to shift my perspective from complaining to thanking, and felt more calm and optimistic.
2. Gratitude Journaling helps me notice and appreciate the good things in life more
By writing down what I’m grateful for, I become more aware and attentive to the positive aspects of my life that I might otherwise take for granted or overlook. For example, one day I wrote down that I was grateful for a night of laughter with my partner. This made me cherish the time that I spent with her more, and express my affection more openly.
3. It improves my mood, positive outlook, and general well-being
By writing down what I’m grateful for, I also reinforce positive emotions and thoughts that enhance my mental and even physical health. For example, one day I wrote down that I was grateful for some good advice and support I received from my doctor. This made me feel relieved and hopeful, and ensured I was prioritising my health.
These are some of the lessons that I’ve learned in my first month of gratitude journaling. Of course, this is not a magic bullet that solves all problems or guarantees happiness. There are still challenges and difficulties in life that require other coping strategies and interventions. But gratitude journaling is a simple and effective way to enhance wellbeing and happiness by focusing on the positive aspects of life. Plus, it really doesn’t take much time or cost much money at all to get started!
Want to get started? Here’s my advice!
- Find a notebook or a journal that you like and dedicate it to gratitude journaling. You can also use an app or a website that offers gratitude journaling features. I recommend buying a specifically designed gratitude journal such as the super cheap Betterday Studio 30 Days of Gratitude, or the more comprehensive 6-Minute Diary.
Pro tip: purchase your perfect pen!
If you’re going to use a good ol’ pen-and-paper style journal, invest in a good pen! I love my weighty Man United rollerball which is perfect for my thick journal pages. I was also able to pick up a pack of 12 ink refills for less than a tenner. This was a particular relief as rollerball ink runs out notoriously quickly due to it’s deep, dark, and satisfying writing!
- Set a regular time and place to write down your gratitude entries. Ideally, this should be daily and in the evening, when you can reflect on what happened during the day. But it could be simply whenever you experience something that you are grateful for. I do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night, as my journal has a page for each of these. But once a day is a perfectly good way to start! I use Habitica to ensure I never miss an entry, but you could also use an alarm or alert on your phone.
- Write down at least three things that you are grateful for. They can be big or small, specific or general, personal or social, material or spiritual. The important thing is that they are meaningful and sincere to you.
- Be as detailed as possible. Explain why you are grateful for each thing, and how it makes you feel. This will help you deepen your gratitude and appreciate the positive emotions.
- Vary your gratitude entries. Try not to repeat the same things over and over, unless they are really important or relevant to you. This will help you expand your gratitude and discover new sources of appreciation. Challenge yourself to think of new things to be grateful for, big or small!
- Review your gratitude entries periodically. This will help you remember and reinforce the positive aspects of your life, and remind you of how much you have to be grateful for. Writing them is definitely the main benefit, but reading them back in the future allows you to get all those warm fuzzy feelings again!
Your thoughts?
I’d love to hear about your experience with gratitude journaling, so let me know in the comments!
Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with any brand or product mentioned here, and this is not a sponsored post. All thoughts are my own entirely. I do use affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on purchases you make of products you click to from this page, at no cost whatsoever to you.