Some links on my website may be affiliate links and I may earn revenue from purchases as a result of buying something through those links.
Keeping a Gratitude Journal
What’s all of the fuss about keeping a gratitude journal? Recently my daughter started journaling and her journaling peaked my interest. I started looking up various types of journals. The first thing that I found out was all of the positive benefits that come with journaling and how it can positively affect the quality of your life. I was hooked.
Benefits of Journaling
- Boost your mood
- Improve your memory
- Lower stress
- Decrease depression
- You’ll have a snapshot of your days, weeks, months, and years
I quickly realized that I didn’t want to keep a traditional journal however, I was fascinated with the idea of a gratitude journal. With a gratitude journal, you are purposing finding things to be grateful for.
What is Gratitude?
To me, gratitude embodies the word “Thank you”. While gratitude sounds easy enough we really need to be mindful and practice gratitude daily. It’s been proven over and over again that shifting your focus to the positive can dramatically improve your happiness.
Since I’m often strapped for free time, I settled on The Five-Minute Journal. The Five Minute Journal focuses your attention on the good in your life. Improve your mental well-being and feel better every day. For me, the Five-Minute Journal was perfect because it literally takes as little as 5 minutes to complete. It took away any excuse that I had about not having enough time to journal.
Some things that I really like about The Five-Minute Journal is that there is a daily positive quote every day, a weekly challenge and a structure to help you focus on what’s good. To make journaling daily as simple as possible, I keep my journal with a pen attached right at my bedside. (My bedroom is already such an inviting place and it’s generally free from distractions).
Even if you don’t want to buy a formal journal, you can still keep a gratitude journal. Just find any notebook that has free space for you to journal your thoughts. Each day start a new page with the date. Try to journal first thing in the morning.
Write, “I am grateful for…” and list 3 things. Write, “What would make today great?” and list 3 things. Write, “Daily affirmations. I am…” and list whatever comes to mind.
At night right before bed write, “3 Amazing things that happened today…” and list 3 things. Write, “How could I have made today even better?” and list whatever comes to mind.
Other Gratitude Journal Ideas
- Write about a person in your life that you’re especially grateful for and why.
- Think back to a year ago and think about today – what positive changes are you thankful for?
- What foods or meals are you most thankful for? (I’m always thankful for pizza)
- End of the week roundup idea: What is something you’re grateful to have learned this week?
Daily Affirmations
The daily affirmations are my favorite part. They are statements of what you want in life. The daily affirmation is a simple statement that defines you as you want to be. Every time you write out the affirmation, you train your brain to start building this belief in your mind.
“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to believe. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things become to happe.”~Muhammad Ali
Remember, ultimately your perception shapes your reality. Training your brain to automatically scan for the positive at the beginning of the day can be an effective way to start the day. As you start building a pattern in your life, you can look at problems and look at the actions that you can take to move through them (“How could I have made today better?”).
Improvement isn’t inevitable. Change is. Keeping a gratitude journal helps you learn more about yourself and become more self-aware. Although creating (and sticking to) a gratitude journal only takes about 5 minutes a day, the amount of positivity and joy that it can manifest in your life may add years of happiness.
You can grab the exact same The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
that I have on Amazon!
This is important. Bc often times we focus on the “mishaps” of life
I love the idea of a gratitude journal. So often we don’t make time to be grateful for the things we have, but this would be perfect to reflect and appreciate.
I love gratitude journals! I actually have a gracelaced 17 month planner that at the end of each month it has a gratitude list which I LOVE!
XOXO
Christina
https://homesweetholmes.net/
That is a great idea to follow with this gratitude journales. Normally I try to do it everyday just a small thank you, but writing about it, sounds awesome.
We started the five minute journal this summer! We love it and have gotten all our friends hooked too. Great ideas!!
This is the perfect post for November I wish I had a little more time to reflect on life and all the tings I am so grateful for, the holidays always seem to put me in such a rush since I spend my time making things pretty for others, fro which I am grateful but it just keeps me running, lol.
This is such a good idea. I love journalling but regularly find that I push it aside and say I don’t have enough time.
I’ve been looking for one myself. This one looks great, because I really can’t say I don’t have the time. Gratitude is so important!
This would be good for me to do. It would help me through a tough time right now.
I used to keep a journal though I’ve gotten out of the practice. Although it wasn’t a gratitude journal I did write down three things I was grateful for at the end of every entry.
I love this journal and what a great idea to keep all good thoughts. Will check it out my daughter would love it.
I love this idea! I usually write down what I’m grateful for throughout the day in a journal and when I’m feeling stressed or down I read it before bed!
tried using a gratitude journal and it was a big help on me as i became grateful of the smAll or big blessings. it likewise made me realize , too, that prayers help.
I love this idea! I usually write down what I’m grateful for throughout the day in a journal and when I’m feeling stressed or down I read it before bed:)
I used to journal daily, I want to get back into it! My husband used the 5 minute journal and loved it!
I am a huge fan and love my gratitude journal! It is an amazing thing and putting pen to paper and appreciating and being grateful for all of the positive and good things in your life helps to set you on a straight and positive path each and every day. I use my first thing in the morning.
I have been doing this for years! I think it’s so important!
I really do enjoy the journey you listed! I have been looking to start something like this and downloaded an app but I am also trying to use my phone less (millennial) but this journal is super cute! Thank you .
Andie Comala
https://andiesparkles.com