Keeping A Gratitude Journal Can Change Your Life
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
When was the last time that you reflected on the things that you should be grateful for? How do you celebrate the little things in life?
Are you a person that focuses on the circumstances beyond your control, or negative things that are happening vs. the positive things happening in your life? What do you do when you try something different but can’t seem to stick with it?
If you haven’t been counting your blessings or if you’re more of a negative thinker than positive, then you should practice keeping a gratitude journal.
A gratitude journal is meant to help you create a habit of recording your reflection of things (typically three) that you are grateful for on a regular basis. The recollection of events in your life doesn’t have to be a short story or an essay, just three short and quick sentences on the things that made you grateful/ happy that day. Practicing gratitude and mindfulness will help rewire your brain to focus more on the positive aspects in your life, and help to recoil that energy that you tend spend on negative situations. According to the NPR, there’s a growing body of research that shows how “counting your blessings” can improve your mental and physical health. Oprah, one of the most successful Black women in history, also attests to the many benefits of keeping a gratitude journal.
Benefits To Your Health
Helps you sleep better and lower stress.
Increase in generosity.
Improves interpersonal relationships.
Lowers your risks of heart disease and depression.
Inspires “HOPE”.
Increase in appreciation of life.
Grants more clarity to your life.
Enhances your mood.
Tips To Practicing Gratitude
You can keep a written journal or an online journal (or both). Find the best method that works for you.
Enjoy the little things.
Be specific in your recounts and reflections, specifics are what make your journal unique.
Avoid repetition.
Mention specific people and places.
Mention surprises.
Don’t sweat the bad days. (We all have them!)
Make it a habit. (Set a reminder/ pair with another habit)
It’s a new year and we are constantly working on becoming better versions of ourselves. Expressing gratitude is just one of the many first steps that we can take towards self-improvement. Appreciation and gratitude can be so simple— if we allow it to be simple. Choosing to focus on the positive will help us to be reminded of the many blessings that we’ve received and helps us to prepare for the ones still coming our way.
How To Get Started:
If you are ready to get started on reflection and improving your physical/ mental health, you can purchase a journal on Amazon or your local Michael’s/ Barnes and Nobles. For some, it may be easier to do it online. There are several apps that you can download to get started. If you are an Apple user, Grateful: A Gratitude Journal (Free), is a great tool to help you get started. You can record your entries whenever you’d like and set daily reminders for when you forget. Android users seem to enjoy using the 365 Gratitude: Journal, Community, Coach app. These apps allow you to easily upload photos, location tags, and daily reminders.
Let’s work together to bring self-care back to the forefront. You are important and your health is equally just as important. This is an easy step to begin your self-care journey. Be sure to savor your feelings after you begin your journal, happy or sad. Learn from your habits by reading what you’ve recorded.
Once you get truly comfortable practicing mindfulness and gratitude, that will be when you can start to pay it forward and extend kind gestures to those who are constantly around you. Thank someone for something nice that they’ve done, buy a stranger some coffee, tell someone how much you appreciate them. Let’s create a never ending cycle of love, appreciation, and gratitude. Let’s build each other up!
“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette
