How to Start Gratitude Journal and its Benefits

The fact that expressing gratitude is good for you is no mystery. It’s no surprise that more of us take the time to be grateful for what we have in our lives when in the world where everyone is going through a tough time.

Keeping a journal of gratitude is one of the easiest ways to express gratitude regularly. The Journal of Gratitude encourages you to start your day in a good mood, energized and ready to take on the world.

You decided to take hold of your mind and concentrate on the positive instead of emotionally procreating all your life’s problems and pulling the covers over your head.

You enjoy life more and find yourself feeling better every day. Although daily journaling has been shown to enhance your well-being, it can take the experience to a whole new level to make a point of jotting down all the things you are thankful for.

It is easy to keep a gratitude journal and it includes making a list of the things you are thankful for that day at the simplest level. You will determine how long each day’s list is and how much information you want to go through.

The best thing is that it is an easy habit to develop and after a while, and you are left with a list of motivational content after a while to look back on a time when you need a pick-me-up.

The simple practice of focusing on what you’re thankful for can lead to a healthier, happier life. All it takes is a few moments of your time and a journal of gratitude to capture your insights.

Gratitude journals are more about writing about the things you’re thankful for, big or small, instead of writing random thoughts about your day diary that we use to keep as a teenager. Just an easy way to remember the small moments going on in your life that bring you the most joy.

The habit of writing and focusing on things (typically two or three) that you are thankful for regularly is gratitude journaling.

In essence, to reflect more on the positive aspects of your life and develop strength against negative circumstances, you are rewiring your brain. It is a common practice in positive psychology to keep a gratitude journal. The word “counting your blessings” or “three good things” is often widely referred to as gratitude journaling.

1. It Increases Positivity

You automatically become more optimistic as you take the time to reflect on the good stuff in your life.

It will make you more positive by writing down what you are happy for, so you want to see more of your life’s positivity, giving negative feelings less control. While in your subconscious, these good aspects of your life might be floating around, writing them down makes them more tangible and real.

2. It Improves Self-Esteem

You automatically become more optimistic as you take the time to reflect on the good stuff in your life. It will make you more positive by writing down what you are happy for, so you want to see more of your life’s positivity, giving negative feelings less control. While in your subconscious, these good aspects of your life might be floating around, writing them down makes them more tangible and real.

3. It Helps You Sleep Better

It will help to have a much better night’s sleep to spend just 15 minutes before bed writing down a few grateful thoughts.

You are much less likely to contemplate your problems and therefore clear your mind for a good night’s sleep by thinking about the pleasant moments of the day or reminding yourself of what you need to be grateful for.

4. It Makes You Happier

Showing appreciation means that you consider the goodness in your life. You can have more positive thoughts, appreciate good experiences, and develop strong relationships by writing these things down, a recipe for a much happier life!

Research has shown that people who write about gratitude are more positive about their lives in general and feel better about them.

5. It Reduces Stress

Grateful people take good care of themselves, which ensures that they live happier lives in the long run and are also able to handle stress more healthily.

Researchers have found that it naturally counters stress by concentrating on feelings of contentment and happiness, and leaves you feeling much more grounded and ready to cope with whatever life throws at you.

Choose A Journal

There are a few things to consider when choosing a Gratitude Journal. Do you prefer writing in a physical journal or digitally documenting your thoughts? Are you going to take it with you around or keep it in one place?

Your gratitude journal’s physical format is not nearly as relevant as how you use it. Some people like to create a journal with brief entries in bullet-style, while others love digging with longer articles into their thoughts.

The purpose of this is to reflect on good things in life rather than to weep on bad things. You can use many online platforms or simple Word documents to manage your journal if you are not a pen-paper person and want more digital versatility for your journal. Whatever you like, just make sure that it makes you happy.

Set Fix Time For Writing

It can be daunting at first to find time to write in your gratitude journal because it feels like another thing on your never-ending to-do list, but it becomes second nature once you get into the routine. The best way to keep a journal of gratitude is by making it a habit.

Try to link it to an existing habit, such as drinking your coffee in the morning or reading before bed. Doing this would automatically give you a dedicated time to write.

You might think that to see the benefits, you have to journal every day, but consistency is important. And change your attitude and think of it as something you want to do, not as a burden.

Start your gratitude journal

Just remember, you can write about anything, no matter how big or small. Don’t wait for the right moment, the right time to start the journal. Just start and write about the simple things that made you happy about your life, maybe a hot cup of coffee or a long walk in the park.

Here are some idea about which you can write in your journal

Start your gratitude journal

People to write about:

Things to write about:

Places to write about:

Ideas to write about:

Now that you understand how to get started, you are well on your way to a successful journaling practice of gratitude. You might find that you will be inspired to express that gratitude to others by reflecting on the things you are grateful for.

Consider sharing with a friend you’ve lost touch with a sentimental best friend quote or sending a thank you card for a small gesture someone has made for you. Just remember that when you start your journal, it takes time to create a fresh habit to not get too discouraged.

There is no limit to the positive results, now it is time to find out for yourself!