Keeping a gratitude journal is a way of tracking the good stuff in your life. As it is your own personal record, it doesn't need to be filled with big, grand gestures. A gratitude journal is all about what is important to you. It can be as simple as "saw a beautiful butterfly", "roof over my head", "a nice walk" or "an unexpected smile from a stranger". This is a safe space for you to express yourself.
Keep your gratitude journal beside your bed and make it the last thing you do before lights out. Think back on your day at whatever has made you smile & write it down...
During the day as you make a mental note of things to write, you will begin to notice and attract more and more to be grateful for. Gratitude begets gratitude. Even in the worst of times, there is always something to be grateful for (the silver lining phenomenon...). When life gets tough, you can look back through your journal for that past reminder to boost your current mood.
So take a look at our range of beautiful Gratitude Journals and get started...
According to www.positivepsychology.com, below are a few of the benefits of keeping a Gratitude Journal;
Gratitude journaling, like many gratitude practices, can lower your stress levels;
It can help you feel calmer, especially at night;
Journaling can give you a new perspective on what is important to you and what you truly appreciate in your life;
By noting what you are grateful for, you can gain clarity on what you want to have more of in your life, and what you can do without;
Gratitude journaling can help you find out and focus on what really matters to you;
Keeping a gratitude journal helps you learn more about yourself and become more self-aware;
Your gratitude journal is for your eyes only, so you can write anything you feel without worrying about judgment from others;
On days when you feel blue, you can read through your gratitude journal to readjust your attitude and remember all the good things in your life (Jessen, 2015).
A yoga enthusiast at Yoganonymous.com wrote about seven of the benefits he noticed when gratitude journaling:
It can make you more mindful, helping you to become more grounded and also making it easier to notice even more things you are grateful for;
Gratitude journaling can help you feel more balanced and less thrown off by daily stress;
You may notice that a lot more small, good things are happening - or maybe you’ll notice the small, good things that were already happening;
Your gratitude might act as a beacon to good things and good people, drawing even more positive things to be grateful for to you;
It can make you feel accomplished, even if it’s a relatively small accomplishment. We all need a win, no matter how big or small, every now and then;
Beware - it might just make you more giving and generous to others! But don’t worry, it isn’t always about money; paradoxically, there are things that actually grow and increase when we give them away, like compassion, empathy, and laughter;
Gratitude journaling can provide a sense of context or interconnectedness. It can remind us how things in life are connected to one another, and guide us to one of those rare moments in which we truly recognize that the word is so much bigger than us, yet we are grateful just to be a small part of it (Pope, 2016).