How to Start a Gratitude Journal
The following are simple steps to maintaining a gratitude journal, which is a useful tool for stress management. Decide on a journal. You may want to maintain your journal online or in paper form. When deciding which journal method to use, think about: Decide on a framework. There are a number of ways that you can structure your journal entries. Do what works best for you and change it up if you need to. The main idea is to get yourself into a place of reflection and gratitude. You can write long, descriptive paragraphs about what you appreciate in your daily life. Commit to a schedule. An important aspect of the long-term success of your gratitude journal is the frequency with which you use it. It’s usually best to aim for once a day or several times per week in the beginning, but allow yourself some wiggle room if things get busy. Just keep writing. Start by spending a few minutes writing something down; it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. Just start where you are, and don’t think too much about it. Many people find that their whole attitude changes once they’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for a while. They tend to notice things throughout the day that they may want to include in the journal, things they wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. To maintain a more optimistic attitude, be sure to write regularly. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts
4 Tips for Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journals tend to be most effective when you write about three items at the end of each day. This is regular enough and simple enough to be do-able and writing at the end of the day tends to bring the best benefits. Remember that you may want to read over your journal entries in the future. This can be a great pick-me-up when you’re feeling stressed or depressed. Experiment with the types of things you write about. If you find yourself always mentioning the obvious things (“I’m grateful for my children”) every day, challenge yourself to notice the subtle things (“Today I had caramel ice cream cone, and it was amazing!”) Remember that all gratitude doesn’t need to be saved for the journal. Tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them. From people in your family to sales clerks and postal employees you encounter in your day, everyone likes to know that they’re appreciated. Their positive reactions can help put you in a positive mood, too!
