Gratitude Journals
Good MORNING,
I’ve been saying for so long that I’m going to start a #gratitude journal. We’ll early this morning, I finally did!!
Check out some of the information below on the benefits of gratitude and some prompts and ways you can add it into your life. My plan is to spend 10-15 minutes every morning writing in my gratitude journal and also some type of mindfulness.
HAPPY GRATITUDE-ING!
Info below gathered from: https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-journal/
A gratitude journal is, quite simply, a tool to keep track of the good things in life. No matter how difficult and defeating life can sometimes feel, there is always something to feel grateful for.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
– John F. Kennedy
Even more than that, regularly journaling about the good things in your life can help prepare and strengthen you to deal with the rough patches when they pop up.
It’s extremely simple to start: simply write down (or type) the things you are grateful for on a daily basis. You can use a journal, diary, notebook, or just a piece of paper. If you’re committed to being green or just find it easier to do things digitally, you can use one of the many gratitude apps or even a simple Word document!
Once you have your journal or app ready, simply start noting the things you are grateful for.
Got a promotion? Journal it!
Mastered a new yoga move? Journal it!
Received good news about a potential health problem? You guessed it—journal it!
It can that easy. In case you’re wondering “What will this practice do for me?” read on to learn about the potential benefits of this simple practice.
Benefits of a Gratitude Journal
We’ve already written about the benefits of a regular gratitude practice, but here are a few benefits people have noticed when practicing gratitude journaling in particular:
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).
If you’re the kind of person who wants that hard evidence in addition to accounts of personal experience, there are studies that back these observations:
A brand new study of a three-month trial of gratitude journaling found that both reflective (finding things to be grateful for) and reflective-behavioral (finding things to be grateful for and expressing your gratitude) journaling have a significant, positive impact on well-being, affect, and depression (O’Connell, O’Shea, & Gallagher, 2017);
Another brand new study showed that Turkish freshmen who completed a three-week gratitude journal experienced greater gratitude, better adjustment to university life, higher life satisfaction, and enhanced positive affect, compared to a control group of freshmen (Işık & Ergüner-Tekinalp, 2017);
Gratitude journaling has been shown to help divorced parents forgive their ex-spouse(s), an extremely important step towards positive co-parenting (Rye, Fleri, Moore, Worthington, Wade, Sandage, & Cook, 2012);
Finally, researchers in Australia found evidence that gratitude journaling helped school leaders foster a balanced view of the good and bad things that happen at school, use more appreciative problem solving, find value in school-based relationships, and experience more positive emotion, ultimately making them better and happier leaders (Waters & Stokes, 2015).
So, do I have you convinced? How are you going to add gratitude to your life? And after reading this, how can you not!
If you’re struggles as to where to start, or feel like you don’t have anything in your life to be grateful for, please hit me up and we can chat.
Until next time,
Nichole
