Gratitude Journaling: Why is being Grateful so good for us?

Introduction

Being Grateful Is Your Superpower

It is fair to say that there is a general tendency in society at large, to dismiss terms such as, gratitude or gratefulness, as being some sort of wishy-washy buzzword. Some even see it as a 'throw away' comment from some pseudo-influencer on social media.

The reality is of course quite different. It is a key cornerstone of your own approach to self-care, which is essentially any activity that we do deliberately, to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. But before diving into this in a bit more detail, let’s start with a basic definition.

What does gratitude mean?

In its simplest form, gratitude refers to a ‘state of thankfulness’ or a ‘state of being grateful’. In positive psychology, gratitude is a way of acknowledging the good things of life. Thanking others, thanking ourselves, Mother Nature, or for more religious people, this could be a ‘higher power’ At its core – gratitude can helps us see things clearly and to think in a more positive way. It’s this that opens and frees the mind.

How can practicing gratitude improve your mental health?

Appreciating what you have can, and does, have a healing effect. It allows you to experience less frustration, envy and regret. But as with all things we need to practice to get better at it.

Gratitude practice forces you to reflect upon your mood, your relationships, your accomplishments as well as clarifying your priorities.

There’s no denying that gratitude in all forms is associated with happiness. Whether we say ‘thank you’ to someone or receive the same from others, we feel satisfied. Neural mechanisms that are responsible for feelings of gratitude have grabbed attention of researchers for years. Some studies have shown that when we express gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin – two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions. By consciously practicing gratitude every day, we can strengthen these neural pathways until it becomes a more natural state of being.

The best way to practice gratitude is to simply document it. The physical act of writing something down helps to reinforce it's meaning, providing better understanding and to act as a record for reflection.

Keeping A Gratitude Journal Is Self Help

Why Should You Keep a Gratitude Journal?

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” - Kristin Armstrong 

Spending just fifteen minutes a day writing in your gratitude journal can do amazing things in your life! Scientific studies have proven that showing gratitude on a consistent basis makes people happier and healthier. Here’s a short list of how a gratitude journal can change your life for the better:

• Achievement

A gratitude journal will help you note those simple things you achieve. You'll also be aware of both big and little things in life that you have to be thankful for by recording in your journal.

• Happiness

A gratitude journal keeps you happy because it keeps you focused on the good things that exist in your daily life.  Once you start a gratitude journal, you are “on the lookout” for good things—both big and small. Imagine what your life would be like if you focused on the positive instead of negative!

• Good Health

Dis-ease is negative energy that has been stored up from your negative beliefs and memories. You can quickly counteract dis-ease by concentrating on the good in your life over the bad.

• Earn More Respect

Keeping a gratitude journal gives you the chance to understand the values of life. It makes you approach things in a more organized way thereby improving your level of respect and confidence among friends and colleagues.

• Relationships

Keeping a gratitude journal improves your relationships with people around you because you look for things about others to appreciate. It’s easy to find fault, but once you start showing appreciation for the people in your life, your relationships will grow.

• Enhance Sleeping

People who keep gratitude journals tend to sleep better because they often reflect on their day before bed, which gives them a sense of calmness.

• Less Stress

Whether you’re living in a stressful situation or just thinking back to one, your body doesn’t know the difference. It will still fire off all of those stress hormones and create the same physical, mental and emotional tension, whether or not the event is currently happening. By focusing on the positive, you avoid the stress reaction.

• Resiliency

You can think of gratitude as being a mental and emotional muscle that you can build with daily exercise. If stuff goes wrong in life and your gratitude muscle is weak, you’ll struggle to find a silver lining in those storm clouds. But if you already have an excellent daily gratitude habit, then your gratitude muscle will be resilient and well-trained, meaning life’s challenges don’t knock you off course as much.

Be Thankful - It's Good For Your Health

 What To Include In A Gratitude Journal

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.” - Maya Angelou 

There are many reasons to keep a Gratitude Journal. Whether you're on a healing journey or want to add thankfulness to your day to live a freer, more contented life, writing down your thoughts is a powerful tool. This is why Gratitude Journals are so popular.

If you've ever wanted to get started writing a Gratitude Journal but are stuck for ideas of what to write about, try these ideas out. You'll have plenty to write about in no time!

• Enjoy the Details

It's easy to write about how much you're thankful for your home or best friend. The problem? You'll quickly run out of material or be stuck repeating yourself if you list the same people daily. Instead of talking about the people or things in your life you're grateful for, dig down into the details about what exactly you love about them. For example, maybe you love how your best friend sat up with you all night when you needed someone to talk to.

• Get Into the Moment

Take a minute to centre yourself. By using mindfulness or meditation to pause and empty your mind of thoughts, you start paying attention to where you are right now emotionally, physically, or even spiritually. Once you're relaxed, let your mind drift where it will. Look for things to be thankful for. For example, you might hear the sound of wind chimes outside or smell dinner in the over, which are both things to be grateful for. Write about these things.

• Ask Why

If you already have a grateful thought, try digging down a little to find out what about this makes you feel so much gratitude. Ask why you feel this way, and keep asking why until you find the root. For example, you might be writing about how you're grateful for chocolate chip cookies and discover you love them because your grandmother always made them for you. Express your gratitude for these ‘buried treasures.’

• Change Directions

If you've been writing about the same things every day, look for ways to discover gratitude in other areas of your life. Maybe you've been focusing on family for a while. If so, try turning toward work, past experiences, or nature for new inspiration.

• Do Something Else

If the thoughts aren’t coming, give yourself a break. This isn’t a race. Walk away and do something else for a bit, such as emptying the dishwasher. Let your mind drift through this activity. What about this job can you be grateful for (clean dishes? The time you shared with your family cleaning up the kitchen together after dinner last night? The meal you’re going to eat next on these dishes?) Come back and write about these things.

It may help to buy a ready made journal with daily prompts and with that in mind we have created a Gratitude Journal with the things that we focus on. This is a 90 day journal, link below (hardback version also available).

Gratitude Journal

It's sometimes surprising to see just how much there is to be grateful for, isn't it? The best part? The more you journal your gratitude, the more your own attitude will shift to one of compassion and kindness. Truly, a grateful heart is a happy one!

Journal Your Way To A Better You!

How To Get The Most Out Of Gratitude Journaling

"Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty." - Doris Day

If you have recently started gratitude journaling, you may be wondering if you are getting the full benefits from your daily ritual. And this is something which you must decide for yourself, but there are several things you can do to get the most out of your journaling. Below are some simple ways to receive the maximum benefits from your journaling practice.

• Try Different Formats

When most people think of journaling, they think of writing letters to themselves or simply writing sentences about their feelings. But this isn’t the only format you can journal in, and the truth is, it may not be the most effective for you. Consider changing up your journaling format, or better yet, employing more than one format in your journaling. This will make sure you are getting the most out of your journaling time. Other formats when it comes to gratitude journaling can be lists, diagrams, or tables.

• Write Yourself Compliments

In gratitude journaling, people tend to write about all the things or people they are grateful for in their lives. And there is nothing wrong with this, just make sure you don’t forget to be thankful for the most important person, yourself! It’s best practice to write a few things you like about yourself each day as you journal. This way, you can reflect on how your day went and watch your transformation as you become a better version of yourself. 

• Don’t Forget The Lessons

No one’s life is perfect, and when gratitude journaling, you may find that sometimes you have days where you make significant mistakes that you are embarrassed by. And this is okay, and even something you should be thankful for! Instead of approaching your mistakes as setbacks instead, include them in your gratitude journaling as lessons and approach them with an open mind and be grateful for the lesson you have had the opportunity to learn. This will help keep you from making the same mistakes again.

A Grateful Heart Is A Happy Heart

Conclusion

“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 

Wherever you may be in your gratitude and gratitude journaling journey, you are most certainly benefiting from the practice. But if you want to make sure you are getting the most from it, try playing around with the format a bit, don’t forget to compliment yourself, and don’t be afraid to approach your mistakes. After all, your gratitude journal is a safe space for you to express everything you are grateful for without any outside judgment.