Sure, Gratitude Journals are cute, trendy and you can turn even a napkin into a journal entry page, but even though you’ve seen them around you haven’t started one. It took me a while to be a believer. 😛
Gratitude Journals are being touted recently by therapists for being a practice that is associated with improving mental health. They are saying that over time there is an increased trend of positive outlook in people who have kept a Gratitude Journal, and that they have more enjoyment in daily interactions.
I wanted to see that, too. I wanted the results from the hype.
I’m starting a journal.
Here’s what you need to know to start yours:
It won’t work overnight, but some benefits start quickly:
While I imagine that I will see more of a positive trend in my outlook, I have already seen some really positive results. It encouraged me to thank people out loud that I used to just appreciate in my head. They were happy to be thanked, but also I was happy to do it. Double benefit. It also has allowed me to be more mindful about a whole world of things that I hadn’t really forced myself to think about before, just very basic things to be thankful for: where did my eggs come from that I am eating this morning? And then not to make judgements about conditions on farms, etc., but just to be grateful to have that.
Getting to experience a whole second tier of gratitude that I hadn’t before is very wonderful.
Pick a book that is aesthetic, because you’ll look at it often:
You will want to journal daily or at least a couple times per week, so you will have to pick something you enjoy looking at. Gather stickers, markers, and washi tape that you want to use, or buy a book that is already set up, so you just fill in the prompts, like this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/892541615/gratitude-journal-with-prompts-bujo
Set aside time to dedicate to journaling:
In order for this to work, as with anything, you want to give it some time. For me, that’s about 15 minutes a night. It has the added bonus of getting me off the phone right before I turn off the lights, that way!
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