Tips for What to Include in a Gratitude Journal
There are many reasons to keep a Gratitude Journal. Whether you’re healing or just want to feel more thankful, jotting down your thoughts is super powerful. That’s why Gratitude Journals are a hit. If you’ve ever wanted to get started writing a Gratitude Journal but are stuck for ideas of what to write about, try out these tips and prompts for journaling. 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 center yourself. By using mindfulness or meditation to pause and empty your mind of thoughts, you pay 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 wind chimes outside or smell dinner in the oven, which are both things to be grateful for. Write about these things.
Ask Why
If you’re already experiencing gratitude, take a moment to uncover the specific reasons behind it. Ask why you feel this way and keep asking why until you find the root. For instance, if you’re expressing gratitude for chocolate chip cookies, you may realize that your affection for them stems from the memories of your grandmother always making 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, 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’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. A heart filled with gratitude is a heart that is happy.
Prompts for Journaling Your Way to Self-Worth
Journaling is a fantastic way to build your self-worth. It’s a well-established practice in therapy and psychology, and it works equally well for children and adults. Journaling can be art or writing or a collage or a combination of whatever feels right for you.
There is a range of prompts for journaling to help you get over the fear of the blank page or to help you get over those ‘um, I don’t know’ moments. This article provides a few suggestions, but once you get into the swing of journaling, the ideas will flow!
- You can make it easier to break-through the ‘bashful barrier’ if you find it hard to find positive things to say – you can start at the back of the journal and work forward, write in a spiral or turn your book sideways or upside-down.
- Write in your happiest memories and include photos of parties, holidays and loved ones. You can make timelines of the best days in your life that make you feel proud of yourself, like graduation, your first job, your first solo car trip. Work over multiple or fold-out pages, make double-spreads, include photos as well.
- You can use affirmations to remind yourself of your positive character traits, for example.
- I am kind
- I am good at…
- People really like my…
- I’m proud I can…
- I am loved by…
- I feel good when…
Your Inner Critic
- Think of three things your Inner Critic finds fault with and consciously turn them around. Write the positive in your journal. You can use your journal as a way of visualizing your goals—what do you want to achieve, feel or do today, this week, by Christmas?
- You can also make your journal a beautiful object—go to an art store and buy your favorite colors in a range of media—pencils, watercolors, collage papers, stamps. Use glitter, stickers, puff paints—you can go wild and treat your inner child. Your book about you will reflect all the colors within. Or maybe you’d prefer something more minimalist—make your journal a thing of monochrome beauty, use lovely rich Japanese inks, textured papers, graphite. Try using pens, pencils, and brushes to create a variety of lines.
Using these tips and prompts for journaling should help to make it a happy activity. Something that you enjoy working on and reading. And when you’re feeling down, referring to it can help you silence your Inner Critic.