Lifestyle July 23, 2019
Journal your way to a positive outlook
Feeling overwhelmed with bad vibes? It’s easy to get caught in a bad head space when you’re stuck in a loop of negativity on the news and comparing yourself to others on social media. But when you’re focusing on the bad, it prevents you from realizing all of the good. Here’s where a gratitude journal can help you out.
Basically, you write down and reflect on the good things in your life that you are grateful for. This practice is based on positive psychology, which has found that consistently practicing gratitude can enhance your mental health and happiness.
But how can you go from scribbling lists to actually feeling happier in your life? Here are five tips to get the most out of your gratitude journal.
When you’re listing positive things in your life, it can be easy to stick to the broad and obvious. But, don’t just write “friends, family, health” in your gratitude journal and be done with it.
Try to be more detailed, like naming specific friends and what you appreciate the most about them. The more specific and deeper you are, the more you will learn about what in particular motivates and influences your happiness.
If you’re a busy person, it can be easy to rush through your journaling carelessly or forget to do it consistently. But one of the main benefits of a gratitude journal is the time it allows you to spend reflecting. Pencil in about 15 minutes for journaling in your calendar one to three times a week, and actually do it!
You’ll be proud of yourself for checking something easy off your to-do list, and keeping it as a habit will help the gratitude really stick in your head.
After your first few times practicing the classic list style journaling, you might feel like your gratitude journal has gotten a little competitive. If your stuck, use a prompt to inspire a new thought path!
Here are some prompt ideas that can help you get the creative juices flowing again. Don’t be afraid to hone in on one theme, like the things you’re good at or what you like about your favorite outfit. You can even add motivational quotes like these to inspire your positivity.
If you’re a more visual person, you may benefit from adding images alongside the writing in your gratitude journal. Doodle your favorite foods, or glue on photos of your pet. Seeing these images on the pages can help you better count your blessings!
One of the best parts about keeping a gratitude journal overtime is looking back on earlier pages. Re-reading past lists can help you see patterns in what makes you happy as well as changes in yourself and your mental health. Learning how you’ve grown and what has continued to motivate you will show you that you can boost your happiness moving forward.
With these tips in mind, your gratitude journal will help you become more self-aware, more grateful, and overall, happier! Remember that, like all forms of self-care, effective gratitude journaling requires patience, practice, and a positive attitude. Happy writing!
