Gratitude Journal

当我开始练习感恩时发生了什么

What is a gratitude journal?

We spend most of our lives in pursuit of happiness, peace of mind, contentment, and perfection in everything. A happy family, a beautiful home, a swanky car, a well-paying job, financial stability, and social status.

We pursue all these materialistic goals believing that they will bring even more happiness, peace of mind, and fulfillment. In truth, these are mirages – illusions or fantasies – something that you hope to achieve in the future but may not materialize at all.

Do you know that you hold the key to all these elusive good things in life right there in your hand?

All you need to do is access the key and open the door to all good things.

The key we are talking about is gratitude – the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation of things we already have.

Read on to learn more about gratitude, ways to practice gratitude, and the benefits of maintaining a gratitude journal.

Journaling is a technique that involves keeping a record of all things you are grateful for every day. The idea is to use it to jog your memory as you tend to forget the positive things in life.

From major events to seemingly inconsequential daily happenings, everything goes into a gratitude journal. Similar to a diary, you make entries against each day.

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Benefits of a gratitude journal

Journaling has been proven to improve focus and wellbeing. Keeping a gratitude journal is one of the most popular ways to practice gratitude. Not-so-hard to make it a habit and easy to manage, gratitude journaling acts as an instant pick-me-up when you are feeling down and out.

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How to start a gratitude journal?

A gratitude journal is similar to a diary. Instead of writing down your random thoughts and events, this involves writing about things that you are grateful for – both small and big. It is a diary with a focus on gratitude.

What works for one person may not be suitable for another. However, some common threads are noticeable in good gratitude journaling.

➢Pick out a journal (if going for the traditional way)

➢Set aside ample time to write in the journal

➢Create the right ambiance

➢Begin with gratitude-inducing prompts (a newbie may need this)

➢Think up newer topics every day

➢Observe the effects of journaling on you after a month or so

➢Gratitude prompts can be photos or messages you received or something that made you smile or laugh uncontrollably. Or a person or an incident that got you goosebumps. When searching for fresh topics, some suggestions are strangers who made an impact, a song that brightened your day, a new dish you tasted, or something new you learned.