Unlock the Surprising Power of a Gratitude Journal That Could Change Your Life Forever
Benefits of Gratitude
Over time you’ll find that you have a lot to appreciate. Practicing gratitude doesn’t mean we ignore the negativity in our lives or dismiss real problems. But it creates a much-needed sense of balance and promotes positive thinking, which means you’ll be better equipped to cope with negativity and solve serious problems, because you’ll be thinking more clearly.
Here are some reasons why documenting your gratitudes can be beneficial:
- A great way to start your day. It’s not always easy to roll out of bed and propel yourself into your daily routine. Some days it’s downright dreadful, like when you know you have to attend a long, boring meeting, take a test, or see the doctor. If you write in your gratitude journal in the morning, it will start your day on a positive note, and a day that starts well is less likely to turn sour.
- Good for the soul. The process of thinking about what you’re grateful for and expressing your gratitude just makes you feel good. This could be contagious, and other people around you might absorb some of that positive energy. This makes life better for everyone.
- Cultivate observational skills. Observation is one of the most powerful skills a writer can develop. The practice of gratitude teaches you to pay attention to everything around you, and that means you’ll take in more of your surroundings, which can inform your fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writing projects.
- Promote positive thinking. Because the things for which you’re grateful are the positives in life, when you focus on them, you’re directing your attention away from the negatives. You’ll think better thoughts, feel better, live better, and write better.
- Generate new thoughts and ideas. This is especially useful for creative people, like writers. When you force yourself to sit down each day and think about something, the result is a string of thoughts and ideas. Some of these will be great fodder for articles, stories, and poems.
- A great way to end your day. When it’s time to wind down and shift into relaxation mode, thinking about the good things in life will help you clear your mind and put you in a lighter, brighter mood. That’s an excellent way to prepare for a decent night’s sleep!
- Daily writing. We writers know how important it is to keep our writing muscles in shape by writing every day. Any kind of daily journal forces us to write regularly, but a gratitude journal has all these other positive benefits.
Tips for Gratitude Journaling
Here are a few tips for keeping a gratitude journal:
