Have you ever felt that you find yourself getting caught up in the frustrations and downers that life throws your way? Like sometimes it’s tough to see past all the challenges and you forget about all the wonderful and rewarding parts of life? We all have things to be grateful for – there’s no doubt. But when life is throwing too much tough stuff your way, it’s easy to look right past the good stuff. So how about keeping a gratitude journal? A simple place to write down all things good, you can easily open it up for a simple reminder of all you have to be thankful for. Not sure what you’d even write in there? Let’s take a look at why starting a gratitude journal could be the most positive thing you’ve done for yourself in quite a while.
HOW & WHY TO START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
First of all, what could be more positive than spending five minutes a day writing down all the things you’re thankful for or all the good things that happened that day? Can you picture how incredible you’d feel when you look back after a few months to see just how many good things have happened?
The daily practice of focusing on the good is one of the best ways to turn your whole attitude around. There’s nothing as wonderful as setting a tone of positivity that can trickle into all aspects of your life. When you make writing down the positive things a daily habit, you’ll start to feel more positive from head to toe – letting your inner optimist shine through.
Make writing in your gratitude journal the last thing you do before you put your head on the pillow each night. Ending every day on a positive note and heading into dreamland thinking good thoughts is amazing. Leave the stress behind and let your worries melt away as you focus on the great stuff.
How about when you’re feeling super down and out and you’re just not sure you can dig out of that black hole that’s dragging you even further down? A gratitude journal can be there to save the day. Just when you’re so caught up in that tailspin of negative thoughts, sit down and start journaling the things you’re thankful for. Suddenly it doesn’t all seem so dark.
It’s something for you only – to help put your own life into perspective – and give yourself the opportunity to see things more clearly when the view starts to become cloudy. Use it as a place to look back over time and realize how you’ve grown, changed and what’s important today versus what was important a year ago. Reflection is a big part of why a gratitude journal can bring such positivity to your life – so use this as a way to make time for that too.
Make it simple. Get a simple notebook or journal that you just love the look and feel of. Spend 5-10 minutes writing down all the good parts of your day or things you’re grateful for right before you head to bed. Make it a daily habit. Just do what feels right to you and the journey will take you wherever you’re meant to go.
