Counting your blessings is a great way to lift your spirits when you feel down. When you make it a daily habit to practice gratitude, it has a big impact on your life. Embracing gratitude is known to regulate your emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your sleep. Once you get into the habit of contemplating what you are grateful for each day, it’s time to consider making it a written activity. Wouldn’t it be nice to keep a gratitude journal so you can look back every so often and see what blessings you had and were grateful for?
Perhaps you don’t enjoy writing, or you feel you don’t have enough time to dedicate to a gratitude journal right now. However, writing down your blessings doesn’t have to be formal. And it really doesn’t take much time. It doesn’t require strong writing skills, either. Your gratitude journal can be whatever you create it to be. The point is to not stress about it but to make it an enjoyable experience. You can enjoy the benefits that come from the physical process of creating a record of what you are thankful for.
Gratitude Journaling Methods
You don’t have to go out and buy a fancy gratitude journal, although those can be pretty fun to use. You can use any kind of tool to keep a record of your blessings. If you prefer electronic methods, you can use a gratitude journaling app on your smartphone or device. Some people use the notepad app on their phone or computer to jot down their blessings. Maybe writing isn’t your thing, but you love to express yourself artistically. There are plenty of gratitude journals and coloring pages you can print for free from resources such as Etsy and Pinterest. Your kids might want to follow your example. It’s a great way to teach them how to appreciate what they have. Children’s coloring gratitude journals are a fun way to express themselves!
Benefits Of A Gratitude Journal
Writing can be therapeutic, even relaxing. Some people enjoy starting their day with journaling, while some enjoy the benefits of a brain dump at night before they go to sleep. For gratitude journaling, in particular, keep the focus on positivity. Yes, there will be unfortunate circumstances in life that make it difficult to think positively or even feel gratitude. However, when you make gratitude journaling a daily habit, you will develop a lifestyle of appreciating what you have and not focusing on what’s going wrong in your life. When you force yourself to search for the good things despite hardship, it can help you build strength and resilience to keep moving forward.
Writing in your gratitude journal can help relieve stress. When you feel stressed, burned out, busy, or preoccupied with the hardships of life, writing in your gratitude journal can help shift your focus. When you pause and reflect on your blessings, it can help your negative thoughts melt away. Take some time to sip on a warm beverage or glass of wine to relax, write down your blessings, and see how much better you feel.
Tips For Gratitude Journaling
When you are ready to get started, remember to be consistent with creating a habit and lifestyle of gratitude. Some people prefer to journal twice a day, morning and night. Others like to journal once daily. You may need to set a reminder on your phone or leave a post-it note out where you will see it until the habit becomes like clockwork. Keep your gratitude journal handy at your bedside where you will see it or on your device that you use daily. Use the method that works best for you and your preferences. Use the method that is the most enjoyable to you, as well. In fact, you don’t have to use just one! Some days you may feel like sitting down with a gratitude journal coloring book to help you relax. Other days may be busy, and you jot down your blessings in your notepad on your phone. Keep a tablet and pen on your bedside nightstand for those nights where you want to count your blessings as you fall asleep. Counting your blessings at night is much better than counting sheep!