Tips for Starting a Gratitude Journal

Keeping up with writing in a gratitude journal is beneficial for your health. Our brain naturally holds on to negativity, but keeping a gratitude journal helps balance that negativity out. Writing out what you are grateful for rather than just thinking about it also has a greater emotional affect. Additionally, It gives your subconscious mind a chance to rewire toxic thinking patterns. By doing this, you will attract more positivity in your life and feel more secure and happy with what you have. It’s not about listing every major thing you are thankful for, but about appreciating the little things and falling in love with the world around you. Interested in starting a gratitude journal of your own? Here are some tips on how to get started:

Set aside a time each week for writing.

You must commit to writing in your gratitude journal in order to fully benefit from it. However, this does not mean you have to write in your journal every day. The purpose of keeping a gratitude journal is to really feel how thankful you are for the things in your life, and over-doing it by writing every day would turn it into another monotonous task that you become numb to.

Make a writing ritual. 

Creating a ritual for writing in your gratitude journal will make the experience that much more enjoyable for your mind, body, and spirit. Get into the right headspace before you sit down to write all the things you are thankful for. You can do this by lighting a candle or some incense, sitting down in a comfortable position and doing a short meditation to clear your mind, and saying a little prayer or whatever you feel comfortable with before getting started

 Go in-depth.

Instead of going through a list of things you know you should be thankful for, it is much more effective to sit down and go deeper with it. Be specific and dive in rather than making a long, superficial list of things you don’t actually connect with. It’s about quality over quantity.

Get personal.

It is much more impactful to think of people who you are deeply grateful for rather than the things you are grateful for. That’s not to say you can’t be incredibly thankful for the space you live in or the material things you’ve acquired in your life, but make sure you put a personalized, emotional twist to it. Focus on the “who” more than the “what” and you will find more success.

Be specific.

In my experience, being more specific with my gratitude journal is more effective. It’s not enough to just say “I’m thankful for my partner” but “I’m thankful for my partner because they go out of their way to make sure my needs are met.” In doing this, you will shine more light on the postive ways the people in your life impact you on a personal level.

Once you get into the right mindset and stick to a routine, writing in your gratitude journal will be second nature.

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Starting with a creative written voice and a BA in English from ASU, Alli Cravener has become so much more than Integrative Counsel’s voice! Not only is she a writer who is passionate about connecting concepts and content, Alli is also currently a grad student working towards her Master’s in Counseling. She is also the editor-in-chief, office manager, AND intake specialist at Integrative Counsel. When you call us, you’ll talk to Alli! Alli’s interests include painting, history, learning about other people, and wearing the color pink. She likens herself to a “mouse in a palm tree”, and she loves it that way.