Positive Thinking Skill: Gratitude Journal

In a previous post we discussed the power of positivity to help even out our negativity bias. Today, we’ll give an introduction to one of those skills: the gratitude journal.

What is a Gratitude Journal?

A gratitude journal is a way to track positive things that have happened to you. It can also remind us of daily positives that might otherwise go unnoticed. This list can be kept in your phone, a notepad, journal, post it notes, or even mentally (although there is power in having it written down, too).

How to Write a Gratitude Journal

Writing what you’re grateful for can be done in many ways that range from quick and simple to even complex story telling. Whether it’s one word describing what you’re grateful for or a story about it isn’t as important as pointing it out to yourself. So to get started, challenge yourself to find at least one thing a day you’re grateful for and write it down. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, or if you’ve written it down before. In fact, there can be a lot of power in pointing out to your brain that positive small things happen regularly.

As with all things regarding mental health, this is a skill that takes time to practice and may not feel very effective or often be forgotten at first. Be easy on yourself and keep practicing and you will likely better and the exercise will likely help more as you go on.