First things first; what is a gratitude journal? The basic premise of a gratitude journal is to spend a moment every day or once a week writing down something that you’re thankful for. You can get a new journal to dedicate this practice to, or you can add it into your existing bullet journal (check out Molly Makes Memories to learn more about bullet journaling).
But why would I start a gratitude journal? What are the benefits? Well according to scientific research, practicing gratitude can actually improve your overall mental health!
Here are a few key takeaways from Berkeley’s 2017 research on why you should start practicing gratitude:
- Writing down what you’re thankful for takes away our attention from negative emotions and refocuses them to positive ones.
- By picking up the practice of gratitude journaling and writing down what you’re thankful for is helpful, even if you don’t share it with anyone.
- Gratitude journaling takes time to show results – their research shows that the longer you participate in practicing gratitude, the more benefits you’ll see long term.
- Gratitude actually has lasting effects on your brain! This study suggests “that people who are more grateful are also more attentive to how they express gratitude.”
So let’s get started! You can find some gratitude journal prompts on our Pinterest board to jump start your gratitude journal journey.
Tag us on Instagram or email us with your own journal prompt ideas and let us know how it’s going!
