It is no secret that an attitude of gratitude has positive effects but we seldom take the time to express gratitude in our daily lives. One way to incorporate this habit is by keeping a Gratitude Journal. Keeping a gratitude journal can change your life. Even Oprah Winfrey keeps such a journal:
…whenever there’s a grateful moment, I note it. I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you’re aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.
– Oprah Winfrey, Oprah
Starting a gratitude general is easy. Just get yourself a notebook and pen and write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for in your day. You may do this right before you sleep or you can out your notebook whenever you feel there’s something good to be grateful for throughout the day.
Here are some of the ways, a Gratitude Journal, can change your life.
1. Increase Positivity
Writing down the things that you are grateful for increases your positive vibes. It makes you more optimistic about your life as you focus on the good things that you are thankful for, taking time away from dwelling too much on negative thoughts and emotions. As you write down your blessings, you may even find yourself smiling more.
2. Improve Confidence
By seeing the good in things, you will also be able to easily see the good in you and be more appreciative of yourself. In doing so, you tend to lessen the impulse to compare yourself to others. Writing down your thoughts also increases your confidence in communicating with others as you are able to practice expressing your thoughts and feelings unto paper which in turn, can help you express them verbally to other people.
3. Improve Memory
At least, it helps you improve your memories of good experiences. The habit of reviewing your day to look for things you are grateful for enhances your associative memory. It is easier to recall things that you have strong feelings for than those that you don’t or just experienced in passing. This habit may even help you get rid of phobias from past traumas as you slowly start associating things that were previously negative in context with new experiences that are now more positive.
4. Reduce Stress
Developing a grateful attitude even in tough times inevitably results in feeling less stressed about life than usual. As you see more good things around you, noticing more positive things happening around you, you also tend to look for the positive in every situation. The time you spend worrying is gradually reduced and replaced with time spent observing and being grateful for what’s good in the moment.
A habit of gratitude also enhances your innate sense of faith that things will eventually turn out for the best and you go about your day with a more positive outlook of the future than you did before.
5. Better Sleep
As you review your day and ponder over the things that you are grateful for, you are less likely to dwell on your worries and enjoy a more sound, restful sleep. Writing down on your Gratitude Journal for just 15 minutes before going to sleep is a good way to wind down and put your mind into a calm state that encourages restful sleep.
You will see that as you practice being grateful, you will attract more things that you will be grateful for. Try keeping a Gratitude Journal for a at least a month and see if you experience the life-changing results.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Freshh Connection on Unsplash.