How to Start a Gratitude Journal
Be Thankful., Make it a rule to write down a certain number of things you are thankful for per day., Many people start by writing down basic material things that they are grateful for in their lives., Write about extended material things in your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be Thankful.
Thankfulness is an attitude that you can practice and develop.
Cultivating gratitude as the norm in your life will make keeping a gratitude journal much easier. -
Step 2: Make it a rule to write down a certain number of things you are thankful for per day.
Avoid repeating the same things.
This will make writing in the journal more challenging as time goes on, but that's how your awareness and thankfulness will grow.
You'll be challenging yourself to find new things to be thankful for that perhaps you never noticed before. , It's easiest to recognize things that sustain your life here on Earth like your house, your bed, your clothes, your food etc.
Be sure to explain how this makes you feel and why you're grateful for it.
Example
- I am grateful for my house.
My house warms my body and shelters and protects me.
It gives me a sense of relief knowing that there is always a comforting place to come back to. , These things vary from person to person depending on what you like and take interest in.
For example, if you love to paint, you may be grateful for the paint that you have.
Or, if you like music you may be grateful for your CD collections. , You can start by feeling grateful to be alive at all.
Then start writing about feeling grateful to have the body you have, even if you don't like everything.
Avoid the trap of being grateful for something that is better than what other people have.
Instead, compare whatever you are grateful for with how you would feel if you didn't have it at all. , You may start with basic abilities like your ability to see, your ability to hear, your ability to walk.
Then progress to the extended abilities that are unique to you.
Think about skillful things like dancing, singing, writing, and features that make up your character like your listening skills, your skills in cheering up people, your skills in being a good friend. , Think about all the people you care about, like your parents, your friends, your significant other, your pets.
Write why you are grateful for each person and how they make you feel.
This helps you to appreciate them and see only the good in them.
It's also good to write about the people that you don't really like and find a reason to appreciate them.
This can be difficult as we don't really appreciate people we don't like but it can be very uplifting.
There is good in everyone and it's very mood shifting to find the good in even people we dislike and feel grateful for them. , There are always situations that have made us happy.
For example, you may be grateful for a fun party, a good day at school/work, a fun vacation. -
Step 3: Many people start by writing down basic material things that they are grateful for in their lives.
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Step 4: Write about extended material things in your life.
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Step 5: Describe how you are grateful for yourself.
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Step 6: Think about your abilities.
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Step 7: Consider the people in your life.
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Step 8: Write about situations and experiences.
Detailed Guide
Thankfulness is an attitude that you can practice and develop.
Cultivating gratitude as the norm in your life will make keeping a gratitude journal much easier.
Avoid repeating the same things.
This will make writing in the journal more challenging as time goes on, but that's how your awareness and thankfulness will grow.
You'll be challenging yourself to find new things to be thankful for that perhaps you never noticed before. , It's easiest to recognize things that sustain your life here on Earth like your house, your bed, your clothes, your food etc.
Be sure to explain how this makes you feel and why you're grateful for it.
Example
- I am grateful for my house.
My house warms my body and shelters and protects me.
It gives me a sense of relief knowing that there is always a comforting place to come back to. , These things vary from person to person depending on what you like and take interest in.
For example, if you love to paint, you may be grateful for the paint that you have.
Or, if you like music you may be grateful for your CD collections. , You can start by feeling grateful to be alive at all.
Then start writing about feeling grateful to have the body you have, even if you don't like everything.
Avoid the trap of being grateful for something that is better than what other people have.
Instead, compare whatever you are grateful for with how you would feel if you didn't have it at all. , You may start with basic abilities like your ability to see, your ability to hear, your ability to walk.
Then progress to the extended abilities that are unique to you.
Think about skillful things like dancing, singing, writing, and features that make up your character like your listening skills, your skills in cheering up people, your skills in being a good friend. , Think about all the people you care about, like your parents, your friends, your significant other, your pets.
Write why you are grateful for each person and how they make you feel.
This helps you to appreciate them and see only the good in them.
It's also good to write about the people that you don't really like and find a reason to appreciate them.
This can be difficult as we don't really appreciate people we don't like but it can be very uplifting.
There is good in everyone and it's very mood shifting to find the good in even people we dislike and feel grateful for them. , There are always situations that have made us happy.
For example, you may be grateful for a fun party, a good day at school/work, a fun vacation.
About the Author
Benjamin Wells
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.
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