We are probably all familiar with the idea of keeping a gratitude journal. Back in 1995, Sarah Ban Breathnach published the book that started it all – Simple Abundance. She shared it with Oprah and the rest is history.
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Keeping a Gratitude Journal
I’m all about anything which helps me “create a beautiful life”. I honestly believe that, to a large extent, we find what we look for. If we begin each day looking for things to be grateful for we will find them. That’s why the practice of journaling can make such a big difference in our daily experience. Just knowing that you’ll be writing one or more things you are grateful for in a journal makes you more aware of the good things you encounter throughout the day.
Scientists and psychologists have actually studied gratitude and found that intentional gratitude can significantly increase personal well-being.
The benefits
Gratitude can improve your health, your relationships, your sleep, your productivity and more:
31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About
Tracking Happiness: The Benefits of a Gratitude Journal
The Benefits of Adding Gratitude to Your Attitude
Tips
There are many ways to keep a gratitude journal so you’ll need to decide what works best for you. It’s also important to be specific and consistent.
Turn Pain to Joy: 11 Tips for a Powerful Gratitude Journal
5 Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal
A Simple Weekly Mindfulness Practice: Keep a Gratitude Journal
Resources
Books about gratitude, journals and apps…here is a brief list of resources to help you get started on your gratitude journey.
The Book that began it all
Other Books about Gratitude
Gratitude Journals
There are many ways to keep a gratitude journal. Any blank notebook will do and I’ve heard of people who write their daily gratitudes on index cards. But sometimes it’s fun to have a pretty journal or a book designed specifically for gratitude journaling.
Here are some fun options, including the original – The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude:
Gratitude Apps
For some, a phone app may be the better way to keep a gratitude journal. The big advantage is that our phones are always with us. We can maintain our gratitude practice no matter where we are.
Here are three highly-rated gratitude apps, all of which are free:
Notes to Self – A Gratitude Journal
Personal Journal – Free Diary and Gratitude Journal
More about gratitude:
How to Practice Gratitude Meditation
7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude That Will Motivate You to Give Thanks Year Round
The Productive Woman Podcast –
Mindset Matters – Productive Attitudes
Do you keep a gratitude journal? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment.
I credit this book and the Gratitude Journal I began keeping all those many years ago (you know, when the book was new) with the change in attitude I cultivated over the years. Gratitude helped me to see that the things I most valued weren’t always things at all, and that those that were things were usually more than affordable. Daffodil bulbs planted for next year? $2.49 at Aldi this week…Very affordable and what a bonus to me next spring when they begin to bloom.
It’s so often the little things. As soon as I finish up a few blog tasks this evening I’m going to go light some candles on my porch and listen to music. It’s a beautiful night and the temperature is perfect. I’m grateful, indeed.
I haven’t really kept a journal of any kind – unless my blog counts – since I lost my sight. I used to have all kinds of pretty notebooks, and a few plain ones too, and kept what I suppose would be considered more a commonplace book than anything, recording everything from thoughts and feelings I had at any given time, to observations and ideas for writing that popped in to my head. When I lost my sight, I destroyed every single one of them. There were a few things I might have liked to have from them, but there were several things I didn’t want others to read, and it would have been impossible for someone to help me find the bits I wanted from them without also reding the rest. If I couldn’t read them, I didn’t want anyone else to do so. I never found a way that worked as well after that. It takes too long to write anything with a braille writing frame, so I hate doing so if I can avoid it, and only do a word or two when I have to use the frame. The brailler (braille version of a typewriter) is noisy, bulky, and too heavy to move around, so again I don’t tend to use it much. I think half the problem is I want something that can take the place of the notebook I carried around with me everywhere, which I could quickly jot things down on, and haven’t yet found anything portable enough that can also be used with the speed and ease of quickly scribbling a note in a notebook with a pen.
That’s a shame that you had to get rid of your old journals but I totally understand why you did. Some things just aren’t meant to be read by anyone else. Have you thought about doing a voice recording in place of journaling?
I’ve thought about it, but don’t like the idea. Plus, it wouldn’t take the place of a commonplace book, since I couldn’t use that method when out and about due to it either being too quiet and everyone listening in, or too noisy so that background noise would make me hearing my recordings later difficult.
Right now, for notes out and about, I use Apple Notes on my phone. But I’ve not become confident and comfortable enough with using that yet to use it for journaling or anything like that.