Journaling is often suggested by health care professionals and therapists as a tried and true method of reducing stress, managing anxiety, and increasing positivity when coping with sadness or depression. One of our favorite ways to journal is with a gratitude journal.

Gratitude has been scientifically proven to make us happier, healthier, more confident people. It’s an easy habit to form if you incorporate it into your daily routine and can be as easy as making note of a few things you are grateful for each day. Gratitude journaling requires a fairly small time investment for a huge reward.

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How Do I Get Started?

1. Start Your Day With Gratitude 

We believe that starting your day with gratitude and positivity sets you up for a happier, healthier day. If you set aside some time when you wake up - maybe with your morning coffee - to jot down a few things you’re grateful for, it turns the dial in your brain to a positive attitude right from the beginning of your day. If the morning doesn’t work for you, that’s okay. But, pick a regular time you’d like to practice gratitude and make it an important part of your daily routine. 

2. Do It Every Day

Forming a habit can take as little as two weeks. Inserting gratitude into your daily routine trains your brain to focus on the positive more readily. Your attitude changes from day to day, so it’s important to journal daily to see how what you’re grateful for changes with your mood or current environment. When you’ve journalled for a while, you’ll have an entire book of positivity to look back on when you’re in need of a lift -- and you can see how much you’ve grown.

3. Make It Easy and Fun

Get a journal that really appeals to you, that feels good to write in. Or, if you’re worried about finding the time to journal, keep a simple pad of paper and pen handy for whenever the mood strikes you. The easier it is to practice gratitude, the more likely you are to do it.

4. Make it Yours

Do whatever works for you! Share it with friends or keep it all to yourself. Write in colors that make you happy or keep it simple with your favorite pen. Write in full sentences or just use bullet points. Do whatever makes gratitude journaling feel like a bright spot in your day.

Grateful = Happy

Grateful people take the time to acknowledge the goodness in their lives and are often happier for it. You might find you quickly feel better, sleep better, and take better care of yourself simply by spending a few minutes a day being grateful.