Why a gratitude journal keeps me balanced
I can’t recall who or what inspired me to start noting down the things I’m grateful for, but over the past 4 years, I’ve been writing in a gratitude journal diligently every night before I sleep. It’s been the best decision!
For something that has been such a big part of my life since 2014, I thought I’d give it a shoutout. So perhaps, you can try it out too.
What is a gratitude journal?
A daily journal where you note down all the things you’re grateful or thankful for. It doesn’t have to be a physical journal, it could be online, or on the notes of your phone.
How do you get started?
There isn’t really a trick for that really, all you have to do is think of the things that happened over the day, and note down those that you’re thankful for. There is plenty to be thankful for, if you really think about it. Like a nice home-cooked meal at the end of the day, good weather, a nice catch-up with friends, or a simple act of kindness you received from somebody.
I like to make a list and just name all the things throughout the day. The longer it gets, the more fulfilled I feel!
How did it help me?
I’m pretty sure I was inspired by a friend on Facebook who shared an article about starting a gratitude journal. It was near New Year’s Day, and it seemed like a great way to start off a brand new year. It’s already been 4 whole years!
I started out writing in my journal every night before I slept, and I tried to squeeze every little thing I can think of to write. Nowadays it functions as a diary too, because I look back at what I did for the day! It’s nice to be able to see what I was doing one year ago today haha.
Making myself to focus on what I’m thankful for means I only write down the positive things that happened in a day. This way, I don’t remember the details of a bad day, or I’m forced to note down the silver linings instead. Say I had a tiring day at work, I can choose to only write about how I got to relax at home with the family after that. There are always good things to write about! You just have to think hard enough.
