KEEPING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Top 5 Benefits of Gratitude Journaling:
1. Improves mental health: Multiple studies in the field of positive psychology have shown that gratitude journaling helps people to get rid of negative emotions.
2. Increases happiness: Further studies have shown that daily gratitude journaling has the single largest impact on increasing happiness and improving self-esteem
3. Helps you sleep better: With a lower amount of negative emotions and great happiness and feelings of self-worth, many of the things that keep us up at night tossing and turning are gone. Helping to improve sleep quality and quantity.
4. Improves relationships: Journaling about your gratitude makes you more aware of what others do for you. This often leads to improved expression of gratitude to others.
5. Gratitude increases resilience: Gratitude gives your perspective and helps you realize that no matter how bad things are, “this too shall pass”.
QUESTION PROMPTS:
You can have more than one mind movie – choose the topic some examples would be
1. What’s something that you’re looking forward to?
2. What’s a simple pleasure that you’re grateful for?
3. What’s something that you grateful to have today that you didn’t have a year ago?
4. Write about a happy memory or someplace you’ve been that you’re grateful for
5. What’s something about your body or health that you’re grateful for?
6. Open the door or window and look outside. What’s something you’re grateful for outside?
7. What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of?
8. What’s a possession that makes your life easier?
9. Open your phone or photo album, and find a photo that you like, what are you grateful for?
10. What have you been given that you’re grateful for?
11. What artist, author, or musician are you grateful for?
12. What do you like about your job?
13. How are you able to help others?
14. What public service or organization are you grateful for (i.e. the library or fire department)?
15. What book(s) are you grateful for?
16. Write about a friend that you’re grateful for.
17. Write about a teacher or mentor that you’re grateful for.
18. Write about a family member that you’re grateful for.
19. What did you accomplish today?
20. What’s a tradition that you’re grateful for?
METHODS
There are many ideas and methods for Journaling – it can be a book but not limited to a book, use a glass bottle, or a box, or ice-cream sticks or…. Google or Pinterest some ideas!