Five Ways To Use A Gratitude Journal To Improve Your Life

When was the last time you wrote in your gratitude journal? Do you keep one for yourself or have friends or family check theirs to make sure they’re happy and positive? It’s a good idea to regularly read through your journal. After all, it could be hiding some secrets that you need to discover. Instead of just letting it lie and waiting for the perfect time to use it, why not incorporate it into your everyday life? Keep a regular diary of events and things that happen daily. 

Try writing down five things you noticed after waking up, ten things you are grateful for today, etc. This will help with situational awareness, increase your awareness of everything around you, and improve your focus on tasks at hand. A gratitude journal can also help change our outlook on life. By regularly recording what we appreciate about our lives, we have a greater chance of keeping our spirits high and winning over new experiences each day.

Create a Daily Routine

Set a daily routine around your journal so that it becomes a part of your life. For example, use it to write down what you did the morning before and what you want to do for the day. This way, it is easier for you to stay on track with your goals. It will also make it easier to remember how things were going and not get stuck in a rut. Another way to incorporate your gratitude journal is through consistent reminders. Let’s say you have been trying to stick to a new healthy eating plan but find yourself slipping back into old habits because you don’t have an incentive or reminder system in place. You could set up an app notification that wakes you up at around 6 am telling you something like “I feel great today!”

Related: 4 Tips for Establishing Good Habits into Your Daily Routine

Encourage Self-Care and Mindfulness

Although self-care is not listed as one of the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal, it can still be easily implemented into your journaling routine. Many people are drawn to the idea of mindfulness and many believe that it’s one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. It’s something that takes time to master but by practicing mindfulness each day, can take on a life of its own. This includes practicing mindfulness activities like yoga and meditation. These practices help us know how to calm down and focus on what’s happening in our bodies or in our minds while refining awareness around ourselves. In turn, this helps with coping with stress or traumatic events. Another way to use a gratitude journal is by writing positive affirmations that you want to see in your life more often such as "I always feel good about myself" or "I always feel loved no matter what." Putting these statements down on paper is an easy way to start implementing them into your everyday thoughts, deeds, and actions.

Related: 6 Reasons Millennials Should Be Meditating

Learn From Your Past to Benefit Your Future

Perhaps your journal can also help you learn from past experiences. When was the last time you wrote down some of the lessons you’ve learned? Maybe it was when you lost something and felt heartbroken, or when a friend left you for someone else, or when a job ended poorly. Write down those lessons in your gratitude journal. What did you learn from them? What were some of the steps that helped to change that experience for the better? It might be a good idea to keep a journal on hand each time something bad happens so that we can remind ourselves how to proceed through these tough times. We might not be able to change things, but we can take something away from these moments and help us move forward without feeling as much pain.

Write Down Your Goals

A gratitude journal is also the perfect place to write down your goals. It’s a great reminder of why you are doing what you are doing and it helps you stay motivated. If you need an extra push to finish something, like finish your dissertation or make a batch of cookies, writing down your goals can be helpful. It will also provide you with a tangible goal to work towards instead of just floating in your head. Daily affirmations can also provide another way to keep yourself motivated. Affirmations are positive statements that help us believe in our dreams and help us see things from a new perspective. They boost self-esteem and inspire us to change or improve our lives for the better

Related: Your Intro to Journaling - 3 Easy Ways to Start Gratitude Journaling

Exercise and Live Healthy

Exercise is another one of the most important things to incorporate into your journal. Regular exercise is an excellent way to improve your mood and relieve stress. It can also reduce feelings of loneliness and depression. When you focus on healthy living it makes a difference in how happy and positive you feel throughout each day.

A gratitude journal is one of the simplest ways to improve your life. It can help you stay motivated, reduce stress, and make you feel better about everything. There are plenty of ways to use a gratitude journal to change your life for the better. By creating a daily routine, focusing on self-care and mindfulness, learning from the past, setting goals, and exercising and eating healthy you will be able to live a happier life.