Feel Happier and Less Anxious Right Now: How to Start A Gratitude Journal
“The struggle ends when gratitude begins.” – Neale Donald Walsch
When I was younger, I tended to view life with a “glass half empty” attitude. Toss anxiety on top of that viewpoint and you can imagine my inner critic had a few things to say about that!
“Of course this is happening to me - I have the worst luck.”
“I’ll always be alone … I’ll never find someone.”
“I’ll never achieve that level of success … I’m not enough.”
“Why do bad things always happen to me?”
And on and on… Can you relate?
It’s a tough way to live. It feels like you are constantly swimming upstream as the world continues to prove that your inner critic is correct. But what if I told you that you could change all that with one very simple task that you can start doing right away? You can! With a gratitude journal. Today I’m sharing exactly why gratitude can help shift your perspective and how to keep a gratitude journal so that you can reduce your anxiety and increase your overall happiness.
The Gift of Gratitude
There is something very interesting about what happens when you practice gratitude. The science that has been done on this topic shows us that being grateful has tremendous benefits, including:
Improved overall health
Improved Relationships
Better well-being
More quality sleep
Feeling more positive to bounce back from stress and difficulty
Increase self-esteem
The coolest thing is that when you practice gratitude, studies have shown that although it doesn’t happen overnight, the neural pathways of your brain actually change to start looking for the good instead of constantly scanning for the bad. Studies show that there is an increased activity in parts of the brain related to empathy and perspective-taking.
For example, instead of walking into a room and seeing a dusty shelf or a cluttered desk, you might notice the sunlight streaming in from the window or your favorite painting above your desk.
And the best part? You have everything you need right now to start finding inner peace and genuine happiness.
The Power of a Gratitude Journal
Research shows that keeping a gratitude journal for just five minutes a day can boost your happiness by about 10%. 10 Percent! That’s about the same boost of happiness you would get (according to a study in the journal Emotions) if your salary just doubled. Pretty insane, right?
But why write it down? Why not just say what you are grateful for to yourself each morning when you wake up or at night before bed?
Because writing it on paper makes the thoughts more concrete and real. And, the list you create gives you something to look back on when things feel overwhelming or you need a pick-me-up. Also, spending a few moments each day to write down your thoughts on gratitude increases your self-awareness and decreases your stress level because it causes you to pause and reflect. And, if you focus on this right before bed, it can also clear your mind of the things that are worrying you and allow you to get a better night’s sleep.
Starting a gratitude journal is truly as simple as finding a pen and paper (or journal) and setting aside 5 minutes during your day to write down the things in your life that you are grateful for. There’s no wrong way to do it! But, to really get the biggest bang for your buck, there are also a few tips and tricks on how to get started and what to write to keep the momentum going.
How to Start A Gratitude Journal
To get started, set aside 15 minutes a day, at least three times a week for two weeks. Personally, I prefer to write in my gratitude journal right before bed to help me sleep better. But be sure to explore the right time that feels best for you. Could be first thing in the morning, half way through your day, or right after dinner.
Write down up to five things for which you feel grateful. You can list things you think are relatively small in importance (“I enjoyed that ice cream break today!”) or relatively large (“I was able to do something that was important to me even when I felt anxious.”). The goal is to remember a good event, experience, person, or thing in your life—then enjoy the good emotions that come with it!
As you begin to write, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Be specific. Instead of “I am grateful for my neighbors” it’s more powerful to write, “I am grateful that my neighbors check on me when I am not feeling well.”
Focus on people and not things. Although being grateful for things is important, you’ll get more of those good emotions when you focus on the people in your life.
Go deep and not wide. It’s more impactful when you write down more details about fewer things than simply writing a list.
Mention the things that you avoided. Did you avoid a negative experience? How about when something negative turned into a positive? This is a great way not to take your good fortune for granted.
Remember surprises. Be sure to jot down things that happened that were happy, unexpected surprises - they tend to evoke stronger levels of gratitude.
No duplication, for at least two weeks. This gives you a chance to reflect on the things in your life that make you thankful. If you have to repeat, be sure to reflect on different aspects of what makes you grateful.
Pause and reflect. Before you close your book and wrap up your daily entry, pause and reflect on what you just wrote down. Can you notice how you feel on the inside as you reflect on what you wrote? Do you feel a deeper sense of appreciation for what you have?
Sure, I still have my moments of negative thoughts and perspectives, but I can say without a doubt that my own personal gratitude journal has truly changed my life. Now, instead of seeing the world through a “half empty glass” perspective, I see it as a place full of joy, prosperity and abundance. And I wish the same for you as you begin this process as well!