Gratitude is the expression of a feeling in which a benefit that has been granted to us is recognized. There are several ways to express that emotion and one of them is through a gratitude journal.
Now, the action of thanking requires recognizing a fact as positive, highlighting it above any adverse circumstance. For this reason it is believed that gratitude brings benefits to those who practice it, since it not only generates a feeling of tranquility in the moment, but by making it a habit, we will tend to focus on present and future well-being.
A gratitude journal is a tool for that sensehelping the person to identify, within daily life, all those little details that make life pleasant.
What is a Gratitude Journal?
As the concept itself suggests, it is a diary or notebook in which a record is kept. Only this doesn’t apply to all everyday experiences, but to some in particular.
The purpose of the gratitude journal is to allow us to become aware of the good things around us that we often overlook. Consequently, this tool leads us to focus on the positive aspects, leaving the problems aside for a moment.
Don’t forget that in life there is good with bad. Only we must not ignore the first and highlight only the second. Precisely, the gratitude journal serves to refocus on the positive.
How do you make a gratitude journal?
There are commercial editions or versions of the gratitude journal, those who already arrive with indications on what to do. They even start each section with an inspiring phrase or thought.
A simple notebook can also be used, provided the exercises are completed, at the beginning and end of each day. Either way, working with a gratitude journal takes no more than five minutes. However, it can be of great help.
The basic idea is very simple: We need to write down everything we feel grateful for.. But to proceed in a more methodical, focused and be more concise way, it is suggested to do it as described below.
Notes in the morning
In the morning, preferably when we get up, you should write down the following in your notebook:
- Three things you are grateful for. It can be something general, like health, work, or family; or particular like the coffee you are tasting.
- Two things you think should happen for your day to be a good one; preferably, they should be hard, observable, and realistic facts.
- A positive statement about yourself. It also needs to be realistic, as the idea is not to deceive yourself, as this does not contribute to healthy self-esteem at all.
night notes
Reflecting at the end of the day on what happened during the day is positive and beneficial. It allows us to evaluate what has been achieved based on our goals and to continue working for the future; also be calm and relaxed when we go to bed.
Therefore, before going to sleep you should write the following in your gratitude journal:
- Three good things that happened to you during the day. They don’t have to match what you want in the morning; as long as they are positive, it will be fine.
- Two things that could have made the day better. Think about what you could change that is within your reach, but without repenting or reproaching yourself, or falling into self-destructive attitudes.
It doesn’t hurt that you appreciate the latter either, as often the things that go wrong are the things that make us learn and strengthen us. Well, they are an opportunity to improve.
The importance of practicing gratitude
Just five minutes a day working with your gratitude journal can change your mind if you’ve been stuck or depressed for a while. Practicing gratitude not only helps you see the positive in the moment, but also what happened to get you to where you are.
Also, reviewing what didn’t happen as expected helps you become aware of what you’re not doing right, allowing you to evaluate your performance. AND mutatis mutandis: change what needs to change.
There’s even more benefits of practicing gratitude from the point of view of physical and mental health:
- Valuing the positive that surrounds us, the negative feelings that enhance the depression.
- We advance in self-knowledge and in self-confidence.
- There is no doubt that positive emotions improve health and gratitude is one such emotion.
- Research conducted with athletes has found that those who practice gratitude also have higher self-esteem.
- If we are more grateful, we also learn to complain less and we stop feeling self-pity and playing the role of victim.
- When we adopt a positive attitude, stress and anxiety in the face of uncertainty decreases.
- By expressing gratitude to those around us, they perceive us as kind people, we receive positive feedback and improve our relationships with others.
- Going to bed more satisfied and grateful is better rest. In fact, in the a study it was demonstrated that Gratitude positively affects sleep.
- THE evidence found it also suggests that gratitude is positively correlated with physical health.
- other investigation determined that the grateful people they are more resistant to post-traumatic stress.
always be grateful
Keeping a gratitude journal can be a little tricky at first, both because it’s a new habit and because Not all of us are in the habit of recognizing the positive around us. However, we must not give up being grateful.
If it’s hard to find three positive things every day, let’s start with one. With practice it will get easier.
Many start by writing the material, the more concrete or visible. Not bad; although we can also add because this makes us feel good. Over time, however, you will increasingly perceive the importance of spiritual gifts. Thank whoever you want. Thanks always for every question.
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