Keeping a gratitude journal provides benefits not just for the grateful but for those around them as well. And while many of us have tried to make gratitude a part of our everyday lives, it’s easy to forget to give thanks, especially when we have so much going on already.
Giving thanks doesn’t have to be another chore, another task on your already endless to-do list. In fact, I’ve found that practicing gratitude actually helps me get more done. My gratitude journal makes me happier and more productive. If that sounds like something you want in your life, here are my tried and true tips for keeping a gratitude journal:
- Start by thanking yourself for one thing from the previous day. Do you see the trick there? If you know this is going to be how you start each day, you’re going to do more things you’ll be thankful for. Maybe you park farther from the office so that you get those steps in before noon. Maybe you treat yourself to a sheet mask. Maybe you put down your phone and catch up with the laundry. Sometimes I thank myself for tiny things, such as remembering to start the dishwasher before bed so that my favorite mug would be clean and ready in the morning.
- End the day with gratitude too. Maybe you’re grateful for the sunset you caught on the drive home. Or for the coworker who helped you finish that big project. (Bonus points if you also send an actual handwritten thank you note.) Maybe you are thankful that your partner picked up dinner on the way home. Maybe your kids played really well together without fighting over the cool Lego Batman figure.
- Reward your new hobby. After a week or two of building gratitude journaling into your day, treat yourself to some nice pens, stickers or stationery. If you’re keeping it digital, maybe there’s another way you want to treat yourself. And you can thank yourself for it in your gratitude journal the next day.
- Incorporate doodles and photos if that suits you more. My kids see me writing in my notebook and they want to participate. My son loves instant photography. My daughter isn’t quite ready for that yet but she’s a pro at taking photos with my old phone. I recently started adding some of their photos to my journals. You can print photo stickers from your phone with a Polaroid ZIP or HP Sprocket.
- Talk about gratitude with your family. It doesn’t have to be a Thanksgiving-level, “go around the table and name three things” situation. Just be sure gratitude is part of your everyday conversations. It will make expressing thanks and experiencing and embracing gratitude a natural part of their daily lives.
- Let gratitude work with you. I often put down notes in my phone when I don’t have time to sit with my gratitude journal, which is actually a pocket-size little notebook that fits in my purse. I move the notes over in the evening most days but not every day. Some days I write down one word or paste in one photo. Some days I just write, “Thank goodness for wine.” If it feels like work, gratitude will turn into resentment so please be sure it’s giving you joy.
I hope you’re able to make gratitude a part of your day. And I hope that you love it as much as I do. Thank you for letting me share with you. I’m wishing you a magical day filled with gratitude.
