Are you into journaling yet? Is this just a temporary hype or “cool thing” to do or are there real benefits to journaling and expressing gratitude?
It turns our there are heaps of benefits in journaling and expressing gratitude.
Firstly, for those around you! Nobody wants a grumpy, ungrateful friend who’s always against you and never grateful for what you do and who you are. Yes, we should be grateful for who we are and for who those around us choose to be when they are with us.
Secondly, for you. Keep reading to find out some of the benefits of practicing gratitude.
Recently, (around the time when positive psychology came to exist ~1998) gratitude has become and has since been used as part of positive psychology, therapy and life coaching and it has been proven to increase general wellbeing, positivity and to help people deal with uncertainty and personal challenges.
Some of the benefits of practicing gratitude are:
- It increases overall happiness and as result of that, people experience less stress, less depression and more satisfaction
- Confidence increases as a result of being grateful for who you are, what you can do, what you can accept and for the ability of making choices in life
- It’s directly connected with mindfulness hence it leads to self-acceptance, appreciation for self, for others and for the environment
- It helps you identify feelings and dig deeper into getting to know the root of what you feel and why you are feeling it
- It enables us to become better people (it increases empathy towards others); by being grateful for what you have and who you are daily, self awareness increases and social / interpersonal relationships improve
Did you try a gratitude journal? Take this free test to understand how grateful you are and maybe consider starting a one.
If journaling doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry … it happened to me too and you’re so not alone! As a matter of fact, most people who start journaling give up soon after – and guess what – most people who start it, they do it because something happened to them (they mostly record negative experiences or daily diet entries) and as soon as they pass the experience, they stop. So, no judgement here! but if you do want to start one, start simple, start with easy, small steps and stay consistent. Below are some tips on getting you started:
Tip #1 Express appreciation and gratitude often.
Don’t wait for the evening to come for you to record your gratitude; if there is something worth noting, write it on your phone notes, say it to your friend, partner or family member and obviously write in your journal whenever time comes.
Tip #2 Write in your journal at a certain time
I don’t know how you’d like it to be, for me evenings work best; I have the time to pour myself a glass of wine, unwind, think about the day I just finished and write down the highlights and what I am grateful for. Also, sticking to a certain time of the day helps you form a habit and soon enough you don’t need to push yourself to do it
Tip #3 Write short sentences
Movies teach us to write down stories that run for pages and pages as journal entries. You don’t have to. Especially if you’re just starting. Use simple sentences such as: I am grateful for… because… ; I am grateful I was able to be assertive today when my boss asked me to do yet another thing because it’s something I’ve been practicing for quite some time. You can also be grateful for the people in your life, not only for actions and things; ie: I’m grateful for your support, I appreciate that you cleaned your office because it’s something important to me.
EXTRA TIP : You don’t need to stick to pen and paper. Embrace technology, make a journal out of OneNote or download one of the many journaling apps available in any store use.
I trust this helps, and if you are still unsure how to start, keep an eye out, I’ll soon share a workbook to get you started!
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude
Karl Barth
As Simple As That - HR and Leadership Coaching 