How to Start a Gratitude Journal (A Beginner's Guide)

With these results, you can understand why practicing gratitude can come in so handy in 2021. It may not feel like you have a whole lot to be grateful for right now. I get it! And my goal isn’t to force positivity here. 

But here’s the thing: gratitude does not have to start big. In fact, focusing on small forms of gratitude can train your brain just as much! Did you have a nice cup of coffee this morning? A warm shower? Was the line at Trader Joe’s shorter than expected? Start there!

Look for prompts to help you explore gratitude journaling. They could be anything that makes you happy! Spending time with your family and friends, experiencing breakthroughs in your career, or any feelings of happiness and joy. Use those prompts to open yourself up to gratitude practice. Here are a few simple and effective prompts that can help get you started:

• something you have today that you didn’t have a year ago
• a book that helped you grow
• a great phone call with a friend
• a song that puts you in a great mood
• an article of clothing that makes you feel confident
• a valuable skill that you possess
• a place you’ve visited
• a positive experience from the past week

The simplest and most accessible type of gratitude practice is gratitude journaling. Gratitude journaling is simply the act of writing down people, places or things that you appreciate. You can do this in list form, write out a story, or even write in the form of a thank you letter to someone or thing. It is helpful to identify why you are thankful for whatever you are writing down in order to deepen the experience of positive emotions. Here are a couple of examples:

• I could write that I am grateful for my dog because he provides me with unconditional love, warm cuddles, and a sense of responsibility.
• I could write a story about my dog recalling a special and specific time of gratitude.
• I could even write a thank you letter to my dog! And while he may not be able to read it, my brain will reap the benefits, and he will most likely get an extra chewy treat! Win-win!

As a therapist and the co-founder of an app that trains your brain to build healthy habits, it’s important to me to be an accessible resource for others. I started showing up and creating space on social media in order to reach a larger audience. My goal is to provide psycho-education, tools, and tips to those looking to improve their mental wellbeing. 

I started using PLANOLY’s linkit tool because it allows me to link timely resources to specific posts that are always available at my link in bio. So whether someone is visiting my page the day I posted, or weeks later, they can have access to it! 

I’ve also begun to utilize TikTok as a gratitude practice. Building an online community on social media is a great way to spread positivity and inform my followers about gratitude journaling and other gratitude practices that will help us navigate 2021 with better mental health.

Gratitude practice doesn’t simply expand my business online, it helps me serve my greater purpose – helping others find joy, cope with difficulties, and become the person they are truly meant to be.