Gratitude journaling has become more popular in recent years, and for good reason: it’s been shown to improve your life in measurable ways! Before we get into the five benefits of keeping a gratitude journal, let’s look at what research into the practice of gratitude shows us.
Practicing gratitude reduces stress and anxiety by reducing cortisol levels, decreases depression by shifting focus from the negative to the positive, and increases life satisfaction due to higher levels of positive emotions.
Gratitude improves focus and productivity, fosters optimism and a positive outlook, and is linked to a greater ability to cope with adversity. It strengthens mental resilience.
It’s also been shown to improve physical well-being. Writing in a gratitude journal before bed improves the duration and quality of your sleep. Practicing gratitude lowers blood pressure and even improves heart health, perhaps by reducing stress-related inflammation.
Now that we know how practicing gratitude improves our lives, let’s look at the five benefits of keeping a gratitude journal.
Increases Self-Awareness and Personal Growth
Many people decide to start journaling to document their lives, explore complex emotions and situations, and relieve stress. Structuring your journaling practice specifically into keeping a gratitude journal encourages you to look deeper on days when the positive seems to be distant. Gratitude journaling fosters a greater appreciation for your life even during the most intense or challenging times.
Strengthens Relationships and Social Connections
Writing down your appreciation of the people and relationships around you not only reminds you of the good in others, but it often translates into expressing your gratitude directly to these people. It also creates a wonderful history for you to reflect on in later times.
Reframes Stressful Situations
As you practice your daily gratitude journaling habit, your brain starts to recognize positive patterns in your life. This in turn helps you reframe negative stuff. In fact, you can reduce your cortisol levels simply by documenting gratitude every day, cultivating a greater sense of calm.
Improves Physical Health
The mind-body connection is indeed powerful and incorporating gratitude journaling into your life can improve your physical well-being. The stress hormone cortisol has been mentioned several times, and that’s because research shows the act of gratitude reduces it – and your physical stress response. As you focus more on gratitude, you will lower your blood pressure, improve your immune function, and get better sleep. Gratitude journaling may even encourage healthier habits when it comes to exercise and food choices.
Enhances Mental Wellbeing
All of the benefits mentioned above lead to the most profound benefit of gratitude journaling: a positive impact on your mental health. Research shows practicing gratitude increases serotonin and dopamine levels, neurotransmitters in the brain associated with happiness. Training your brain to focus on the positive aspects of your life helps you create emotional balance and resilience, and this is, after all, what will get you through your life in the best way possible.
For the fastest and deepest positive impact, make gratitude journaling a daily practice. You can keep it as simple as writing down three gratitudes a day. Be specific and try to go deeper than appreciating that cup of coffee, although gratitude for the small things does absolutely count.
Here are a few gratitude journaling prompts to get you started.
- What went well today?
- What is your favorite spot in your dwelling and why do you love it?
- Write about the positive qualities of a person you interacted with today.
- Describe your gratitude for the food you ate today, in detail: flavor, texture, aroma, etc.
- Think of a time when you were brave and reflect on how you felt before, during, and after.
- Write about a time when someone showed you unexpected kindness.
Go forth and journal!
Read my blog post What is Journaling?
