Explore the best gratitude journals and whether gratitude makes you happier. A gratitude book is a personal book where you write down things you are grateful for. This could be anything from your family and friends to everyday things, such as having a roof over your head.
Writing down what you are grateful for can be a simple way to reflect on the things you appreciate in your life. In this article, we’ll discuss how to start using a gratitude book and introduce a variety of pre-made journals with prompts to help you get started.
We’ll also explore the relationship between gratitude and happiness. Including how gratitude may influence the way we think about our everyday experiences and why some people choose to use a gratitude journal.
Gratitude, Happiness and Everyday Life
The COVID-19 pandemic brought major changes to everyday life for many of us. Affecting routines, work, relationships, and the way we approached daily activities. For some, these changes also brought increased pressure and stress as familiar routines and circumstances shifted.
This period encouraged many people to become more mindful of different aspects of their lives and to reconsider what they considered important. Attention turned toward areas such as mental health, loved ones, finances, personal circumstances, and security.
As our understanding of self-care continues to evolve, practices such as journaling have become one way people can make time for personal reflection. Gratitude journaling offers a dedicated space to record thoughts and things you appreciate, whether they relate to everyday moments or the people and experiences that matter to you.
Does A Gratitude Journal Really Work?
There have been numerous studies exploring the “attitude of gratitude” and what happens when people practice gratitude by writing down things they appreciate. Research into gratitude has explored its relationship with happiness, emotions, and wellbeing. You can read more in this Harvard Health article on gratitude and happiness.
There’s something about the simple act of writing down the things that make you feel good in the moment. It gives us a chance to pause and reflect on our day.
For example, if you’ve had a difficult day, it can be easy to carry those frustrations into the evening. You might be short with your kids, frustrated with your spouse, or simply find yourself walking around the house carrying stress.
What if, instead, you came home and took just two minutes to journal? Just two minutes to give yourself some personal space and put some distance between yourself and whatever happened during the day. Taking a few minutes to pause and ground yourself can be part of your stress management routine.
You could use those few minutes to think about what went well. Even if the day itself felt difficult. You may even sit and stare at your journal pages for a few minutes, and that’s OK.
Give yourself some time. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and see what comes to mind. When you have a quiet moment to reflect, you might notice some of the positive or ordinary moments from your day. You could also take a few minutes for a guided meditation as part of this quiet time.
Making Time for Gratitude
The idea is not to ignore the difficult parts of your day or pretend that everything is positive. Instead, a gratitude journal can provide a place to acknowledge the things you appreciate alongside everything else that may be happening in your life.
Gratitude journals can also encourage you to pay attention to things you may not have considered previously. Writing things down gives you an opportunity to step away from the noise of the day and check in with yourself.
When was the last time you took a few minutes to reflect and appreciate on the things you do have in life?
Does Gratitude Make You Happier?
Research in positive psychology has explored the relationship between gratitude and happiness. Including how gratitude journaling may relate to positive emotions and wellbeing. Some studies have found an association between practicing gratitude and how people experience their everyday lives.
Gratitude can also be considered alongside resilience and the way people respond to challenging experiences. Rather than focusing only on worries or difficult thoughts, writing about things you appreciate can provide another perspective to consider.
For some people, daily journaling becomes a regular part of their routine. It can be a simple way to check in with yourself and make space for thoughts about the people, experiences, and everyday moments you value.
What Does Being Grateful Feel Like?
Gratitude is an emotion that can be experienced in different ways.
For some people, it may feel warm, comforting and uplifting. Depending on the situation and what we are grateful for.
You might even notice yourself smiling when something brings a sense of appreciation. You may even become teary-eyed or emotional when you think about someone or something that means a great deal to you.
Gratitude can be connected with feelings such as contentment, inspiration, love, appreciation, or a sense of accomplishment. The experience can vary from one person to another and from one situation to the next.
There are many different ways people experience and express gratitude, from appreciating the people in their lives to noticing small everyday moments.
Can Gratitude Change Your Life?
Gratitude offers another way to look at the things that are already part of our lives. From the people around us to the experiences and everyday moments we might otherwise overlook.
For some people, making gratitude part of their routine can be a reminder to slow down and consider what matters to them. It can also encourage a more intentional approach to everyday life, rather than getting caught up in everything happening around us.
For some, it may simply become a few quiet moments in the day. A chance to acknowledge what they truly value and already have.
What Are 6 Benefits of Gratitude?
Gratitude can become part of our everyday lives and may offer several potential benefits, including:
Shifting the focus — moving attention away from negative thoughts and toward things you appreciate.
Opening our perspective — becoming more aware of possibilities and opportunities around us.
Making room for enjoyment — noticing and appreciating moments of fun and pleasure in everyday life.
Building resilience — having something positive to reflect on during challenging times.
Focusing on what you have — paying attention to the people, experiences, and things you already value.
Encouraging healthier habits — incorporating gratitude into your self-care and everyday routine.
What Goes Into a Gratitude Journal?
If you’re unsure what to goes into a gratitude journal, a ready-made journal with prompts like this one, can give you ideas to help you get started. You can begin with simple things you already appreciate and build from there.
Here are a few prompts to try:
- What am I grateful for today?
- Who am I grateful to have in my life?
- What is one small thing that made me smile?
- What is something I often take for granted?
- What is something I’m looking forward to?
- What is one thing I appreciate about myself?
You don’t need to write about something significant every time. Even a small moment, person, experience, or everyday detail can give you something to reflect on and make you smile or feel warm inside.
What Are Some Examples Of Gratitude?
Gratitude is simply being thankful for something. It can be something big, or something small that you might otherwise overlook.
Here are some simple examples of gratitude:
- The sun shining today
- Having a roof over your head
- Your spouse, children, family, or friends
- Having a job or source of income
- The food on your table
- Having fresh water to drink
- Being able to move your body
- Having the ability to read, learn, think, and experience the world around you
End The Day With Gratitude
Pull out your daily gratitude journal before you go to bed. Write down a handful of things that went well during your day.
It can be easy to focus on the things that went wrong. Especially when they feel significant at the time. Taking a few moments to think about what went right can give you something else to reflect on before the day comes to an end.
Think about the simple things you may have taken for granted. Perhaps you came home safely, enjoyed your dinner, watched some television. Or even settled into your comfortable bed at the end of the day.
Give yourself a little time to pause and consider what you appreciated about your day.
What Are You Grateful For Today?
So, what are 10 things you can list right here, right now? If you’re not sure where to start, try one of these simple prompts:
- What did your pet do today that made you smile or laugh?
- What was your favorite meal today?
- Who complimented you or smiled at you today?
- What is your favorite spot in your home?
- What is something you appreciate about a relationship with someone you care about?
- Who is a good friend in your life, and what do you appreciate about them?
- What is something you like about yourself?
- What are you most proud of in your life so far?
- What are you good at?
- What do you enjoy doing in your free time or on holiday?
Take a moment to think about your answers and see what comes to mind. You may be surprised by how many small things there are to appreciate when you stop and notice them.
Best Gratitude Journals
Do you get stuck wondering what to write in a blank notebook? A gratitude journal with writing prompts can give you a starting point. Introducing questions you may not have thought of before.
Here are 5 amazing gratitude journals worth exploring:
Start With Gratitude: Daily Gratitude Journal — A guided journal with daily prompts, short writing sections, quotes, and reflection pages. It is undated. So you can start from today and don’t have to worry about filling it in every day. It’s available in paperback and is designed for short daily entries.
- The 5 Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day — A guided journal built around positive psychology. With simple prompts divided between morning and evening. The morning section provides space for gratitude, intentions, and affirmations. While the evening section focuses on reflecting on the day.
- Law of Attraction Life & Goal Planner — A guided planner that combines goal setting, daily planning, and gratitude reflection in one place. It includes a To-Do List, “Feels Good” list, morning and evening questions. Even mind maps, and a fold-out vision board for recording and exploring your goals. The faux-leather cover is available in several designs and colors.
- Daily, Weekly Gratitude Journal & Monthly Calendar — An undated journal and planner that can be started at any time without being tied to a specific calendar day or month. It includes monthly and daily focus sections, habit trackers. And space for gratitude alongside your regular planning.
- A Colorful Weekly & Monthly Goal Setting Planner Gratitude Journal — An undated A5 planner combining weekly and monthly goal setting with gratitude journaling, habit tracking, time management, and productivity planning. It is designed to cover one year and comes in a selection of colorful, aesthetic designs.
Final Thoughts
These 5 gratitude journals were selected based on their popularity, features, and personal use. The undated options are also convenient if you want to start journaling today. Because you’re not tied to a specific date.
Some include extras such as stickers, vision boards, and different journaling sections. While the variety of colors and designs makes it super easy to find one that suits your personal style.
