So what is a gratitude book and how can it benefit you? A gratitude book is a personal book in which you write things down you are grateful for. This can be anything from your family and friends to the roof over your head.
Writing down what you are grateful for can have a profound impact on your happiness and well-being.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to start using a gratitude book. We will also introduce a variety of pre-made journals with prompts to get the “good vibes” happening while using your special gratitude book!
We will explore on how gratitude can improve our mood and change our perspective for the better, how this is done and why we might consider using a gratitude journal.
We all know how difficult the COVID pandemic has been on the majority of us, with its negative effect not only on our physical well-being, but also on our mental health. Many are under a lot of pressure as a result of the change in their lives and how they do things. The transition in our lives and how we go about things has caused a lot of stress for many.
This universal shift has brought us to a point where we begin to be more mindful about our life, and this change has pushed us to re-frame our lives and how we look at what we do on a daily basis.
While we used to focus on the busyness of our daily life. Now we focus on what’s important from different aspects. We focus a little more on our mental health, our loved ones, personally, financially, and security of lack of it?
As a result of the difficulties we’ve encountered, self-care has taken on an entirely new meaning. What use to be normal is no longer… Our ‘new normal’ is finally breaking free from isolation, but with a set of new regulations in place.
All of this while trying to maintain a positive mental attitude?
Does A Gratitude Book Really Work?
There have been numerous studies on the “attitude of gratitude,” the result was that individuals who practiced the art of thankfulness by writing notes of appreciation were known to experience more joy, resilience, and good emotions. This simple act enhanced their overall health.
There’s something about the act of writing down the things that make you feel great in the moment that does set the tone of your day.
OK for example, if you can’t think of anything good, you’ll let it ruin your entire night. You’re short with your kids, angry with your spouse, and you stomp around the house with a frown on your face.
Now, what if instead, you came home or even journaled in your car for at least just 2 minutes? Just 2 minutes?
Just enough time to be in your own personal space to let go of that “sh…t”. This way you don’t bring that energy into your home to your loved ones or stress yourself even further.
What if you gave yourself a few minutes to focus on the good that came out of it from a holistic perspective?
You may even stare at your journal pages for a few minutes, and that’s OK.
Give yourself time. Take some really deep breaths, close your eyes, and let it come to you.
When you calm down, center yourself, and shut out that chaotic noise inside your mind, it will be much easier to pick out the good things that happened.
Even if it’s only that you completed your tasks on time or you ordered your favorite lunch, find 3 to 5 things that did go well.
As you get into this habit more, it will become a whole lot easier, and your energy levels will start to shift automatically.
The good things will come to you faster, and you’ll find it easier to stay happy or positive rather than always getting pulled into the negatives.
Let’s face it; who wants to stay unhealthy with migraines and tension headaches?
It’s much healthier when you manage those stress levels and know how to shift that toxic energy into successful energy, feeling great within yourself.
Gratitude notebooks help you become more aware of things you may not have considered previously and shift your thinking patterns.
They get you out from the noise in your head and let you focus on yourself and how you feel about all the benefits in your life.
When’s the last time you checked in with yourself?
If you can’t recall, it’s probably time to take up a gratitude diary and experience how it can change your perspective on life.
Does Gratitude Make You Happier?
In positive psychology, the research found that gratitude journaling is powerful, and it does help people feel better. It allows people to feel happier and enjoy good things.
It also aids in their health and can help them be more resilient when confronted with life’s challenges, rather than constant worry from anxious thoughts and emotions.
Daily journaling is one of the most beneficial exercises most of us can do to improve our mental health in maintaining a positive attitude for life to moving forward.
You might think it’s difficult or time-consuming at first, but once you get into the routine, you’ll notice all of the positive aspects it has in one’s life.
It can have a significant influence on your mood, energy, and even mental health, that you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this in the first place.
It doesn’t take long to do a few daily entries – just a couple of minutes.
What Does Being Grateful Feel Like?
So what does being grateful feet like, and does gratitude make you happier?
Gratitude is an emotion that can be experienced in a few different ways. When you feel it, your whole body will respond to the situation and what’s happening around you.
You might notice yourself smiling because of the mood shift this feeling has stirred inside of you.
You may even get teary-eyed or emotional because of how thankful you really are.
It can bring about feelings of triumph, inspiration, contentment, or love for others.
It also leads to less anxiety because our mind doesn’t have as much time to think negative thoughts when it’s busy being thankful.
There are so many benefits to feeling grateful for what we have in life, and it goes way beyond just being happy.
Can Gratitude Change Your Life?
Daily gratitude can improve our life in a variety of ways. It may help us live longer by making us appreciate what we have rather than what we don’t have.
It can help us tap into our innermost self, listening to what our soul tells us rather than what the ‘noisy’ world wants us to hear.
It helps maintain good health and a more optimistic attitude toward everyday life, allowing us to have more fun throughout the journey and not take things so seriously with a pessimistic mindset.
What Are 6 Benefits Of Gratitude?
A quick recap for at least 6 benefits of what gratitude does for us-
1/ Shifting energy from negative to positive
2/ More open perspective to seeing opportunities in life
3/ Allowing more fun into our life
4/ Being more resilient in challenging times
5/ Focusing on what you do have
6/ Developing healthier habits
What Gratitude Does To Your Brain?
When we show appreciation, we usually receive it in return. Our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two important neurotransmitters involved in emotional responses. They make us feel ‘good.’ They instantly lift our spirits and make us feel cheerful from the inside out.
Is gratitude able to change your brain? Neuroscientists have discovered that gratefulness rewires your brain, making you more optimistic and happier.
When you’re happy with what’s going on in your life right now, it gives access to new possibilities and makes them flow more readily and easily (it’s a bit like the law of attraction, cause we’re in the flow state.)
What Should Be In A Gratitude Journal?
If you’re unsure what can go into a gratitude journal, getting a ready-made gratitude journal with prompts is so much easier to use. It will guide your mind to explore things you may not have thought of.
Let’s face it, cause our mind is always too busy over thinking with the busyness of daily life, right?
Some things that go into a gratitude journal are how you appreciate what you already have, start with the simple things.
Make a list in your gratitude diary of things you can be thankful for, this will shift your emotions to a “feel good” state.
After you’ve jotted them down, and since you’re in a better emotional state, write what you want to happen next on the same page. This will help give energy to your ideas and can make them happen for you!
Part of using our gratitude journal helps us develop a more positive mindset. With this type of Journal, it isn’t as hard as it seems.
What positive things can you be grateful for?
What comes to mind right now for you? Could you write it down?
Even if you only focus on one tiny corner of your life to start.
Eventually, you’ll be able to look at the bigger picture.
It’s a bit like a diet; you have to start small. These small, consistent changes will eventually add up to something much bigger.
Remember, it’s the repetition that makes the change.
At first, it may even feel impossible or fake.
Rather than starting your day off feeling stressed and frustrated, start your day with your Journal. Just 2 minutes before your day begins, can make a world of difference.
When you journal in the morning, you set the tone for your day.
Would you start the day feeling grumpy about what lies ahead and feeling anxious and let it keep rolling that way?
Or would you rather focus on the good things you have to be grateful for, so your day plays out smoother?
What Are Some Examples Of Gratitude?
Gratitude is when you are thankful for something. Here are some simple examples.
• The sun is shining today
• The roof over your head
• Being thankful for your spouse or children
• Your job and money
• You could be thankful for the food on your table
• Freshwater you drink to keep you hydrated
• The fact that you are capable of moving your body?
• Your brain is in working condition cause you are reading this blog?
End The Day With Gratitude
Pull out your daily gratitude journal before you go to bed and write down a handful of things that went right in your day.
Don’t dismiss the good things in your day. The notion of dismissing and taking things for granted changes your energy levels within your body, mind, and soul.
Daily practice of being thankful is a great way to unwind and realize that today wasn’t as bad as it seemed and there are things to be thankful for.
We’re all guilty of getting stuck on the ‘bad stuff that happens because it’s monumental, but it sucks the energy out of us.
But what if, instead, we found the good within the bad, things to be thankful for, instead?
Do you think this might make a turning point in your life in some small way?
Our brains are funny clumps. It can make us feel like it all went wrong, even though a lot went right when you stop and think about it.
Give yourself time to reflect every night before bed.
Would it help to even think about you being fortunate enough to come home safely, watch a bit of mind-numbing TV, have dinner and a drink, then you go and lay on your comfortable pillow to rest and relax?
Here are some of the questions people ask when it comes to having a gratitude journal.
What To Be Grateful For
So what are 10 things you can list right here, right now!
Don’t put it off- you’re here reading this right now for a reason? So let’s start now; it only takes a minute.
OK, so here we’ll leave this section blank just for you to start your thinking on what to jot down in your Journal.
If you get stuck, here are the 10 easy starters for you-
1. What has your pet done today that made you smile or laugh?
2. What was your favorite meal today?
3. Who complimented you or smiled at you today
4. What is your favorite spot in your home environment
5. What is the most beautiful aspect of your relationship with someone you care about?
6. Who is your favorite buddy, and why are they your favorite pal?
7. What is your best feature? Is it your hair, your eyes, or your smile?
8. What are you most proud of in your life so far?
9. What are you good at in life?
10. What do you enjoy doing when you have free time or on holiday
OK, so you’ve gone down the list now and considered some of the 10 things on it, right?
Did it make you feel a bit happier and more optimistic? Did it give you a smile and perhaps even a chuckle?
Journaling For Self Care
Journaling is a big piece of the self care puzzle.
Everyone needs it, usually in different forms, but journaling is something that can benefit everyone for a healthier and more positive mindset, as we’ve seen above.
Watch as things change in your life with a fresh new perspective.
When you ask ‘what else is possible and ‘how can I turn this around, you’ll see things change, with the power of gratitude.
You are connecting with the cosmos when writing your daily reflections and feelings of gratitude in your Journal. These all help to attract and manifest your goals and make you feel good.
Meanwhile, focus on some journaling to help you get out of your head — it’s the ideal present you can give yourself this year, as it’s more like a self-care journal.
Positive thinking doesn’t mean you look at something bad and think, ‘gosh, this is good.’
No.
Life still happens, and it’s OK to be sad, mad, or any other emotion.
It’s making do with what you have around you, as opposed to needing more of something you don’t have. It’s a bit like a child playing a game, as your using your creative mind.
A positive mindset does more than relax your mind.
And of course, Research shows that it has benefits on our physical health too.
Daily prompts with gratitude exercises help us think positively, which can lead to a longer life, less depression, a lower risk of cardiovascular issues, and lower stress levels.
OK, now that we’ve established WHAT a gratitude journal is, the science behind it, and the benefits it has.
So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and see which ones are the most popular and best journals out there, when it comes to practicing thankfulness to shift that energy!
The nicest thing about this, just choose one that suits you!
Not all of them have dates and years inside of them. Which means you can start with a fresh new slate right now!
Best Gratitude Journals
So would you get stuck with what to write in a blank notebook, used as a journal?
That’s why people use a journal with writing prompts, it really helps with getting the juices flowing. It makes you think about things, you haven’t thought about. More like self discovery.
1. Start With Gratitude
Daily Gratitude Journal for people
Positivity Diary for a Happier You in Just 5 Minutes a Day
This Journal has a variety of daily prompts, which also keep it fun but are also thought-provoking
It’s ideal for busy people as it has questions you can spend any time from 2 minutes or 10 minutes the choice is all yours
No pressure in this diary as you can add your date, in case you skip a day
It’s in Paperback and has an appealing cover design.
Positivity Diary for a Happier You in Just 5 Minutes a Day
2. The 5 Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day - Simple Daily Guided Format - Increase Gratitude & Happiness
Using the science of positive psychology to improve happiness thoughtfully designed helpful prompts broken up into two sections.
- A morning routine and
- An evening routine section
3. Law of Attraction Life & Goal Planner
This beautiful Journal is the perfect way to get yourself back on track.
It includes a To-Do List, Feels Good list, and Gratitude reflection all in one Journal so you can do what makes YOU happiest!
You can be the best possible version of yourself on all three levels: mental, physical, and interpersonal.
This planner has all the features needed to stay on track, including an out foldable vision board that can help you with your goals.
It also offers morning and evening power questions as well as mind maps for staying focused.
Its Faux Leather comes in a variety of beautiful cover designs and colors.
Law of Attraction Life & Goal Planner - Personal Gratitude Journal, Vision Board & Organizer + Planner Stickers
4. Daily, Weekly Gratitude Journal & Monthly Calendar
Undated Daily & Weekly Gratitude Journal, Monthly Calendar. Different colors available.
Undated pages allow you to start using the planner anytime and never waste pages.
Includes monthly and daily focus & habit trackers.
This Journal also offers motivation and inspiration.
5. A Colorful Weekly & Monthly Goal Setting Planner
- Habit Trackers
- Time Management
- Productivity Organizer
- Gratitude Journal Undated
- A5, Lasts 1 Year
- Lovely aesthetic design in a variety of colors
Colorful Weekly & Monthly Goal Setting Planner, Gratitude Journal
Final Take
These five gratitude journals we’ve found to be the best are based on popularity, ones that we have used and still use, and the journals that are undated are great to start anytime.
Some journals come with stickers or vision boards for added motivation. They also offer a variety of colors which makes it very easy to find the perfect Journal that suits your style.
Disclaimer: Our web pages and blog posts provide general information for general purposes only and not to be used for any medical, legal or alternative health advice for any type of physical, mental health or financial concerns.Always speak to your practitioner before embarking on any new alternative treatments. If you have concerns about any medical matters, you should always consult your healthcare provider without delay.We thank you for taking full responsibility for your own health and wellbeing in life. ☺
