If you feel sad, unhappy, you’re plagued by misfortune, then it’s time to start a gratitude journal. A personal triumph can also be a reason to write down a couple of dozen thank-yous. This is a great way to stay on the wave of luck and consolidate on the success.
A gratitude journal is a type of diary where a person writes down the things he/she feels grateful for. It is a psychology tool that helps to fine-tune your self-esteem and your perception of the world. This kind of journal is a sort of receiver, which helps to set life on the right positive wave.
These are several kinds of such a journal. You can choose to keep a general journal where you will thank the World for all the good things it gives you. Or you can thank specific people, such as your family and friends, or your colleagues. You can thank the Universe for your successes or for new opportunities.
Why Do You Need a Gratitude Journal?
A gratitude journal is especially useful during times of depression and bad moods. These are times when a person needs to believe in good things and be optimistic, and it is important to see that there is something positive in every day. Here are a few more reasons to start keeping a gratitude journal:
1. The first (and biggest) benefit of this activity is that one’s perception of the world changes, as well as one’s inner mindset and attitude toward life. This can open up new opportunities for you, as well as give you happiness and joy. Also, there will be more positive people in your life, and life itself will get a more prosperous direction.
2. Gratitude is the first step to improving your life. When you thank the Universe every day for the good things it gives you (no matter how little it is), you will have more and more of them every day.
And not only your life will improve, but also the lives of others. When we are grateful for one’s kindness toward us, we may be more likely to do a kindness in return. So it can help us build trust and feel closer.
So, if you make it a habit to feel grateful and express appreciation to people, you will make a word around you a better place to live in.
And this is the second benefit of keeping a gratitude journal.
3. Happiness is made up of moments and little things. A gratitude journal teaches us to notice it all. That means it brings additional happiness into our lives. And that’s the third benefit of keeping this diary.
4. And finally, the fourth benefit is support and help in developing new skills. That way, the journal is sort of a merit notebook. The only exception is that here you thank yourself for your success, thank those who taught you something and made it possible for you to do something, and thank the World for the fact that these people came into your life.
And that's just a small part of what a gratitude journal can do to make a difference. If you want to get started now, we recommend reading the article “How to Use a Gratitude Journal”.
