Writing down what you are thankful for has been shown to have huge mental and physical health benefits. But how do you get started with a gratitude journal
Have you heard of gratitude journals and wondering how you can get started? It's easy to do, either with a physical notebook or with an app like OneSentenceJournal.com.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
All it takes is a sentence a day to start your gratitude journal.
Finish this prompt: "Today, I am thankful for..." Write down one thing that you are grateful for, and you're done. There's no need to try to write a whole paragraph or page.
You may think that your journal is the place for expressing all of your negative emotions, but science shows that it's best to only focus on the positive things.
I also recommend avoiding the same, go-to gratitudes. ("I am thankful for my dog.") Stretch yourself by finding something new each day that you are grateful for.
This forces you to get specific and really think about the things in your life. So you might write, "I am thankful for how my dog is so happy to see me when I get home" or "I am thankful for the way my dog dances when she sees me move toward the treats." You will be surprised at how many things in your life you have to be thankful for.
Periodically go back and read through your past entries. This is key part in gaining appreciation for all that you have.
(Tip: If you are using an online tool like OneSentenceJournal.com, your entries from past months and years will be automatically surfaced for your enjoyment.)
So what are you waiting for? Tracking your gratitude is a simple way to improve your health.
And since your daily gratitude is normally pretty short, OneSentenceJournal.com is a perfect place to track it. It's completely free to start writing!