Want to know how to start a gratitude journal? Whether you are totally new to practising gratitude or you’ve tried other gratitude practises in the past and want to journalling you are in the right place. Keep on reading to find out how to start a gratitude journal.
HOW TO START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Step 1: Get a journal
The first thing you need to do is get a journal. Now there are a number of journals that have been created specifically to help you practise gratitude so you absolutely can buy one of those if you like. However, it isn’t essential!
To get started any notebook or journal will do. The size doesn’t matter and whether it is plain or lined inside doesn’t matter either. All you need is something that you can write in. However, if you can try and get a notebook or journal that you like. You’ll hopefully be using the journal on a regular basis so it is an added bonus to use something that you like.
Step 2: Decide a set time to journal
I don’t want you to just start a gratitude journal. I want you to continue writing in your gratitude journal for years and the best way to do that is by setting a time for when you’ll journal. The most common option is to include it in your morning or evening routine.
I personally include writing in my gratitude journal as part of my morning routine. I like the idea of waking up and using gratitude as a way to start my day of in a positive mood. However, you may prefer the idea of journalling at night-time so you can reflect on what has happened in the day and what you are grateful for.
Step 3: Have a collection of gratitude prompts to get you started
When you first start a gratitude journal you might struggle with knowing what to write. Having a collection of gratitude prompts will make your life so much easier. You can look at the prompts and then answer a few. Here are a few prompts to get you started.
- What happened today that you are grateful for?
- What have you got planned that you are grateful to have in the diary?
- What is there about your day-to-day life that you are grateful for?
- What do you own that you are grateful for?
- What about your body are you grateful for?
- What about your personality are you grateful for?
- Who are you grateful to have in your life and why?
- What about where you are right now are you grateful for?
- What is a simple pleasure that your grateful for?
Over time you’ll likely be able to start writing in your gratitude journal without the prompts, but it is useful to keep them for any days when you just can’t get going.
Step 4: Commit to writing in your gratitude journal every day for 30 days
Developing the habit of writing in your gratitude journal is like any other habit – it takes time before it becomes second nature. If you are serious about building in the habit of practising gratitude then in the beginning you should commit to writing in your gratitude journal every day for 30 days. By this point it should become a habit that hopefully you’ll keep for life.
That’s it! You now know how to start a gratitude journal.
Practising gratitude on a regular basis is a life-changing habit for many and I hope by following these steps you’ll building the habit of keeping a gratitude journal.
In the comments let me know how you get on with starting a gratitude journal.
You might also be interested in reading:
