Practicing gratitude is proven to make you feel better. It makes sense that focusing on the positives in your life increases positivity.
No matter how small or big, deep or superficial, gratitude is being thankful for it all.
One way to practice gratitude is by journaling. There are a lot of pre-made journals devoted just to gratitude like this (with a free digital version available when you share your email here), this, or this. I prefer a simple blank journal in which you can write anything, but sometimes that blank page can be hard to fill after a hard day.
Here are some gratitude prompts for days you need a little inspiration:
- I am grateful for …(a smell, sight, taste, sound, memory, hobby, person, physical item, song, action, part of nature, trait, accomplishment, love, habit, kind act) because…
- I am looking forward to (tomorrow, next week, season) …because…
- A positive, unexpected, random surprise that happened today is…
- I can share my gratitude with… (friend, colleague, family) tomorrow by…
Gratitude is about inspiration, not burden, so mix it up and do what serves you. You do you, boo.
You can handwrite the above prompts into your journal or print off this little recap to tuck into your journal:
You do not have to journal about your gratitude every day; simply acknowledge moments of gratitude throughout your day. This can be during a quiet moment, your commute, lunch, or during a conversation. Everyone can use a little more gratitude.
How do you practice gratitude?