Gratitude has been shown to have a powerful effect on our mental health and our wellbeing. Do you want to be happier? Do you want to feel like a better person? Do you want to worry less about things? 

BE GRATEFUL.

Easier said than done, right?

Gratitude journals are a simple way of keeping track of things you’re grateful for. They allow you to remember things you may sometimes forget when times are dark. 

The goal is to focus on positive experiences and memories. 

Here are 2 simple steps to starting your gratitude journal: 

1. Grab your notes app on your phone, open a Google doc, or — if you’re feeling feisty — one of your kids’ composition notebooks.
2. List 3 things you’re grateful for. This could be a person in your life, a fun video chat with friends, a job, or anything that comes to mind. 

That’s it! That easy. 

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Try this a few times this week. 

If you’re more advanced, here are some pro-tips to up your gratitude game:

• Allow yourself to get more detailed each time you write. 
  • Level 1: Start with 4 items, then 5, then 6, etc. 
  • Level 2: Try a narrative style of writing, no more lists.
  • Level 3: Start describing WHY you feel grateful for those things. What about it makes you thankful? 
• Take your time. Don’t rush through. Set a timer and see how much you can write until it goes off. 
• People > Things. People hold more power than any old thing. 
• Keep your journal somewhere you’ll see it.
• Don’t pressure yourself. Sometimes you can just go back and read through it, don’t always feel pressure to write in it.

Now you know why gratitude journaling is effective. You know what it is and how to begin.

So, what if you still don’t know WHERE to start? I got you!  Below are a few prompts to get your thankful juices flowing. (Prompts aren’t required, you can write about anything that comes up.)

Gratitude Prompts: 

The best part of the week was…..

Someone made me smile today when…

I’m proud of….

I feel blessed to have had….

I can always depend on….

I got the best surprise when… 

I know God loves me because….

One thing I’m glad I learned is…

The best person in my life right now is….

Download a FREE Tiny Steps Checklist – A Wellness Kickstarter that will help you, get out of your rut and start living a life you don’t need a vacation from.

Do you journal? Let me know in the comments. What benefits have you experienced through journaling??

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