Gratitude Journaling

[i_like_the_stars]

Firstly, hello! I'm new to the comm.

Nearly three years ago now, I stumbled upon an Instagram reel that suggested you write down one good thing that happened to you every week on a piece of paper, and collect them in a jar. I thought this was such a lovely idea, so I naturally took it one step higher: I was going to write down one good thing that happened to me every day, in a journal.

Surprisingly, I've maintained this consistently for over two years, since the start of 2024. I'm the queen of never following through with my ideas/ambitions.

Naturally, the idea has evolved into its own thing. I generally write down something that made me happy in the day, if even just a little bit. I typically ask myself, "what am I grateful for today?" The answers don't have to be deep or philosophical, they can be (and often are) as simple as "the weather was nice."

On the surface, I know the sound of "gratitude journaling" can sound corny and even useless, but this has genuinely become an important part of my daily routine. It feels even cornier to admit that, when I truly reflect on it, this has positively affected my thinking as a whole. Apparently taking a moment to reflect on your day and pick out the happier parts does, in fact, do something!

A quick sampling of "answers" I've written down:

* Finished book, found a really cool sonic comic

* New intern was at work

* Had a BOMB ass nap

* The sunset was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

* Got on my computer finally and did some Tumblr editing

* Dinner was yummy soup & grilled cheese

These are all short ones. Sometimes I list a couple of things if my day was eventful.

I find that on more "boring" days, I struggle to find something truly "good." Since on these "boring" days I typically have done nothing out of the ordinary. On eventful days, I have a plethora of things to write down. I even find it easier to find something to write down on crummy days, since the happier parts are more shiny and sparkly against a backdrop of grey.

I want to leave this off with an encouragement to try this for just one week to see if it works for you. I started it because it sounded fun and very, very simple—and it is! I also had a journal I needed to do something with. I wasn’t considering the positive impact it would have on me in the long term—so don't expect this to be some miracle ritual, if you're anything like me. Anyway, try it out and see if the routine fits comfortably into your schedule.

Comments

[annofowlshire]

Well done on the consistency! I've found with gratitude journaling is that my list gets repetitive and so I get bored of it ^_^;

[jake67jake]

I've seen people do FB post a day for the same thing.... I do think being able to look back at good things makes crappy times easier. I've watched a lot of bujo videos with gratitude logs as well. Good on you for both starting and sticking with it!

Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Surprisingly, I've maintained this consistently for over two years, since the start of 2024. <<

That's quite an accomplishment.

>>On the surface, I know the sound of "gratitude journaling" can sound corny and even useless, but this has genuinely become an important part of my daily routine. <<

It's a good practice that many people find useful.

I find it helpful to track accomplishments, otherwise I forget how much I've accomplished.

[catness]

Hi there, fellow journaler! I second that. The gratitude idea does sound corny, but when logged consistently, it does something... now I get a lot of spontaneous tiny moments during the day, feeling grateful for this or that, even when they are "background" things that you only notice when you lose them, and that's the whole point, you should appreciate everything before it's too late. (Though I'm not sure, sometimes it seems to make it more stressful, highlighting the fear of loss...)

My streak is not as impressive as yours, it's about 10 months, but I'm also logging a few other things. Digitally, using Obsidian app with the daily notes function, and then I devised a process of automatically feeding my last 3 weeks of entries to an AI, which emails me with observations, encouragement and emotional support :)

My journaling template keeps changing and evolving, here's the current one. (Click to see full size.) My favourite section is "I did well", which allows me to reflect on my accomplishments in a safe environment, and pushes me to do something log-worthy every day ;)