A lot of us don’t ever feel satisfied with what we’ve got. That’s when I would like to introduce you to a gratitude journal.
I am sure you’ve heard a lot about keeping a journal to express gratitude. Here, you will finally know it.
What Is a Gratitude Journal?
A gratitude journal is a journal where you express gratitude towards the tiniest things of life. It could be anything – an amazing friend, a stranger who once saved you, or even yourself!
In fact, I would call these journals a “place of realization”. Here, people realize how abundant they are.
Why Should You Own a Gratitude Journal?
If you notice yourself and people around you, you will see how much they criticize their life. They’ll walk around saying, “Oh look, that girl’s life is so cool. Mine’s just going somehow.” Meanwhile, their life might be one of the most fulfilled ones.
So, as I said before, gratitude journals are a place of realization. If you’re always complaining, it’s probably because you haven’t had your realization yet.
Ideas To Write In a Gratitude Journal
To find ideas to write in your journal, there are two options you can do:
One, you can wander around or look around yourself, pick something, and write how you’re grateful for it.
Or the other option is, you can use the following categories of gratitude by Tim Ferriss:
1. Relationships:
You can think of your relationship with different people around you and write a few reasons why you’re grateful for them. It could be about your parents, siblings, co-workers, or yourself.
Here are some prompts you could try out in this category:
- In what ways would you appreciate your partner?
- What’s the sweetest memory you hold with your parents?
- Who is someone you admire a lot and why?
2. Present's Goods:
In the second category, you can choose to write about the present time’s good happenings. It’s basically about showing gratitude towards the good things that are happening in the present.
Here are some prompts in this category:
- Appreciate one thing about your health.
- How are you planning to make today better than yesterday?
- Write about 3 things that you once wished for and now you have it. Show gratitude towards them.
3. Past Happenings:
Here, you show gratitude towards the things that happened in the past. It could be a past job, relationship, or anything.
Here are three prompts in this category:
- What’s something that you truly resented back in the day but now, you’d like to appreciate it?
- Recall the best memory of your childhood.
- Think of the past 6 months and write about how much your life has gained since then.
4. Things Around You:
Lastly, look around and pick up one thing in your mind to write about. Show how grateful you are for that specific thing.
Here are some prompts in this category:
- If you could own a pet, who would it be and why?
- Pick one thing around you in mind and write about it.
- Write about your ‘home’ and tell yourself about the memories you made here.
20 Gratitude Journal Prompts
- Admire someone who’s always been kind and sweet to you.
- Write three reasons why your job is something to be grateful for.
- Appreciate five things around you, and mention why you’re grateful for them.
- Think about the lowest point of your life. What made you feel better then? Show gratitude to it.
- What’s the best thing that has ever happened to you unexpectedly?
- Show gratitude to five things that make your life easier.
- Who’s that one musician whose music helps you get through life?
- Go back in time, and think of something you desperately wanted that you now have.
- Who is someone in your life that you can rely on?
- What’s the sweetest memory of your childhood?
- Write about a person you shared your life’s best moments with.
- What is your most prized possession?
- Share about the best moment of today.
- Show gratitude towards your health. Also, mention the top five things you do to keep yourself healthy?
- Name one thing that you absolutely love doing.
- Say ‘thank you’ to yourself.
- Express gratitude to yourself for achieving a goal with your willingness and effort.
- Write a ‘thank-you’ letter to someone who has always been your cheerleader.
- What’s something valuable that you learned this week?
- If you could do just one thing all the time, what would it be?
A Quick Recap
Here’s a quick recap to starting a gratitude-filled life:
- A gratitude journal is a notebook where you show gratitude towards the tiniest things in your life.
- Owning one makes you feel grounded and happy.
- 4 categories to show gratitude about: Relationships, Life’s present happenings, Past happenings, and People/Things around you.
