Episode 3 - Gratitude Journaling
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Want a more positive outlook on life, better heart health, blood pressure, and sleep? Try gratitude journaling as a quick, free, and easy pick-me-up!
What You’ll Learn In This Episode
What is gratitude journaling?
What are the benefits of gratitude journaling?
3 Easy ways to start gratitude journaling
Tiny Takeaway
Try gratitude journaling - choose one of the 3 ways I talked about, or choose one of your own - just put your pen to paper. Give it a chance for a couple of weeks and see how you feel!
Connect with me in my Facebook Group - Share the Shift
Here during the week of September 1, 2021? Visit me on Instagram @shiftyourshitwithsara to share a picture of yourself watching the podcast on your story. Tag it with #shiftyourshitwithsara for a chance to win a package of 5 tapping sessions with me valued at $500. The winner will be announced on the next podcast episode on September 8, 2021.
Gratitude Journaling Prompts I Liked
30 Days of Gratitude by Angie Cruise
Gratitude Journal Prompts by Rhythms of Play
The Power of Gratitude by Sharon Martin
Episode Transcript
Gratitude journaling is really just about being grateful for the things in your life - big and small. The things that you’re grateful for really can be as simple as that you got up this morning, that you’re healthy, or that someone smiled at you when you were walking down the street today.
Gratitude journaling is one of the first things that I started to do consistently when I decided that I wanted to see some kind of improvement in my life. It was quick, easy, and free (well besides that cute good vibes only journal I decided I just had to get), and the science said it would make me feel a whole lot better.
Gratitude can have some amazing benefits - not only does it put you into a good mood, but by making a practice out of gratitude by journaling, you’re training your brain to look for the good things and produce those feel good neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine.
And when you’re not having the best day, sometimes it can change your perspective to think about the things, people, and situations that you’re grateful for. If you’re experiencing negative thinking cycles due to your bad mood, this can help you break them and embrace a more positive outlook, retraining your brain to look for and experience those positive moments.
Studies have even shown that heart health, blood pressure, and sleep are improved with gratitude practices - how’s that for a free and easy prescription?
And the best part of all? You can’t do it wrong - it’s your practice.
When I started my gratitude journal, I decided to make a list of three things I was grateful for every day before I went to bed. It helped me to close out my day and create a little positive ritual that was just for me. Some weeks I’m great at it and do it every night, others I miss days at a time, but it’s something that I always come back to.
One of the things that has been great for me is that throughout my day, I’m always looking for things I can use in my list that night, so it always has me looking for the positive things in life. I know that when left to my own devices I can definitely see the worst in situations and people when I feel overwhelmed, so this helps me to counter that tendency.
Want to integrate a little gratitude into your own day? Here’s three easy ways you can try gratitude journaling.
Number one - make a list.
This was the route that I went and i found it quick and easy. Choose a number - maybe 1 to 5 and write down that many things, people, or situations that you’re grateful for that day. Do this first thing in the morning, last thing before you go to bed, or integrate it into another self-care routine that you already have.
Some experts suggest not to constrain yourself to a number and put on the extra pressure, but do what works for you. If it’s really difficult, start with one thing, you can always add on more as you go along!
Need a little extra motivation? Do what I did and pick yourself up a special journal that you like looking at and will make you more likely to want to pull it out and write in it.
Are you part of the bullet journal revolution? Create a spread or tracker just for your gratitude list and integrate it into what you already do!
Have a great planner that seems to have a lot of extra space? Fill up some of that space with your gratitude list and use the practice to start or close your day!
Number two - pick a person, situation or thing that you’re grateful for and journal about why.
This lets you get deeper into the specifics and feelings and may help you to hold onto those feel good vibes longer! Maybe it will even encourage you to reach out with a text, call, or letter to someone you’re grateful for and brighten up their day (and yours in turn).
Just focus on one person, situation or thing per day and go as deep as you can, recalling how they make you feel while you write. Make the most of those feel-good neurotransmitters!
Number three - Use gratitude journal prompts to write about people, situations, or things that you’re grateful for.
These can be great if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or creatively depleted as they make it super easy for you by suggesting a theme or category in which to express your gratitude. These can help to jog your memory, or even remind you of things you may not have thought back to on your own!
I’ll link to a few that I really like in the show notes that you can find at shiftyourshitwithsara.com/podcast/3.
Gratitude journaling can help you not only in the moment and immediately after you’ve finished your journaling, but it can be a great tool when you need a pick-me-up as well, because you’ve created this whole book of amazing memories. On days when you’re feeling a little blah, or like the world might be against you, read back through all the things you’ve been grateful for to be reminded of all of the wonderful things that you’ve experienced in your life!
And hey - you might just learn a thing or two about yourself and what you truly value in the process. Check in with yourself periodically to see how you’re feeling about it and how things may have changed for you.
The tiny takeaway for today’s episode is to try gratitude journaling. Pick one of the three easy ways I talked about, or any other way that works for you and put your pen to paper about what you’re grateful for.
It may feel a little awkward at first, but give it a try - be consistent with it for a couple of weeks and see how you feel. Do you feel like you take things for granted a little less? Are you noticing the positives a little more? Celebrate your progress!
Thank you so much for joining me this week on Shift Your Shit With Sara where I help people who are feeling stuck shift into new ways of being so they can live the life they want.
If you enjoyed today’s episode, I’d be over the moon if you could give me a five star rating and leave a comment about what you enjoyed the most. And if you’re listening during the week of September 1st, 2021, there’s also a giveaway going on over on Instagram.
Visit me at @shiftyourshitwithsara on Instagram and share a story of you watching the podcast. Tag it with #shiftyourshitwithsara and be entered to win a package of 5 tapping sessions with me, valued at $500. The winner will be announced next week on the podcast.
Thank you again so much for joining me on this episode of Shift Your Shit With Sara. I’ll see you next time.
