30 Gratitude Journal Prompts

Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude may seem like a bit of a trendy phrase right now but I think it’s one trend we should embrace because it comes with so many amazing benefits. Unlike my home perm in 1986.

Practicing gratitude simply means to consciously acknowledge and feel thankful for the goodness in your life.

Life can often get busy and stressful so It is natural to find yourself focusing on the negative parts of day to day life. However, practicing gratitude shifts your focus to positive moments and experiences, no matter how big or small.

Much like we might make a commitment to eating healthier, practicing gratitude also requires a conscious commitment. It is a reminder to acknowledge that for which we are thankful on a regular basis. After all, there are many benefits to shifting out our attention from stormy skies to sunny days.

Why is Practicing Gratitude Becoming More and More Popular?

Practicing gratitude is proving to be something really simple that we can do that can have a surprisingly big impact on how we act and feel.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, practicing gratitude makes you feel happier.

Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Harvard Health Publishing

Furthermore, Amy Morin lists 7 benefits of practicing gratitude in 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude (Psychology Today). They include:

Gratitude…

opens the door to more relationships
improves your physical health
improves psychological health
enhances empathy and reduces aggression
people sleep better
improves self-esteem
increases mental strength (reduces stress and supports resilience)

And if you are interested in some of the scientific research taking place with respect to gratitude and positive mental health, How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain (J Brown & J Wong, Greater Good Magazine) is an interesting article on how practicing gratitude may affect the brain, not only in the moment, but even for weeks afterward.

I could link to many more enlightening and encouraging articles on this subject which is a great sign that making just a small amount of time each day for gratitude might just be awesome.

How to Practice Gratitude?

Even when life is overwhelming and chaotic, gratitude can just take moments.

Some people “think” their gratitude and others write it down. Both are worthwhile. Do what works for you.

And if you’re looking for a place to start, think about what your morning looks like. Where does your mind go when you first wake up? My initial thoughts are usually:

I wish I could keep sleeping.
Why is it so cold outside? I wish it was summer.
I have soooo many things I need and want to do today such as…(stream list through brain).

But, practicing gratitude can change how you start your morning (or maybe how you end your day). Train your mind to not go to #1, 2 and 3. Rather, kick off the day by thinking or writing about the things for which you are grateful in your life, whether they be teeny tiny or gigantic.

If you love to write down your thoughts, buy a cute journal and put it on paper. Do what is simple and enjoyable for you.

Sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of direction when you’re trying something for the first time. If you’re in this boat and the idea of an empty page feels a bit daunting, just use these 30 gratitude prompts for a month of gratitude!

I don’t think there’s any way you can reflect on these and not have a little bit of a smile when you’re done. 🙂