How to Start a Gratitude Journal
Gratitude is the single fastest way to raise your vibration. And by "raise your vibration" I mean feel better.
About two years ago one of my clients (I do hair) was telling me about how she kept a little gratitude journal that she wrote in every morning. At the time I was looking for new things to do to help me get happy since I had just survived a three year long battle with dysthymia depression. I decided to give this whole gratitude thing a try. Little did I know that this simple tool would seriously changed my life for the better!
After about three weeks of writing in my new gratitude journal I realized my life was changing before my eyes... new (better) people started entering my life, I was more positive and optimistic, little annoyances seemed to be less bothersome to me, great opportunities were finding me, I was even sleeping better, and feeling less stressed! Life was quickly on the up and up thanks to my new gratitude practice.
Everybody wants to feel better. That's undeniable. Gratitude is the easiest and fastest way to do it. It automatically raises your vibration so that you can attract more high vibrational things into your experience!
(If you're not sure what I'm talking about read my article "Manifestation 101: How to Manifest Anything Your Heart Desires".)
Gratitude is like a muscle. The more you practice it the better you get at it. It gets stronger with daily use, which is where your gratitude journal comes in.
Benefits of Gratitude
A gratitude journal will help you to achieve a couple of different things. First of all, it will help you stay focused on the positive. This will literally rewire the neural pathways of your brain in such a way that you will begin to focus positively all of the time. Secondly, it will raise your vibration and therefore attract more things into your life that you can be grateful for. And lastly, there are about a thousand different studies within the positive psychology field that prove that gratitude helps with overall health in numerous ways.
- improves your self esteem
- increases your energy levels
- encourages quality sleep
- makes you happy
- promotes relaxation
- lessens physical pain
- makes you more likable
- improves decision making and productivity
- reduces materialism
- makes you more optimistic
- improves psychological health
- lessens doctors visits
Seriously! Gratitude is some real deal miracle working stuff. Have I sold you on it yet?
How to Start a Gratitude Journal
1. Create your gratitude journal.
Get a journal specifically for gratitude. You'll want it to be something that makes you happy to look at and write in so feel free to decorate and personalize your new gratitude journal.
Caution: Do not "journal" on your computer or phone because hand writing is one of the most important parts of this exercise. Writing by hand (a lost art if you ask me) is great for keeping focus and slowing you down enough so you can stay very present in your gratitude experience.
2. Every single morning, right when you wake up, write down at least three things you are thankful for and why.
They can be silly or profound, but try to write different ones every day. Be sure to do this very first thing in the morning before you even check your phone or eat breakfast. Literally roll over, open your eyes, and begin writing.
Here's an example journal entry:
1/25/2016
I am thankful for my little sister because she makes me laugh and keeps me company.
I am thankful for my bed because it is a big, magical cloud of pillows that makes me happy to be alive.
I am thankful for this day because it is fresh and new and will never happen again.
3. Every single night, right before you fall asleep, write down at least three good things that happened that day.
They can be big or small, doesn't matter. What matters is that you are taking the time to focus on the positive and notice the little things in life.
I like to format it like this "Today was ________ (insert positive adjective here) because..." and then list some things that made me smile. This way, you will fall asleep with a smile every night, which will also help you wake up in a better mood.
Here's an example journal entry:
Today was serendipitous because...
I got a new client and successfully made her look and feel like a million bucks.
I randomly noticed 3 white butterflies. Coincidence? I think not.
I manifested the best parking spot at the grocery store.
Try this gratitude journal practice for three weeks straight and tell me it doesn't work wonders! I'm sure you will find it invaluable (because it is).
Your perspective will be more positive, your attitude more hopeful, and your experience more full. Your life WILL change. So get ready.
You can thank me later.
GRATITUDE IS THE SINGLE FASTEST WAY TO RAISE YOUR VIBRATION. AND BY "RAISE YOUR VIBRATION" I MEAN FEEL BETTER. tweet it
P.S. Seriously, send me an email at kelsey@kelseyaida.com. I want to hear about how your gratitude journal is changing your life! Can't wait.