Gratitude journaling refers to any habit of recording the things you're thankful for. This might look like traditional journaling, where you write about your day and appreciation in a little notebook. However, it can take on many other forms, with the point of the process being to create a log of things you're thankful for over time.
Psychology research has shown that demonstrating gratitude and cultivating a daily habit of thankfulness has a positive impact on a person's mental and physical well-being. Studies have shown that gratitude can lead to positive benefits such as:
Gratitude journaling has additional benefits that simple gratitude alone doesn't. When you record your gratitude for things each day, it creates a tangible ability to look back on the good things in life. This can be helpful when you're facing a challenging situation because your own journal can shine some light into the darkness, reminding you of all the things you have to be thankful for. If you've already established a strong gratitude journaling habit, you may be more likely to continue it even during challenging times, and that can help you find something good to appreciate about each day — even if it's something small.
There's even a benefit of putting pen to paper and journaling in an old-fashioned way. When you participate in the act of physical writing, you engage specific parts of your brain. This helps you clear your mind and focus specifically on the idea you're writing down, which can help you connect more firmly with your gratitude. Writing something down can also help stamp it into your memory, which makes it more likely you'll recall the thing you're thankful for later. For some people, the act of writing is a calming or soothing habit, and this can help you get into a sort of meditative mindset when developing your gratitude habit.
Of course, writing with pen and paper isn't for everyone. Some people don't enjoy this type of activity, and for some older adults, difficulty with fine motor skills or pain in the hands or fingers may make writing an unpleasant task. Luckily, there are multiple ways to keep a gratitude journal without writing a ton.
If you simply don't like to write or don't think you're a great wordsmith, you can keep a gratitude list. Simply use a notebook and create entries each day numbered from one to three. Fill in, with only a few words, three things you're thankful for that day. Your list can be as short as "food, comfort and Laura," for example.
You can also use other methods to record your gratitude list or thoughts. You might speak them into an audio recording app on your smartphone, type them into a word processing document on your computer or dictate them to someone else to write down. Residents of an assisted living community could tie their gratitude habit with a short walk each day, taking their journals to reception to ask someone to write down their three items each day, for example.
In fact, habit stacking your gratitude journaling with another important or favorite activity can help you cement this habit in your life each day. Habit stacking occurs when you incorporate one habit after another that you already have in your life. For example, many people take new medications before or after brushing their teeth because they know they'll remember to brush their teeth. By keeping the medications near the toothbrush, they're reminded daily and better integrate this new habit.
Think about when you might add gratitude journaling to your day. Seniors of faith who have quiet moments with God each day might add a few minutes of journaling to that time, for instance. You could also add journaling to your morning coffee time, just before an afternoon nap or after you watch a favorite show every evening. Try to choose a habit you do almost daily without much effort and one that leaves you feeling at least somewhat positive. It's much harder to stack a new habit on a task that takes all your energy or leaves you feeling upset.
