WHY a gratitude journal WORKS

The idea of a “Gratitude Journal” has been put forth many times on selfavenue. Upon reflection, I see the idea of using one regularly is not just a great idea, but a must for those who are depressed, people who are finding it hard to be positive about what they have, and for further improvement of life. I used to think it was ‘a good idea’ but when I think of the logic of how a gratitude journal can amplify positivity in all realms of your life, it has been easier to keep up.

1. Whether or not you believe in a Higher Power or more in the concept of a generous universe, when we are thankful for what we have, we naturally focus on what is positive in our life. So, short-term, we already have a temporary boost in our mood and outlook.

2. The brain works by associations and networks. For example if you write ‘family’ on your gratitude list, ‘friends’ is also likely to come to your consciousness. When you think of ‘friends’, you may then associate that with positive activities you do with your friends. Thus a gratitude journal prompts you to think of aspects of your life you are thankful for by mere association, and writing things down consciously will precipitate similar positive thoughts.

3. When you are conscious that you are grateful for your family, for example, you begin to notice more positive things about them, and the list grows.

4. Your positive attitude toward life will help you to feel happier, creating a mindset that is proactive to creating what is important to you.

5. You will tend to be more grateful for things you take for granted like your health, family or friends.

6. People are naturally attracted to more positive people, and your interactions with others will tend to improve and enrich. When we are grateful, we are contented and appreciative of others and all we our blessed with. When we complain and grumble, people tend to avoid us, and what’s worse, we feel awful too.

7. When we write down what we are grateful for, this can serve as a diagnostic aid to identify our core values. If we write down ‘health’, we know this is important to us, and to spend more time maintaining it, leading to further gratitude. Likewise identifying ‘family and friends’ are what we are grateful for may be a clue to spend more time with them, leading to an even greater sense of fulfilment.

So, create a time of day to write down what you feel gratitude for, and watch the positivity in your life expand. If done regularly, it is pretty hard not to feel the negative emotions associated with ‘not having’. When you are grateful for what you have, you are in a position to be contented not just now and then, but every day – because there is always something to be appreciative for.



#_gratitude_journal
#_gratitude
#_appreciation
#_being_positive
#_attraction
#_contentment
#_goals
#_happiness
#_values


%selfavenue