Last week I mentioned that I am using a gratitude journal this year. I also promised that I would share some snippets from it. If you are thinking about starting a gratitude journal, there really aren't any rules, but I'm going to share some tips for getting started and sticking with it.
Tip #1 - Date every entry.
Even if you don't write in it everyday, it's good to know when you felt grateful for what. It makes reflection more meaningful.
Tip #2 - Dot Points are Delightful
It's okay if you can't write paragraphs about everything that happened that day. You don't even have to write in full sentences. Dot points and single words are just fine.
Tip #3- It's okay to repeat an item.
If you include something on your gratitude list every single day, that's totally okay.
Tip #4 - No Such Thing as Too Big or Too Small
You can be grateful for new shoes, the 5 minute sleep in, a parent, a friend or world peace. It's about appreciating what you have. Sometimes we have to FIND something to appreciate, so if you find it, just write it down.
Tip #5 - Be Creative
If you like to draw or colour, then do it in your gratitude journal. No pressure to make it perfect, because it's all about you enjoying the process of sitting down and thinking positively about your day and indeed your life. I like to use stickers in mine - stars, smiley's, quotes and icons. It's fun. I also use emoji's from time to time.
Tip #6 - Use Prompts
I get mine from Pinterest, but you can get yours anywhere you like. Some of these have 30 days worth of prompts or a month at a time. I don't follow these ones in order. I pick out ones that speak to me. Some examples?
Write three that you are grateful for:
- people
- products
- memories
- skills
- items you can't live without
- services (e.g. hair dresser, trash collection, post office)
- places
- technology
Now a peek at some of the things I have been grateful for this year... in no particular order...
- Clean sheets- there is something wonderful about falling into a bed with clean sheets.
- Air Conditioning
- Ice packs and Heat packs
- My medical team (I listed all the names and what they do, but I'm not including that here).
- Medication
- Shelly (my cat)
- My Mum
- The BFF (and several others in my life)
- The microwave
- Crafting Videos on You Tube- I learn from them and they have a calming effect on me when I can't actually craft.
