Experience with gratitude journals?
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I've never actually kept a journal about it - but I very regularly remind myself of how fortunate I am. Yesterday I was complaining to my wife that I wasn't really happy about my hotel room - the air-con was too cold and the colour-scheme etc gave it a clinical sort of feeling. Then when I went for a walk to try and find some milk for my coffee and I saw a lady and her little boy asleep on the footpath in front of me. It almost made me cry.
Most of the time we don't realise just how lucky we are - I know I don't anyway.
Most of the time we don't realise just how lucky we are - I know I don't anyway.
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That's what I do, too. Never kept an actual journal, but try to regularly take some time to think about what I'm grateful for. Kind of fell out of the habit last year and was becoming more negative. So trying to make the effort again lately.
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I have an app on my phone called Presently. It's free and easy to use, and I like that I can set up reminders for it. I have also tried gratitude journaling in the past just in a blank notebook, and that was good too.
I don't know how other people do it, but I usually try to think of 3-5 things to write each day, and I keep my entries short so I don't get overwhelmed trying to think of what to write. Yesterday I wrote:
1. Time for gaming
2. Finishing hard work
3. Home is peaceful
In the past, I've wondered if it was actually helping to do this, but lately, I think it is. I get consumed by negative thoughts pretty easily, and this is a nice way to pull myself out of that cycle.
I don't know how other people do it, but I usually try to think of 3-5 things to write each day, and I keep my entries short so I don't get overwhelmed trying to think of what to write. Yesterday I wrote:
1. Time for gaming
2. Finishing hard work
3. Home is peaceful
In the past, I've wondered if it was actually helping to do this, but lately, I think it is. I get consumed by negative thoughts pretty easily, and this is a nice way to pull myself out of that cycle.
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19 Posts
Thank you for sharing! I like your list
Sadly, Presently is only for Android and I have an iPhone, but nonetheless, a great inspiration to go digging in the app store. Thank you for the tip.
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i journal a lot on notion so i use that, and i have the notion app on my phone so i can write stuff on it super quick. i also think using a regular ol' blank journal is a good option or the notes app on your phone.
i intend for it to be a daily thing while accepting that i'll never be 100% consistent. there have been months where i had a total of 3 entries. i put down "3 good things" which can include things im grateful for, things that made me smile, and things that im proud of myself for. also there are times when i only think of 2 or go over 3, and i reuse things day to day. throughout my day when something nice happens, ill automatically think about writing it down and it allows me to hold onto that good moment a little more. i also really like gratitude journaling because its a way to store good memories in one place.
i got the "three good things" concept from this website: 3 Good Things
and i found signing up for texts helpful because you can get reminders to do it so you dont need to put effort into the actual action, just effort into thinking of your three good things. eventually i got more used to doing it so i moved it over to my own journaling system.
i write a lot of simple things like food that i ate, a song i like, things i saw on a walk, if i worked out or took vitamins that day, time spent with people, how i sent an email or made a phone call, things that made me laugh, nice things that people said or did for me AND if i said or did nice things for others. i love that alwaystooquiet shared what they were grateful for so i'm gonna share one too.
heres one from september:
spoke out loud in online class
sweet chili heat doritos
enjoyed songs from that rina sawayama album
really glad to hear you're giving gratitude journaling a try!
i intend for it to be a daily thing while accepting that i'll never be 100% consistent. there have been months where i had a total of 3 entries. i put down "3 good things" which can include things im grateful for, things that made me smile, and things that im proud of myself for. also there are times when i only think of 2 or go over 3, and i reuse things day to day. throughout my day when something nice happens, ill automatically think about writing it down and it allows me to hold onto that good moment a little more. i also really like gratitude journaling because its a way to store good memories in one place.
i got the "three good things" concept from this website: 3 Good Things
and i found signing up for texts helpful because you can get reminders to do it so you dont need to put effort into the actual action, just effort into thinking of your three good things. eventually i got more used to doing it so i moved it over to my own journaling system.
i write a lot of simple things like food that i ate, a song i like, things i saw on a walk, if i worked out or took vitamins that day, time spent with people, how i sent an email or made a phone call, things that made me laugh, nice things that people said or did for me AND if i said or did nice things for others. i love that alwaystooquiet shared what they were grateful for so i'm gonna share one too.
heres one from september:
spoke out loud in online class
sweet chili heat doritos
enjoyed songs from that rina sawayama album
really glad to hear you're giving gratitude journaling a try!
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