Gratitude Journaling

When I first started thinking about producing stationery and, more specifically, notebooks and journals, there was no doubt in my mind that one of the first products to launch would be a Gratitude Journal. 

A Gratitude Journal isn’t anything specific in content or style - it is so very personal in the way you can approach it, and is more about the idea of assigning a notebook to the very purpose of journaling alone.

The benefits of journaling

I first started a few years back at a very tough time in my life and fell in love with the way it very quickly re-framed my thoughts and, well, days. It has now been clinically proven to improve physical and mental wellbeing, increase self esteem, reduce inflammation (!) and aggression – to mention just a few of the benefits; there are now many academic journals reporting gratitude journaling as a means of psychotherapeutic intervention.

A quick survey of my Instagram followers showed me that I wasn’t alone – with many people responding ‘yes’ to whether they journaled daily. I was definitely late to the party, but now a convert, and keen to share the practice. 

So - what exactly is it, and what do you do? 

Well - this is open to interpretation and author’s licence  (if that’s a thing). In summary, it’s actually very simple; you think about and note down the things you are grateful/excited for and note down intentions for the day. 

I thought it would be helpful to provide some possible pointers for those looking to explore journaling by sharing what prompts I often use. I don’t do every single point below every day – it would become repetitive, but rather use different segments as I see fit on a particular day. To be very clear, this is absolutely NOT a ‘To Do’ list or related in any way to productivity. 

Some examples you may like to try: 

• 5 - 10 things I am grateful for today

• An interview with myself e.g.
  Q: Why do I always feel rushed and stressed?
  A: Perhaps if you tried to achieve only one thing in the morning, rather than a plethora - you may feel more composed.
  Q: How can I do that? etc. etc.

• 3 - 5 things I love today

• 3 things that excite me today

• Advice from my higher self (listen to that wise, inner voice)

• Wouldn’t it be nice if….

• Today I intend to ( this is not a to do list, but a self care list)

• 4 things inspiring me

• What do I need to do more of?

• What do I need to do less of?
  

Journaling has been a real turning point for me, so I hope you’ll give it a go – I’d love to hear how you get on!

Kayleigh
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