How Gratitude Journaling can help through Tough Times?
Gratitude journaling would have to be one of the best ways of coping through tough times. Here we will investigate why gratitude journaling can benefit us through tough times
As we have faced lockdown at some point or quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic stress had played havoc on us all.
So, what should we journal about that is inspirational and motivational for us and how can we start and go about it?
What Is Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling? How do we start or even if we are already doing so how can it help you through tough times and in lockdown and moving forward to help us cope?
Gratitude is expressing appreciation for what you have right now. You have gratitude for the people in your life. And gratitude for all good things that are available to you at this moment.
Being grateful is not an idea you stick on a Post-It note for a quick shot of feel-good.
There are many reasons why you are hearing about gratitude journaling so much. Gratitude can transform you.
It can pull you from the vortex of negativity that is sucking the life out of you and give you a renewed sense of purpose and joy.
And the simplest way to practice gratitude is to turn it into a daily habit, specifically by committing to gratitude journaling.
Here are a few gratitude journals you can use to get started with this practice.
Tough Times and Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal…
Top 5 Benefits of Gratitude Journaling to cope with tough times:
1.Improves mental health:
Multiple studies in the field of positive psychology have shown that gratitude journaling helps people to get rid of negative emotions.
Greed. Envy. Regret. And Frustration are often expelled when people take the time to express their gratitude.
2. Increases happiness:
Further studies have shown that daily gratitude journaling has the single largest impact on increasing happiness and improving self-esteem.
3. Helps you sleep better:
With a lower amount of negative emotions and great happiness and feelings of self-worth, many of the things that keep us up at night tossing and turning are gone.
Helping to improve sleep quality and quantity.
4.Improves relationships:
Journaling about your gratitude makes you more aware of what others do for you.
This often leads to improved expression of gratitude to others.
When you express gratitude people like you more because you make them feel good about themselves.
Regardless of whether you are grateful for someone holding opening the door or giving you a life-changing opportunity.
5. Gratitude increases resilience:
When you are grateful for the good things that have happened in your life, you also become more immune to negative reactions when the bad comes around.
Gratitude gives your perspective and helps you realize that no matter how bad things are, “this too shall pass”.
Daily Gratitude Journaling Prompts…
The gratitude journal benefits will most definitely surprise you, and it is perfect for all age groups and gender; there are gratitude journal books for kids, adults, women or men, etc.
People often fail to see the goodness around us but a gratitude journal helps us notice and record it.
Your journal will become a tool for self improvement and success too as you can go back to re-read your own entries and find inspiration when things get tough in life.
Eventually, knowing that there is always something to be thankful for will keep you on the lookout for good and kind-heartedness which is a great way to go about life.
Here is a list of Gratitude Journaling Prompts to Help you through Tough Times…
Below is a huge list of journal prompts and gratitude journal ideas that are perfect for your gratitude pages, book or journal:
- Write down one good thing that happened to you today.
- What are five personality traits that you are most thankful for?
- What about your upbringing are you most grateful for?
- Are you happy with how your day turned out?
- Name 5 things you are doing well currently.
- Did you have a nice surprise today? Write about it.
- What family members are you most grateful for? Write about what makes them special.
- Who or what in your life are you happy to have let go?
- What were your 3 best days? Write a small paragraph about each day.
- What friends are you most grateful for having? List what makes each friend special.
- Name 3 things that always put a smile on your face.
- What is the most beautiful place you have been to? Relive being in this place now.
- What are your biggest accomplishments?
- What do you really appreciate about your life?
- Name 3 things that you can start doing today to express your gratitude to others.
- What has been the highlight of your day today?
- What things do you own that make life easier?
- Name 3 things that have happened to you that have strengthened your character and who you are today.
- List 5 things you love about your home.
- What 3 things you love about the town, area or neighbourhood you live in?
- Spend a few minutes focusing on your 5 senses and write down how you can you be more mindful of each.
- What about your career or job are you grateful for?
- What things made you laugh out loud this week?
- Write about something you saw recently that warmed your heart.
- Write about a time someone went out of their way to help you.
- Think about a time that you went out of your way to help someone.
- Think of 3 times that pure luck or grace has saved you.
- Make a list of 20 ways you are fortunate.
- What physical characteristics are you most grateful for?
I am sure you can find many other topics to journal about.
Reference:
Can your diary keep you healthy?
Other research finds that writing specifically boosts our immune system, good news when the source of so much stress today is an infectious virus.
One older study even found that journaling could make vaccines more effective.
In the experiment, some medical students wrote for four days in a row about their thoughts and feelings around some of the most
traumatic experiences of their lives.
Some of these life experiences were from divorce to grief to abuse, while others simply wrote down their daily events and plans.
Journaling can make an Important difference in your life
Then, everyone received the hepatitis B vaccine and two booster shots. According to blood tests, the group who journaled about upsetting experiences had higher antibodies right before the last dose and two months later.
While the other group had a perfectly healthy response to the vaccine, the authors write, journaling could make an important difference for people who are immune-compromised or for vaccines that don’t stimulate the immune system as well.
“Expression of emotions concerning stressful or traumatic events can produce measurable effects on human immune responses,” write the University of Auckland’s Keith J. Petrie and his colleagues.
Reference:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_journaling_can_help_you_in_hard_times
Philippa Hunt is a Woman on a Mission.
WiseGirls Money Academy was created after working as a qualified Financial Adviser for many years and deciding it was time to assist women who desired to learn and develop the self-empowerment to understand their emotional relationship with money, the skills and knowledge to save and invest. They wanted to learn how to create their own financial future and become financially capable.
The WiseGirls Money Mission is to provide the opportunity and place for growth and development of women of all ages in personal and financial skills in a supported female environment so that they take control of their future to reach their own financial independence.
