The Truth About Keeping A Gratitude Journal
The truth is starting and maintaining a gratitude journal can be a difficult task to undertake. For it to be truly powerful, you want to do it every day. This can be hard to implement into your daily habits. However, after a while, the effort you put into showing your gratitude every day will be well worth it in the long run. You need to continue to push yourself to do it every night until it becomes a habit.
Here is the truth about why you want to keep a gratitude journal:
It Reduces Stress
Did you know that researchers have found that when you focus on feelings of satisfaction and contentment, it will naturally counteract stress? While you will still have to deal with challenges in your life, having an attitude of gratitude will help you better deal with those challenges.
It Creates Better Health
Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and are more inclined to eat healthily and exercise. Grateful people tend to live healthier lives and live longer than their ungrateful counterparts. This is because they have the motivation to take better care of themselves.
It Improves Sleep
Gratitude has been shown to induce the relaxation response and has been proven to be a potent sleep aid. Spending just a few minutes right before you go to bed to write down the things that you are grateful for will help to quiet your mind and ease any anxieties that you might have about the day. A calm and grateful mind will allow you to fall asleep quicker.
It Improves Self-Esteem
Showing gratitude can help to reduce the natural tendencies we have to compare ourselves to those around us, which can be detrimental to our self-esteem. When you show gratitude for what you have, you will harbor less resentment and jealousy toward others and have a greater feeling of self-worth. When you focus on the negative things in your life, it can become extremely easy to feel down. We tend to be more demanding on ourselves than others, but keeping a gratitude journal can help you stay focused on your achievements.
It Increases Positivity
When you write things down that you are grateful for in your life, you will naturally become more optimistic and confident. Focusing on the good in your life provides less power to the negative emotions and greater power to the positive ones. Although you may have positive thoughts come to mind throughout the day, taking the time to write them down makes them more concrete.
These are only a few of the many benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. If you aren’t already keeping one, starting today will help you live a happier and healthier life. The other truth about gratitude journals… the best time to start a gratitude journal is now. For further reading, discover ‘How Gratitude Will Change Your Life’ on the Laken Lane Blog.
Follow
