Gratitude Journal

Description

Gratitude is a form of mindfulness that can help us slow down and take a beat to notice all that’s good in our lives – even the small things we might usually take for granted. Expressing gratitude can help us cultivate appreciation for our lives and help us see the world with different eyes. This can have a profound difference on our stress levels and general wellbeing.

Over the past 20 years scientists have examined the origins of gratitude from an evolutionary perspective, looking into the potential benefits and positive implications of cultivating a daily gratitude practice.

In one study conducted by psychologists Dr. Emmons from the University of California and Dr. McCullough from the University of Miami, participants were assigned to three groups. Group one wrote a list of daily hassles, such as burning their toast or being stuck in traffic; group two listed what they were grateful for each week such as the smell of their morning coffee or the sunrise over the horizon; and group three recorded neutral life events.

The three groups kept weekly or daily records of their moods, coping and health behaviours, physical symptoms and overall life appraisal. Researchers found that the group with a daily gratitude practice experienced significant psychological, physical and social benefits.

Taking stock of what we’re grateful for can also help distract us from the things in life which are not so great. It helps us focus on what we have in our life, instead of focusing on what we don’t have, or what we ‘think’ we need. Instead of always reaching for something new in the pursuit of happiness − whether it be material possessions or something about ourselves − gratitude helps us refocus on what we have, instead of what we lack.

You don’t need anything fancy to take part in the below challenge. Just a few minutes each day to mindfully focus and reflect on the prompt. If you’d like to, you can jot down your answers in a diary or on a scrap of paper. Writing down what you are grateful for has extra benefits, in that you can revisit your thoughts at that moment later in time.