With life going by so fast you would be forgiven for having negative thoughts or focusing on the bad in the world. For me, it wasn’t until a world pandemic happened that I really had a chance to sit back and realize that I had some pretty awesome things and people in my life. Don’t get me wrong it took me a long time to practice gratitude and really change my mindset. You might be in a similar position where you are in a mental funk and trying to figure a way out. My advice, start small.
What Does It Mean To Practice Gratitude?
When I started my journey to practice gratitude I kept it simple: I noticed the good things and genuinely appreciated them. Even the little things like my morning coffee to big things like the advancement of modern medicine. The one thing I really focused on was making sure it was personal to me. Trust me, you will start with being grateful for small things and after a while, you will be able to dig deeper within your heart. Corny? Maybe, but it’s true.
To help you with getting started to practice gratitude we have come up with a list below that is daily journal prompts for you to think about. You don’t need to spend hours thinking about your answer but allow yourself 15mins away from technology and distraction to sit, reflect and write. Commit to the next month of practicing gratitude and you will be surprised at the change in your mental health.
Commit To A Month To Practice Gratitude
- Write down a happy memory..
- Your favourite book and why..
- What is a family tradition that you are grateful for..
- Five positives that have come out of the pandemic..
- Who made you laugh this week and why..
- Who is someone in your life you are grateful for and why..
- What is a lesson your learnt today..
- Your favourite movie and why..
- Take 3 deep breathes and write the first thing that comes into your head..
- Do something for someone else and write down how it made you feel..
- Who is your oldest friend and why have you reminded friends for so long..
- Where was your last holiday? Describe what you did there..
- When was the last time you were sad and why..
- If you had to pick 1 thing to be grateful for today, what would it be..
- From the top of your head to your toes touch every part of your body. How did that make you feel..
You Are Halfway There - Keep Going
- Look around your space, what makes you happy and unhappy in that space..
- Do not complain about anything today and when you feel you are able to think of a positive option. After the day write down how you feel..
- What do you want out of life..
- How is life today, better than one year ago…
- Write about a challenging person in your life (i.e. someone you frequently disagree with) and the qualities you like about this person..
- If you could give your younger self a piece of advice what would it be..
- List as many qualities you like about yourself..
- What is challenging you, how is this helping you to grow…
- Who is a teacher or mentor that has made an impact on your life and why..
- Describe the last time you helped someone..
- Give a genuine compliment to someone you dislike. How did it make you feel..
- Give your body a compliment..
- What is a mistake that I’ve made, that ultimately led to a positive experience..
- Five ways you can share your gratitude with other people in the next 24 hours..
- What makes you happy to be alive..
