Journaling - Gratitude
A question that comes up a lot in the first few sessions with a new client is “What can I do between sessions to help”, and one of my most common responses is journaling. Now, journaling comes in lots of different shapes and sizes, so how you go about it will vary from person to person. However, if you are experiencing negative thoughts, or cannot quite tear yourself away from the general negative state of the world at the moment, then perhaps try gratitude journaling.
Gratitude journaling is a form of journaling where you write down aspects of life that you are grateful for. This could be things that bring positivity/meaning to your life, or just everyday little things that bring positive feelings. Now you might be thinking to yourself “What is the point in doing that, sounds pointless” and you are not alone in that thinking, I thought this too when I first heard the idea but let me explain how gratitude journaling works.
Our brains are wired to focus on the negative things in life as this is what helped us survive, and thrive as a species. We would remember which foods are poisonous, where the dangerous environments were, and to always be alert for predators that might try and eat us. However, our environment has changed a little bit from when those things were important to everyday life, but our brain still focuses on the negative as it has not had a chance to change as quickly as our environment has. So our default way of thinking is negative, but it does not have to be, and we can work on changing that aspect of our way of thinking. This is where gratitude journaling comes in. Spending time each day to try to think of something positive gradually makes your brain focus on the positive more than the negative. This is the same as developing any other habit, the more you do it the more you think about it and the more natural it feels.
So how do you go about starting a journal? Well, there are so many different ways to go about this, and it is important to find a format that works for you. In this post I am going to focus on the good old-fashioned pen-and-paper approach, but for those interested, here is a quick list of different ways beyond the pen-and-paper approach:
Journaling Apps: There are numerous different apps out there now, both at a cost and free, if this interests you then try a few out and see what you like and dislike about each.
Video Journaling: This can be done in many different ways, using social media, or again a variety of apps that let you take short-form videos.
Photo Journaling: Same as above, a quick snap of something you are grateful for each day, again like everything nowadays there is an app for that.
Creative Journaling: I know many people who find it difficult to write down their feelings, but are able to draw, paint, collage, etc as a means of expressing themselves.
Note Jars: This is where you take a big jar and each day on a small note write what you would have in a journal, fold it up, and put it in the jar.
Origami: Similar to the note jar method, the paper is instead folded into something pretty, and you end up with positive thoughts and pretty decorations.
I am sure there are many more methods that I have forgotten, the important takeaway is that the method works for you and that it is not just an exercise done in your head. The purpose of doing it on paper, or digitally, is to make it an activity that we have to slow down our thoughts to think about and experience.
So you have a pen and a blank notebook, how does one go about gratitude journaling? There is no “correct” way to keep a gratitude journal, but if you want a starting point my method is to look for today's topic, then narrow it down, explore why you are grateful for this, and then reflect on what this means to you. An example might look like this: “Today I am grateful for the change in weather, today was dry and crisp, which enabled me to get out into nature which I really needed as it let me process my thoughts and have a small moment of peace”. It does not have to be long unless you want that, and the topic does not have to be deep or life-changing, it can be anything that you are grateful for. Try not to judge yourself too much for the topics you choose, if you are grateful for something then that is what is important, big or small does not matter. The important goal is to be precise and to stay focused on the positive, after all this is why we are doing this in the first place. If you find yourself struggling with keeping a gratitude journal, do not be afraid to look online for some prompts, or a template. There are also many books and blogs dedicated to gratitude journaling that might help inspire and motivate. Be kind to yourself, if you cannot think of something then you can take a day off, the important thing is trying.
Once you get into the habit of keeping a journal you will find it becomes easier and easier to do, eventually you will notice that you are spotting the positives in your life without having to actively look for them. Having a journal also means that on the days you are struggling or just feeling a little down, you have access to a little book of things you are grateful for, which might help to clear the mind fog.
So if you want to try and rewire your brain from thinking negatively to thinking more positively, then maybe give gratitude journaling a go, and find a method that best works for you.