I'm going to start by admitting that journaling is extremely alien to me. What I've heard I've found a little off putting, particularly the "Morning Pages" version where upon waking you're to fill three full pages by 'simply' allowing your thoughts to flow freely and for your writing to be a stream of consciousness; literally getting anything and everything that comes to mind down onto paper.
I'm not going to knock something that clearly works for some people, and like most things, I appreciate it takes time to embrace fully, and will flow more easily with consistency and practise. But what if knowing that filling these pages is supposed to be good for your mental health, but staring at the blank piece of paper with suddenly not a single thought in your head (except "this is stupid") induces nothing but frustration.
Also, I know you're supposed to feel the freedom of knowing that no one but you will ever see your ramblings, but I can't help the intrusive thought, with all that randomness written down... if someone were to stumble across it or god forbid, it being discovered after my demise - well, I can already feel the cringe of embarrassment radiating from beyond the other realm.
There must be an easier way to reap the mindful benefits of journaling that:
a) doesn’t pile on any pressure
b) doesn't make you feel like a failure for not writing an entire essay
bonus c) doesn't make you feel the cringe of potential (or imaginary) judgement
Say hello to gratitude journaling
As someone who wants to embrace journaling but finds relying on my own stream of consciousness too difficult and overwhelming, I have completely fallen in love with gratitude journaling.
Put simply, it's the practice of regularly writing down things you are thankful for, focusing on the positive, no matter how small - sounds simple? Absolutely!
The beauty of gratitude journaling is that there’s an endless amount of things to be grateful for... you just have to learn to spot them. The big things in life can be quite obvious, but it's actually the smaller, seemingly insignificant things that often go unnoticed that can really make a surprising difference to your day and in fact, your general outlook in life.
Little things that you wouldn't ordinarily give a second's thought to; when you learn to look for and acknowledge them, you'll realise what a wonderful impact they have on your day.
Why is gratitude journaling good for you?
It's a wonderful tool to transform your thoughts and improve your mood. Over time, a regular gratitude practice helps to cultivate a more optimistic frame of mind, improving your overall wellbeing, reducing the impact of stress and negative emotions, giving you a more positive outlook during difficult times.
Studies have even shown that over the long term, it can help improve quality of sleep and actually ease physical pain! That's the amazing power of positivity right there.
If like me, you’ve never journaled before, and find the idea of filling an entire notebook with your thoughts overwhelming, starting a gratitude journal in my opinion is the easiest and simplest way to journal.
How you use a gratitude journal is completely up to you. Journaling first thing in the morning can be a great way to set yourself up for the day with a positive mindset.
Or using your journal in the evening (my personal preference) can help you decompress and reflect on the day's events, seeking the positive moments, in what may not have been the best of days.
Taking just a few minutes to pause each day for a quiet moment of calm mindfulness can have a remarkable long term effect on both mental and physical health.
Obviously practising gratitude won’t make our problems disappear, but it can certainly help them feel much more manageable.
As a newbie to journaling, it can be helpful to use some prompts so I've put together a list of ideas to get you started and guide you in the more difficult moments along your gratitude journey.
► Simply sign up to my newsletter to get your free prompts. Also, to help you embark on your journaling journey, I'm offering 15% off my beautiful softcover journals when you sign up.
Make gratitude journaling part of your daily routine. As with any practise, it gets easier the more you do it, and every once in a while, be sure to look back on your past entries. It can be incredibly uplifting, especially on harder days.
Elizabeth x
