Keep a gratitude journal
Keep a journal, notebook, or diary by your bedside, and create a daily
ritual where you list three or more things you are grateful for. This can
be done twice daily, morning and night, where you express a few
things you appreciate in general in the morning and three new things
you appreciated that exact day in the evening. Or you can practice
once, choosing a time that’s most convenient for you.
By keeping a gratitude journal, you can remind yourself each
morning and night of the wonderful aspects of your life and how they
improve your well-being and happiness. Once you get into the groove,
you’ll notice that these 5 minutes can make you a happier, more
energized person who’s excited to embark on whatever journey life
brings. Reflecting on how fortunate you’ve been so far will further
increase your vigor for living each minute to its fullest and will
encourage you to find new ways to appreciate the beauty and joy in
life. There are so many future experiences to look forward to!
Even if you’ve had a bad day or a dip in energy levels, consider all
that you should be grateful for—there are probably quite a few things
worth jotting down. Think about your social network of friends and
family; your successes, whether from work, personal hobbies and
passions, or self-improvement; and even small, trivial things that can
instantly make a day that much better. A smile from a stranger on the
street? The smell of fresh laundry after you run a load? A favorite
muffin available at your local coffee shop? There’s so much good
around you to take in.
Once you have your journal, you can decide who you’d like to share
it with—if anyone. It can be private, for your eyes only, or you can
reach out to those who are mentioned within and share an entry to
boost their moods and energy states too. Gratitude can benefit
everyone involved, so as long as you’re okay with opening up and
being vulnerable, you’re sure to put a big, radiant smile on someone
else’s face—and that feels pretty darn good, right?
