Life is full of so many ups and downs, so many disappointments, setbacks, and failures are encountered once in a while, if not every time. However, having a mindset of gratitude is key to motivation and finding the strength to overcome. There are so many ways to stay motivated on your life’s journey, and one of the fundamental ways to do that is by having a gratitude journal.
There are numerous reasons why we need such a journal, but one of the significant benefits of this journal is to help relieve stress and anxiety. Maintaining a journal for gratitude or a journal for gratitude or a self-care journal is no easy feat as it requires a high level of commitment. However, in this article, we’ll be looking at four steps to help you maintain a gratitude journal that will also help reduce your stress levels.
How to Create Your Gratitude Journal
You can create your journal following these four easy steps:
Consider the Kind of Journal
There’s room for online and physical journals; however, it depends on preference. You might want to consider the following when you want to choose a journal:
- Think of which will be preferable between writing and typing. For computer geeks, you might want to consider something different, like writing.
- Consider your preferred writing space.
- In terms of privacy, you might want to consider using your laptop when writing down your thoughts instead of a public one to ensure your thoughts are safe and secure.
Consider the Journal Structure
Journals can be structured in various ways. You might want to choose a structure that suits your style rather than one that will be complex. The whole point is to use a journal structure that you like as long as the structure puts you in the perfect situation to reflect and be grateful for the things happening in your life.
- You can structure your gratitude journal in a list format
- You can have a specific amount of entry in a day to keep it orderly
- You can choose to write on only the positives that occur daily
Show Commitment
One of the best ways to succeed in journaling is by showing commitment to the course. Whether a self-care journal or any other form of a journal, all of them require commitment from the writer to produce the right results. For starters, you can start with writing once a day, and as time goes on, you can increase the numbers per week.
Write Consistently
It would help if you always created time to write down some things; anything doesn’t have to be an exceptional write-up. Just begin with whatever comes to your mind. Just keep an open mind while you write.
There are signs of character improvement from many individuals that own a journal. They become focused on every detail that occurs in their lives. To remain focused and motivated, it would be best if you chose to write on a more regular basis.
Final Thoughts
Gratitude journals are the best way to keep you motivated while relieving stress and anxiety. However, to get the best out of your journaling journey, you need to be committed to ensuring that you journal every day, most especially at the end of every day. From the steps we’ve listed in this article, you could at least start by penning down three items about your day daily.