When a yogi I met recommended that I keep a Gratitude Journal, I thought, “Blecch. Journals. Can’t I be grateful without writing it down?”
The yogi told me it would change my life. I was skeptical.
The rules were simple: every night, write 3 things you’re grateful for in your journal. And it only counts if it’s 40 days in a row. If you miss a day, you start over with Day 1.
Wow. She was right. Here’s what I learned:
It’s not that hard.
Come on. Three things. Even when I was flat on my back, sick in bed last week, I could be grateful for my faithful dog, Jeffrey, who never left my side. And orange juice. And tissues (a box in every room).
It doesn’t take that much time.
Seriously, it takes me about 90 seconds to write in my journal most days. A minute and a half every day, and it’s changing my life.
There’s lots to be grateful for.
In looking over my journal for the past 3 months, there’s been such a wide array of things to write about, from lovely things my kids have said & done, to professional achievements, to nature-y stuff, to friend things . . . So. Much. Gratitude!
It changes how you sleep.
There’s no denying that I’m sleeping better since I started my Gratitude Journal. Thinking about all of the good stuff in my day and writing it down crowds out some of the neurotic hamster-wheel crazy mental list-making I used to end my days with. And since I obsessively track my sleep (thank you, FitBit!), I can objectively tell you that I’m getting significantly more deep sleep now than I was before the Gratitude Journal. Yes!
It changes how you view your day.
When something fun, funny, inspiring, and/or exciting happens during the day, I find myself thinking, “Wow, this is definitely something I can put in my journal.” And my attitude has shifted toward both noticing good things and doing good things. On the regular. Phenomenal mind-shift.
Keeping a Gratitude Journal is one of the easiest and best things I’ve done in the past year. Thank you, Tejpal!
Do you keep a Gratitude Journal? If so, how does it help you? Tell us in the comments below.
Originally published at katedixon.org