A gratitude list is, as the name shows, a list of things you are thankful for in your life.
One might think, what’s the point of creating a gratitude list when all things in life have already screwed up so much? Does writing a daily gratitude journal actually help?
Well, yes! That’s the whole point of creating a list of things for which we are thankful.
We are surrounded by negativity and stress most of the time, and that clouds our minds to see the positive side of life. We tend to ignore or forget the little pleasures of daily life. Making a gratitude list let you remind yourself of the excellent things going on around you.
Effects of Gratitude Journaling on Mental Health and Well-Being
Gratitude list, when combined with dedicated gratitude meditation, help boost mood and happiness. It also opens new perspectives on life and deepens your relationship with people. In terms of physical health, it improves your sleep and lowers the risks of heart disease. Gratitude journaling also has significant effects on dropping diastolic blood pressure.
There is strong evidence of a link between practicing gratitude, having a positive mindset, and good physical health as well.
According to the studies, consciously focusing on the blessings can potentially result in better mood and strong emotional health. Limited research was conducted on 26000 people, and it was concluded that higher levels of gratitude have a strong connection with lower levels of depression.
If you are still unsure whether you should spend some time writing a gratitude list daily, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that:
- Oprah Winfrey kept a gratitude journal for almost 10 years.
- Tony Robbins takes out 10 minutes for priming, in which he recalls 3 moments he is thankful for in his life.
- Dave Asprey, along with his kids, recalls 3 things he is thankful for and asks them about theirs.
These celebrities and many others have achieved happiness, success, and contentment by practicing gratitude journaling.
If you enjoy digital journaling, you can make a list the things for which you are grateful for either in several online journals or you can use the best gratitude apps.
It brings us to the main point.
How to Start Gratitude Journaling?
There are several ways to go about it. If you are a beginner at this practice, you can just list down 1-2 things you find helpful, unique, or positive. It can be as simple as having a good coffee at the café or as grand as securing a scholarship in your dream university.
It can also be about feeling thankful to the people around you who have helped you in troubling times, such as your parents, siblings, friends, spouse, or even neighbors. This will make you realize how much we take relationships for granted.
Your gratitude list can also include things you are happy about at your work, like helpful colleagues, job satisfaction, new appraisal, or successful client meetings.
Taking a few minutes to write these points will make you realize you have so much positivity around you—you were just not aware of that earlier.
How To Write a Gratitude List?
There is no wrong method to write a gratitude list. You can list down things you find worth being thankful for in several ways.
Here are Some Tips:
- Choose the best time to write your gratitude list. You can integrate it into your morning coffee hour, lunch breaks, or evenings.
- Keep the list genuine and authentic as much as possible.
- Don’t list just vague things you have faced during the day. Be as specific as possible. As you practice, you will start noticing more details in every activity.
- Don’t care about the sentence structure, grammar, or tone. Write in any style that you feel comfortable enough to express yourself.
- Look into various aspects of your life, pick as many positive things as possible, and write them down in your journal.
- You can also write gratitude affirmations to cultivate positive thinking and mindfulness.
Keeping these tips in mind will help you find things to be grateful for in your life.
Gratitude List Ideas: 20 Things To Be Thankful For in Life
The following examples for gratitude lists will inspire you to start counting your blessings and write them down on a gratitude list every day.
- Good physical and mental health
- A kind stranger you meet on the way to work
- Your colleagues are helpful
- You have a job
- You have some money in the bank
- You have opportunities and experiences
- You have family back home
- You have a cute, healthy furry friend (your pet)
- You have access to education, food, and healthcare
- You are not in debt
- You have a bunch of friends to go out with on weekends.
- You have a safe and secure home and a roof over your head
- You have a closet full of your favorite clothes and shoes
- You can watch your favorite movie
- You have the internet to communicate, shop, and get entertained
- You can read your favorite books
- You have multiple talents
- You have clean air to breathe
- You have the energy to enjoy nature: mountains, rain, sunshine, streams, etc.
- You can sleep soundly at night.
You have to make deliberate efforts to think about what you are thankful for. Millions of things, people, and experiences will come to your mind.
Final Words
Now that you understand what gratitude means and have understood the importance of creating your own gratitude list, you can make this your habit to live a contented life. Somedays, you might not find anything worth being thankful for, and that’s okay. You can always flip back the pages of your gratitude list and remind yourself of the blessings you have.