KBW | Why You Need a Gratitude Journal

Your brain wants to protect you. It constantly scans for danger. This gave us an evolutionary advantage when we lived in the elements and had to contend with wild animals and dangerous weather, but in today’s world, not only do we not need that constant scanning, but we have an extremely hard time turning it off. It’s constantly being turned on and triggered by the news, bad traffic, work deadlines, and more.

We need to help our brains relax and look for the good, not just the bad, so that “good scanning” becomes more habitual than defaulting to the “look for the bad” scanning mode. 

 Gratitude journaling is a powerful tool to help you turn off that constant danger scanning and focus on the good to rewire your brain for happiness. 

 Quick and easy tips to get started journaling today.  

1. Keep the journal out 

• If it’s hidden away somewhere, it will be out of sight, out of mind!
• Place it where you’ll see it AND where you’ll do it. Does it need to be on your nightstand to do it every night before bed? Or on your kitchen counter so you can reach for it while you brew your morning coffee? Pick a spot and let it live there! 

2. Make it pretty

• Pick a pretty journal and while you’re at it, get yourself some nice pens, it will make you actually want to use it. 

3. Pick a time of day

• I really like either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. But you get to choose what works for you
• The key is to pick a time and stick to it so it becomes routine for you. 

4. Set a goal and stick to it

• Maybe it’s three days a week; maybe it’s 7. The amount doesn’t matter as much as getting into a habit and routine and ritual and sticking with it.
• It’s ok if you don’t do it every day. Just do the best you can. Don’t do that thing people do where it’s all or nothing…something is better than nothing!

5. Now all you have to do is write down WHAT you’re grateful for

• And don’t forget to write why you're grateful for it. This will really start to help rewire your brain!  

And that’s it!

Grab a journal, make it pretty, keep it handy, pick a time and a schedule, stick to it, and write down what you’re grateful for and why. Give this a go for a solid month and see what changes for you! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised! I really like the way this gratitude journal is laid out with daily prompts, inspiration, and habit tracking, and I think you’ll like it too!

Grab my favorite gratitude journal here!