Set 2023 New Year’s Resolutions With a Gratitude Journal

As we head into 2023, considering everything over the last few years, it can feel impossible to process everything going on in the world around us. It is no surprise that people have increasingly sought to prioritize self care and wellbeing. Mindfulness practices through coloring, intentional self care with a gratitude journal, or even tuning in to a health and wellness podcast have significant health benefits for both our mental wellness and physical wellbeing. 

It is easy to take the blessings in our lives for granted. However, research suggests that consciously giving thanks for them can have a significant impact on our well-being and relationships. One clinical trial performed by Emmons and McCullough found that subjects who wrote in a Gratitude Journal weekly for 10 weeks or daily for 2 weeks experienced better moods, optimism for the future, gratitude and even better sleep¹. 

While it is important to reflect and learn from things that do not go our way, we tend to dwell more on bad things rather than the blessings. A gratitude journal can encourage us to pay more attention and better appreciate the good things- small or big – that we might otherwise take for granted. In that way, we will start to notice and focus more on the daily sources of pleasure around us, which can change the perspective of how we look at life. Additionally, a critical step is putting these thoughts down into writing. Research suggests that translating thoughts down into concrete writing will help us to be more aware of them. This increases their emotional impact.  

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What are some benefits of gratitude journaling

• Improve mental health – There has been various studies showing a link between your own wellbeing and gratitude, showing that gratitude can increase happiness and reduce overall depression
• Improves empathy and reduces aggression – A study by the University of Kentucky showed that people who are more grateful tend to be act in a more prosocial manner. Be more in tune with your emotions by practicing gratitude journaling.
• Improve self esteem – Practicing gratitude can help to focus on your what you have rather than what others have, reducing social comparisons.
• Improve sleep – A study by Applied Psychology shows using a gratitude journal for 15 minutes every evening before bed helped participants worry less and sleep longer and better afterward¹. Following up on this study, researchers at University of Manchester conducted a study with 400 adults to analyze how gratitude affects sleep². Results show that gratitude was associated with more positive thoughts and fewer negative thoughts at bedtime. In turn, this was associated with sleeping longer and better².

How to start a gratitude journal

To sum up, there are no hard fast rules for writing. A gratitude journal is an exercise to focus your thoughtsthat can be formulated into an intention. Intention is an important part of the human psyche that ultimately forms the rulebook of your personality. To illustrate, the beauty of journaling is that the pages. Additionally, each journal includes 2 layouts: one in lined paper. One with the opposite side in a dotted format which is suitable for drawing and sketching.

If you have no idea where to begin, try the 90 day inspiration quotes from the bonus digital handbook. This works even as printables that you can insert as extra pages in your journal.  

General tips on starting a gratitude journal: 

1. Be consistent. Commit to a regular time and make journaling a habit. By writing regularly, you will be able to reap the full benefits of gratitude journaling. 
2. Depth over breadth. Elaborate in detail about a particular incident or person for which  you are grateful will carry more meaning than a long but superficial list. 
3. Be specific. Being more detail-rich will help you look back in the future and fully appreciate and capture the emotions you feel in the moment. 

How do I use this journal alongside the podcast?

The podcast is intended as an example of how one can utilize humor to revisit old memories. In that way, one can choose to look back on old memories -whether Painful or joyful ones. By making sense of these memories when one has matured – lessons can also be learned. In the same way, journaling allows one to reflect on what has happened. Additionally, help to reframe memories in a way that is constructive.

Find out more about mindfulness practices here.

References:

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.377

Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Lloyd, J., & Atkins, S. (2009). Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. Journal of psychosomatic research, 66(1), 43–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.09.002