How To Start A Gratitude Journal

Towards the end of last year, I decided to start a gratitude journal.

My goal was simple. I wanted to change how my mornings felt. I wanted to wake up feeling calmer and more focused.

Most people wake up and move straight into complaints. The weather is wrong. They are tired. Something already hurts. Before the day has even started, the tone is set.

That mindset carries forward. Exercise feels harder. Breakfast becomes rushed or skipped. Work begins with low energy and little inspiration.

I know this pattern well because it used to be mine.

I often started the day feeling grumpy, and that mood shaped everything that followed. I felt unmotivated to move my body, uninterested in preparing a proper breakfast, and disconnected from my work.

But what if mornings did not have to start that way?

What if you could wake up and immediately guide your attention toward what is steady and good in your life, before stress takes over?

Since I am not someone who enjoys long journaling sessions, this habit felt manageable. Just a few sentences each morning. Two or three minutes at most.

That was enough to make a difference.

So let’s talk about how to start a gratitude journal and make it work in real life.

What is a gratitude journal?

A gratitude journal is anything that helps you consistently notice and record what you are grateful for.

It can be a traditional notebook, but it does not have to be. It might be an app on your phone or a simple document on your computer. The format matters far less than the habit itself.

What truly counts is the process. Daily or weekly, you take a moment to reflect on the things that are good in your life and acknowledge them intentionally.

If you choose a physical journal, think about how you want to use it. You can dedicate a notebook solely to gratitude, or you can combine it with daily planning.

I personally use a notebook every day to write down three things I am grateful for. If you use a bullet journal, you might prefer creating a gratitude log by setting aside a single spread and adding one sentence each day.

There is no right or wrong approach. You can keep gratitude separate or integrate it into a system you already use. The best gratitude journal is the one you will actually return to.

What are the benefits of gratitude journaling

There are several studies that show that journaling about gratitude has a lot of benefits. Far greater benefits than journaling about your problems and events that displeased you.

People who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. They also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians.

Here are some of the benefits that were noticed:

Greater connection to others
Increased personal joy
Better Sleep
Exercising more regularly
Lowering symptoms of physical pain

The biggest difference I noticed after a couple of months is my overall mood during the day. Turning my thoughts to the most cherished things in my life, and sometimes to the things that we do not notice or we take for granted, has improved my life in many ways.

I am more regular with my exercise
I pay more attention to the food I eat
I am in a better mood overall
I feel motivated and focused

How To Keep A Gratitude Journal

The number one error when writing gratitude sentences is to keep them very general. If it is just a simple statement, like “I am grateful for my kids” or “I am grateful for my house,“ it does not sink in.

You need to be more detailed, as it helps you connect better with the emotion. So what you need to do is describe the feeling better:

I am grateful for my kids because they make me laugh.
I am grateful for my kids because they bring me so much joy.
I am grateful for my kids because they bring a different perspective to my life.

There are many ways you can keep a gratitude journal. And for sure, you will find many options in your local bookstore.

But I believe that the best things in life are free. There is no need to pay a lot of money for a journal that has gratitude sections printed.

What you need is just a notebook and a pen. Then you can decide how you want to approach your gratitude journaling.

You can write down 3 things you are grateful for every morning, or you can write it in the evening when you reflect on the day that has passed.

You can choose to write a page of gratitude.

It really comes down to what you want to do and how long you want to write.

My routine is very simple. Every morning when I sit at my desk to work with a cup of coffee, I first take out my gratitude notebook and write down three things I am grateful for. I write whatever comes to my mind.

One day it is about kids, husband, and parents, the other I talk about trees, sky, views or my pet.

My routine is simple because I know introducing a new habit is not easy. Once the habit sticks, then I can go ahead and improve it if needed.

What to write in a gratitude journal?

When you start writing for the first time, do not focus too much on making your writing perfect.

Your first step is to introduce a new habit of writing gratitude every day or once a week, whatever timeline you prefer.

After you introduce this habit, I suggest you take a bit more time when you write. Spend a few minutes thinking about the feeling a gratitude thought creates in your chest, try feeling the gratitude and joy inside yourself while you write.

To make the whole process more interesting, you can also introduce a daily category for your gratitude journaling. On Monday, you can focus on relationships, on Tuesday on work, on Wednesday on health, and on Thursday you can focus on nature.

This gives you a daily topic to write about and think about, just as you are about to start your day. And makes the whole process of writing even more interesting.

Some people also prefer to use a guided journal. They contain prompts that guide you through the journaling process and give you a clear structure. The most famous one is The Five Minute Journal.

Check out my post: Guided journals, yes or no?

When should you write a gratitude journal?

You can write in your gratitude journal both in the morning and in the evening. Both have great benefits; it all depends on your lifestyle and what you are trying to achieve.

I journal each morning to set a positive tone for the day. Since I often wake up feeling grumpy, writing helps shift my mindset and lift my mood. I’ve paired this habit with my coffee routine, so it feels natural and easy to remember.

If you, on the other hand, want something that will put you in a good mood before going to bed, then gratitude journaling is a great way to reflect on the day that has passed.

It is a way to relax and a far better option than staring at your phone screen before sleep.

Gratitude Journal Prompts

As you start to write a gratitude journal, there will be days when you cannot think of anything to say.

During those days, I found Journal Prompts very useful. They give you a new idea you can write about and refresh your journaling practice.

You can find many ideas on Pinterest, but here are some that helped me:

Gratitude Prompts Ideas

These questions will help you start writing:

What is the most beautiful thing you saw today?
List three silly things your kids did today.
What made you smile unexpectedly?
Who do you love?
Who did you talk to today that made you happy?
Look out the window, what’s something you’re grateful for outside?
What is the most inspirational book/movie you read/watched this week?
What is your favorite thing about your job?
Reflect on a time you made a mistake and what you learned. What are you grateful for about that learning experience?
What is one thing you love about your partner, parent, or child?
What are you most looking forward to doing this week?
What do you like about your home?
When you think about your childhood, remember your fondest memory.

Just remember that you can write about anything, no matter how big or small. If you’re still at a loss, here are some unexpected gratitude journal ideas to help you get over that case of writer’s block.

People to write about

A person you haven’t spoken to in a while
Someone who lives far away
Your kid’s teachers
Your coworkers
Someone you have a hard time getting along with
A musician, author or artist whose work particularly inspires you
A stranger who brightened your day

Things to write about

Your pet
Your favorite food
Things you use daily
Your job
Activities or hobbies you enjoy
Your body
Your sense of smell, sight, taste, etc.

places to write about

The city you live in
Your favorite vacation destination
Your desk at work
Your bed
Your neighborhood park
Your hometown
Your favorite books

Ideas to write about:

A family tradition
A silly moment
A problem you’re facing
A recent accomplishment
The current season
Something new you learned recently

Final thoughts

If you struggle with a negative mindset in the morning, then gratitude journaling is a game-changer. We often do not realize how much our own thoughts block our progress. We focus on negative things that are going on, and that affect our daily routines and what we can accomplish.

I highly recommend this practice.

It can be as simple as writing a few sentences in the morning, but it will have lasting benefits in your life.