Gratitude Journaling +
Habitually reframe your mindset with a simple end-of-day activity (and an added suggestion)
Living with unresolved trauma, chronic stress, or burnout often has an impact on our worldview and mindset. When I was facing the deepest burnout I had encountered myself in early 2023, a tool that was suggested by my therapist was Gratitude Journaling.
It’s subtly simple and for many others (including myself) it had a marked impact on my mindset and happiness.
So what is Gratitude Journaling?
Simply - at the end of each day, before you retire for the day, write down* three to five things you found gratitude for in the day you had.
These should be authentic and mindful topics of gratitude - avoid the urge on days when you are mentally exhausted to simply write down cliche items that others are grateful for — unless those things are things you are grateful for.
Express them with a few words. There is no need to write a novel about how it makes you feel (you’re already feeling it when you call to mind those topics for which you are grateful).
Consider the positive viewpoint of experiences that might have been “inconvenient”. See the first example below, with many experiences we have can take a negative slant if we let them. Often times these experiences have a very positive value to our existence and giving gratitude to that value changes perspective.
Example:
the rain today (to nourish trees, plants, and create well-water reserves)
the compliments I got on the shirt I wore today
today’s long, hot shower
there were no technical outages today that disrupted my day
That’s it. If you want to move to an advanced level of gratitude journaling, (Gratitude Journal+), think about the areas of gratitude and whether you can give thanks to someone… or if you can share how you found gratitude in a ‘negative’ slant. Find time to thank that person the next time you see them or use it as a reason to ask them to get together socially. “When you complimented my shirt the other day, it made me feel good when I reflected on that day… thanks for noticing!”
I found that even after a few days of gratitude journaling that my mindset began to change, to be more positive, to be more present (and appreciative). After a few weeks, a marked change in my demeanor occurred and I was able to re-engage in further healing activities. Some people keep a gratitude journaling habit forever. Some people use it when they need to break a negative-mindset cycle. Find your own uses and share this tool with others who may find use!