As the world around us gets faster each day, we are all seeking new ways to help us slow down and give ourselves some much needed self-care. The term ‘self-care’ has seen a 250 percent increase in online searches since the COVID-19 pandemic, proof that we need it now more than ever. Self-care looks different to everyone; some of you may choose a hot bath, others might go for a run, or a yoga class, but one activity that has become more popular is gratitude journalling. If this is a completely new concept to you, please lean in close as I whisper the secrets of journalling to you.
I was introduced to gratitude journalling in the Melbourne Airport, when I was declined entry onto my plane to Shanghai due to over-booking. I had to wait 10 hours and of course, my initial reaction was one of frustration and fluster. Once I was eventually booked on to the next flight I sat down with a coffee and rummaged in my handbag for something to keep me occupied. What I found in my bag changed my life. It was a gratitude journal, given to me as a Christmas gift from my best friend. With nothing else to do, I opened the pages and began writing. This one was a guided journal, with prompts on each page that inspired my sentences, such as ‘In this moment, I am grateful for …’ and ‘Something great that happened today was…’
As I started to write, I noticed a shift in my mood. The feelings of irritation melted away as I reminded myself of the good things that had happened that day, that week, that month, that year. Before I knew it, I was not only listing things that I was grateful for, but I found myself looking for moments of magic and beauty. Watching people being reunited with loved ones, listening to the relaxing music on the overhead speaker, enjoying the sip of coffee as it touched my lips. And then I would scribble it all down with the eagerness of a child. Through this simple act of writing, I had lifted my spirits and flipped my perspective from negative to positive. As the famous saying goes, I had taken the time to ‘stop and smell the roses’, and I have kept a gratitude journal ever since.
Journalling is now high on the list of recommended self-care practices as the act of writing on a regular basis has many proven benefits to our mind and well-being.
Regular journal writing helps us to:
- Remember the good things in life
- Start or end the day with a positive thought
- See things from a fresh perspective
- Make sense of difficult situations
- Feel happier
- Tune in to our inner voice
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says “all big things come from small things” and this is a great approach to apply to the act of gratitude journalling as these tiny moments of writing will have a big impact on your attitude of gratitude.
If you’re eager to start but don’t know how, here are my top tips:
- Choose a time of the day where you feel relaxed and will not be distracted. For example, you might set aside five minutes in the morning after the kids have gone to school.
- Find the right place. Is there a nice corner of your bedroom that feels cosy, or a bright window in the kitchen that makes you feel good?
- Start small. You don’t need to write pages of gratitudes, just bullet points, lists, or short sentences are a good place to start.
- Don’t hold back. The beauty of writing is that your words are for you and you alone.
- Use a prompt journal. You can purchase ready-prepared journals with inspiring sentences to get you going.
- Put pen to paper. Rather than using technology, try using the lost art of putting pen to paper to get lost in the creative flow.
Once you have the words on paper, it’s even more beneficial to re-read your words back to yourself. This is known as the ‘cycle of writing for wellness’ and gives us the time to reflect on our thoughts as we read over them again. In seeing our words written down, we are able to understand what’s really going on in our mind and take charge of our emotions. Seeing the words on paper can remind us of all the good in our life, and can even lead to finding simple solutions for problems that felt so hard to solve.
Once the wise man said that “just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day”, and I truly believe that this tiny habit can become a lovely, and life-changing, part of your daily routine. With spring on the horizon and feelings of hope in the air, it is the perfect time to embrace the habit of gratitude journalling and welcome its positive effects into your life.
The feelings of irritation melted away as I reminded myself of the good things that had happened that day, that week, that month, that year. Before I knew it, I was not only listing things that I was grateful for, but I found myself looking for moments of magic and beauty.
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