So you want to create a morning gratitude practice but you don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve started practicing gratitude daily but a habit hasn’t stuck with you yet. If you’re looking to build a consistent daily gratitude ritual and you need a few pointers, you’re in the right location! We will cover 5 simple tips to help you design the best gratitude list for each and every day.
Have you tried starting a Gratitude Journal?
Yes? No? Maybe so? This is your sign to pick one up. Before we cover the hacks to creating your ultimate morning gratitude list, it’s important that you set yourself up for success. Pick out a journal that excites you – it can be absolutely blissful with beautiful colors or maybe it’s just a simple black and white minimalist journal. Either way, before you can embark on this gratitude journey, you need something to write on. Find a cute and simple journal made of out recycled paper or you can even use sticky notes if needed but this is an absolute necessity.
We also know that many of you may enjoy writing in a digital gratitude journal. We are incredibly supportive of that but we just encourage you to go back and revisit the other gratitude pages to remind yourself of how far you have come.
7 Hacks to Designing a Daily Gratitude List that makes you proud
1. Set aside time to journal and stay consistent with this time!
This might seem like a no-brainer but often, we do not set aside time for self care or other activities. All you need is 5 minutes. Set an alarm in the morning or reserve some time at night. In order to build a habit, you must remain consistent. Think about a time when you feel at your best during the day or when you have time to reflect and unplug for a few minutes. For some, this might be first thing in the morning. For others, this might be after lunch, and for the night owls, this might be right before bed. Either way – make this time your own. You should know yourself and your personality. Do not force journaling at a time that you’re not happy with. Set aside this gratitude journal time and keep this time sacred. Starting each morning with a grateful heart is ideal but if you’re not a morning person, set aside any other time.
2. Make your journal your own!
Buy some fun pens, maybe stickers, and if you want, add in some bullet journal techniques. The goal of the gratitude journal is to be creative, free, and blissful as possible. There might be times when you cannot think of new gratitude item lists but if you spend time to doodle, use stickers, or write in your favorite color pen, new ideas may come to you. Creating a fun journal will create the perfect space for you to be free, appreciative, and genuinely you!
3. Share your gratitude list with others or tell them about it! Accountability is key.
When starting a gratitude practice, you sometimes might struggle with making this new habit a priority. You’d be surprised at how many other people practice daily gratitude journaling/gratitude lists. If you need a partner to hold you accountable or you want a friend to join in on this gratitude journey, there is strength in numbers! Finding a gratitude buddy is an easy way to maintain your daily gratitude habit.
4. Get Familiar with the benefits of daily gratitude.
It’s always easier to keep a habit when it’s beneficial to you and you understand the information behind it. There are many benefits associated with expressing gratitude daily but here are three interesting facts.
Benefits:
- Increased Happiness: Journaling for five minutes a day about what we are grateful for can enhance our long-term happiness by over 10% (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005).
- Increased Patience: People who are more grateful than others are also less likely to be impatient during decision-making, leading to better decisions and less pressure from the desire for short-term gratification (DeSteno, Li, Dickens, & Lerner, 2014).
- Increased Serotonin: Researcher Alex Korb wrote: “One powerful effect of gratitude is that it can boost serotonin” in one of his wonderful books.
5. Practice self awareness after starting your journal.
If you feel immediate benefits right away, you’ll be able to understand how gratitude can change your outlook on life. You may not feel incredibly different after 1-2 days of making a gratitude list but pay close attention to how you feel after 1-2 weeks. When we are grateful for things and we have positive energy, we attract more positive energy into our lives. Additionally, finding small things to be grateful every day will change the way we think and see the world. There are days when you might just feel thankful for a sunny morning or days when you’re thankful for the huge opportunity that just fell into your lap. If you want to stay consistent with tracking your mood after writing your daily gratitude list, start leaving a small space in your journal to track your mood.
6. Keep a list of prompts handy or create your own journal prompt jar.
There may be days when you are drawing a blank. In this case, look up some fun gratitude journal list prompts. On days when you’re lacking ideas, write down things like: your favorite foods, top books you’re grateful for, people in your life who you love, or list out your favorite holidays. Another fun idea is a journal prompt jar. Print out our favorite gratitude journal prompts, crumple them and put them in a jar. The next time you’re struggling with ideas, pull our a prompt from there!
7. Revisit your journal as much as needed
Being able to access your gratitude list later in the day or even a week later is a huge plus! Sometimes you may feel an afternoon slump and to change your mindset, you can revisit your gratitude journal. Looking back on everything you’re grateful for will help to adjust your mindset.
Practicing Gratitude to Change Your attitude
Now that you’ve read through our 7 hacks to maintain the morning gratitude practice habit, we encourage you to get out there and start practicing! We hope that sharing your gratitude will not only change your life but also the people around you. Grab that gratitude list accountability buddy and get to be thankful!
As always, thanks for stopping by Tru&Well. We hope that you loved this post and we’d love for you to send any comments, questions, or concerns to us at tru.and.well@gmail.com
Much Love xx,
T&W