Research has shown that gratitude can increase your mental and physical health when it is done habitually. In the hustle and grind of everyday life, however, making time to practice gratitude can be difficult. Making time to do it consistently can feel impossible.
This is where a gratitude journal can come in. Gratitude journals are easy, accessible tools to help you practice daily mindfulness and gratitude. Although they aren’t for everyone, therapists will often recommend gratitude journals to those seeking to build healthier habits and a positive mindset or to combat symptoms of anxiety, depression, and similar mental health illnesses.
What is a gratitude journal?
A gratitude journal is simply a place to write down everything you’re grateful for. It could be a designated journal that looks nice sitting on your shelf, or it could be your phone’s note app.
Gratitude journaling can be as complex or simple as you make it. At its core, gratitude journaling is simply taking time to acknowledge the positives in your life. Over time, this repeated activity trains your brain to think more positively, resulting in all sorts of mental and physical health benefits.
Your gratitude journal doesn’t have to be full of life-altering blessings either. In fact, it is recommended that you don’t repeat the same thing twice. Over time, this means you’ll have to start looking for smaller and smaller blessings in your life. On your first week of gratitude journaling you might write that you’re grateful for the sun, your friends, a beloved pet, and a favorite activity or food. When you’re a few weeks in and you’ve exhausted the obvious things you’re grateful for, you’ll have to start looking for the small things in life that make you happy: wearing your favorite pair of socks, a quick commute to work, or something beautiful you saw on your walk.
Over time, you’ll develop the habit of being grateful for the little things in your life, which will in turn make the little things feel big.
Does gratitude journaling actually work?
Yes! One study found that practicing gratitude for 15 minutes a day, five days a week for at least 6 weeks enhanced mental wellness and promoted a lasting change in perspective. People’s thought patterns were changed through the simple act of daily gratitude.

Other studies have found the following benefits to daily gratitude:
- Reduce depression: Studies have collectively found that higher levels of gratitude correlated with lower levels of depression.
- Higher satisfaction in life: People who practice daily gratitude tend to be more satisfied with their life, both because practicing gratitude draws attention to what is good in your life and because people who practice gratitude tend to seek out positive experiences more often.
- Greater self-esteem: People who practice daily gratitude, even if they don’t write it down, are more likely to have healthier self-esteem.
- Less anxiety: Gratitude can reduce stress and relieve anxiety.
- Higher heart health: Research indicates keeping a gratitude journal decreases diastolic blood pressure (the force your heart exerts between beats).
- Relieve stress: Focusing on the positive can reduce stress levels and increase self-esteem. When you believe you can do hard things, stress levels decrease.
- Improve sleep: Thinking positive thoughts before sleep improves sleep quality, and evidence suggests that practicing daily gratitude increases your positive thinking.
These are just some benefits of gratitude journaling. Remember that you don’t have to commit to the expensive journal with multiple prompts again; start by having a few minutes of gratitude every day, and progress from there.
How often should I journal?
A little is better than nothing, so start where you can and work your way up. It’s best to journal a little bit every day. For example, many people find 5-15 minutes of journaling every morning beneficial. You can use journal prompts or you can free journal, just writing down whatever you are grateful for.
Gratitude Journal Prompts
You don’t need to follow gratitude journal problems to receive the benefits of gratitude journaling. Some people find journal prompts to be helpful when they first start out.
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Gratitude journal prompts you can use include:
- What is something I usually take for granted?
- Who is someone I could thank?
- List three things you are grateful for right now.
- Go for a walk. As you walk, notice everything you are grateful for around you.
- What do I appreciate most about myself right now?
- What made me smile/laugh today?
- Who are three people I am grateful for?
- What is a lesson I am grateful I learned?
- List three (or more) reasons I am grateful to be alive.
- Write a letter to someone you are grateful for. You don’t have to send it, but you can if you want.
- What am I excited about?
- What three things am I grateful for about my partner/friend/family/coworker?
- What is the best thing that happened this week?
- What challenge did I overcome recently? (practice gratitude for yourself)
- Visualize your favorite place to be. What do you like about it?
- What makes you feel calm?
These are just a few of the journal prompts you can use. You don’t only have to list things you are grateful for, either. Visualizing times you overcame hardships or listing things you appreciate about yourself are also powerful ways to practice gratitude.
Pick one of these gratitude prompts to fill out every day this week. At the end of the week, look back at your answers. How does it feel to practice gratitude daily? How do you feel about yourself and the world around you? What parts of life do you want to celebrate today?
Gratitude journaling is a powerful tool to help increase mental health and decrease mental illness symptoms. It is not, however, a cure all for disorders like depression and anxiety. Although practicing gratitude is a great coping skill, mental illnesses need to be treated by a mental health professional.
To talk to a licensed therapist near you, contact Lifebulb. You can also browse our list of online therapists to find one that fits your needs.