‘Journaling is a good way
to help us stop, take a step back and reflect on ourselves’.
If you feel thankful,
write it down. It’s good for your health.
In this fast-paced lifestyle, taking time out to become aware of the myriad of emotions we feel seems almost impossible. The pandemic brought with it stress and anxiety of its own that no one could even think about. With all this stress swirling around us, its easy for our mental and emotional health to take a toll on us. While
there are many tools to help us work through our negative emotions, expressing
gratitude is a simple technique which has proven to be very effective when
coupled with meditation, exercise and therapy.
A simple way of showing
gratitude is maintaining a Gratitude Journal. Such a journal allows us to be
thankful and appreciate the little pleasures of life.
‘I’m grateful that my family is so understanding. I'm
grateful so many people care about me’, ‘I'm grateful for good hair after I
shower’, ‘I’m lucky I have a good job’, ‘I’m thankful for having such
understanding managers and colleagues’ are just a few of the simple things we
can journal about for being grateful.
The benefits of jotting down
such small and simple things in a gratitude journal are multi-fold. Not only
does it have physical benefits, but also emotional benefits for us. Some of
them include-
- - Regular journaling makes
us happier and more optimistic towards life.
- - It increases
positivity by allowing us to focus on the good things in our life.
- - It helps us sleep
better and leads to improved interpersonal relationships.
- - It boosts
self-esteem as it is a very personal activity and can be done whenever or
however, we wish to.
- - It helps in
reducing stress and anxiety and other mental health conditions. Grateful
people live happier and healthier lives and are able to manage stress in a
positive way.
How to practice
gratitude with your loved ones?
It is essential to first build
gratitude into your daily schedule. Taking a few minutes out from your busy
schedule and practicing gratitude can improve your overall mental and emotional
wellbeing.
Here are a few simple ways you
can bring gratitude into your daily schedule:
- - Start your day by
writing down something that went well the previous day and why it went well. It
is essential to do this before you start with your activities for the day.
Writing it down in a notebook is important to keep a record for referring back
to it when needed. This will allow you to reflect on your actions, work on your
strengths and help you grow with time.
- - Most of us feel
frustrated by something in a normal day. When
you find yourself feeling upset or frustrated, hit the pause button and reset
your thinking. Note down what is making you feel this way and come up with
something positive about the situation or think about something else entirely
that you are thankful for.
- - Another effective
way of practicing gratitude with your loved ones is to simply go around asking
each family member or friend what they’re generally grateful for and something
specific to that day that they’re thankful for.
- - If you’re feeling
generous, you can even share your gratitude with others by writing a note to
someone you are grateful for. You may wish to share this with them.
Most
of us know that gratitude is a good trait to possess, but many of us don’t
maintain such journals which shows that expressing gratitude is an undervalued
activity in our daily lives. Though it might not be right for everyone,
gratitude can definitely boost your happiness and well-being in the long term.
We
hope we have given you some motivation on how to practise gratitude at home.
Whether it is through a gratitude journal or small acts of kindness, celebrating the
positive elements of life are always beneficial.
Let us help you through your journey of journaling
and mental health. Download our app ‘The Able Mind’
or visit our website (https://theablemind.com/) to connect with a
counsellor. Lighten Your Load and move forward now…Let us show you how!
- Sakshi Hiremath
- Consultant Counselling Psychologist at The Able Mind
