How to Start a Gratitude Journal

Author Info | Reader-Approved

Updated: August 11, 2019

Explore this Article Steps Questions & Answers Related Articles References

A gratitude journal is a great way to keep yourself in a thankful and positive state of mind. This article will offer some tips for starting and keeping one.


  1. 1
    Be Thankful. Thankfulness is an attitude that you can practice and develop.[1] Cultivating gratitude as the norm in your life will make keeping a gratitude journal much easier.
  2. 2
    Make it a rule to write down a certain number of things you are thankful for per day.[2] Avoid repeating the same things. This will make writing in the journal more challenging as time goes on, but that's how your awareness and thankfulness will grow. You'll be challenging yourself to find new things to be thankful for that perhaps you never noticed before.
  3. 3
    Many people start by writing down basic material things that they are grateful for in their lives. It's easiest to recognize things that sustain your life here on Earth like your house, your bed, your clothes, your food etc. Be sure to explain how this makes you feel and why you're grateful for it.
    • Example - I am grateful for my house. My house warms my body and shelters and protects me. It gives me a sense of relief knowing that there is always a comforting place to come back to.
  4. 4
    Write about extended material things in your life. These things vary from person to person depending on what you like and take interest in. For example, if you love to paint, you may be grateful for the paint that you have. Or, if you like music you may be grateful for your CD collections.
  5. 5
    Describe how you are grateful for yourself. You can start by feeling grateful to be alive at all. Then start writing about feeling grateful to have the body you have, even if you don't like everything.[3] Avoid the trap of being grateful for something that is better than what other people have. Instead, compare whatever you are grateful for with how you would feel if you didn't have it at all.
  6. 6
    Think about your abilities. You may start with basic abilities like your ability to see, your ability to hear, your ability to walk. Then progress to the extended abilities that are unique to you. Think about skillful things like dancing, singing, writing, and features that make up your character like your listening skills, your skills in cheering up people, your skills in being a good friend.
  7. 7
    Consider the people in your life.[4] Think about all the people you care about, like your parents, your friends, your significant other, your pets. Write why you are grateful for each person and how they make you feel. This helps you to appreciate them and see only the good in them. It's also good to write about the people that you don't really like and find a reason to appreciate them. This can be difficult as we don't really appreciate people we don't like but it can be very uplifting. There is good in everyone and it's very mood shifting to find the good in even people we dislike and feel grateful for them.
  8. 8
    Write about situations and experiences. There are always situations that have made us happy.[5] For example, you may be grateful for a fun party, a good day at school/work, a fun vacation.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    When should I write in my journal?
    Community Answer
    You can write in your journal whenever you like. Writing in it at the beginning of the day can help you start your day off with a more positive attitude. Writing in it at the end of the day can help you collect your thoughts, fill your mind with calm, and help you fall asleep.
  • Question
    What if I can't think of a single thing to be thankful for?
    Community Answer
    Then start with nature. You could be grateful the sun didn't take a holiday today. How about the air that you are breathing? You could also thank God about the body parts that are functioning perfectly to keep you alive. Other topics may include material goods, life itself, love, moments and memories, happiness, passions, relationships, work, success, health, body, something new that you learned or any other thing.
  • Question
    What is the definition of a gratitude journal?
    Soul IQ
    Community Answer
    A gratitude journal is a notebook (physical or virtual) used to keep track of the things you are grateful for.
  • Question
    Is it good for someone with anger issues to keep a gratitude journal?
    Community Answer
    Absolutely! Keeping a gratitude journal helps to shift your focus, so cultivating this practice will not only help you with your anger issues, it should make you feel better all over. When we practice gratitude in our lives, it helps us to feel better about every aspect and can really improve our mental health.
  • Question
    Can I have more than one journal at a time?
    Community Answer
    Of course! There are lots of journal ideas out there, and it's okay to try more than one.
  • Question
    Which language is preferable when writing a gratitude journal?
    Community Answer
    Whichever language you feel most comfortable writing in is the best language to use.
  • Question
    How long can my gratitude journal be?
    Community Answer
    As long or as short as you need it to be. It doesn't have to be big; you can write in bullet points, or you can expound on your thoughts. It's meant to show your gratitude however you wish to express it.
Ask a Question
200 characters left



    • You don't have to write a lot about why you feel grateful for something, but it helps to shift your awareness to the emotions and feelings that you enjoy, bringing about more of those emotions.
    • Challenge yourself daily to come up with something new. Remember that even tiny things can have an effect, for example the light green color of young leaves in the spring that stand for hope and renewal.
    • You can use a free digital gratitude journal to record your notes and photos online, or on your mobile device.
    • This journal comes in handy to read when you're feeling down. It helps to shift your energy back to a positive vibe by reading about all you have to be grateful for.
    • To remember to write in your journal keep it somewhere you're sure to see when you have the most time. For example, if after work you spend hours in front of the TV, keep your journal on the coffee table or ottoman. To keep it from being an eyesore, buy or decorate a journal to fit in with your decor so it never has to be put away somewhere and forgotten.

    Article Info


    Categories: Journal Writing

    In other languages:

    Español: empezar un diario de gratitud, Русский: научиться вести журнал благодарностей, Italiano: Iniziare un Diario della Gratitudine, Português: Iniciar um Diário de Gratidão

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 181,954 times.
    Did this article help you?