The idea of daily journaling might seem daunting or odd. The time it takes to crack out a notebook when you could be watching Netflix might seem less-than-enjoyable on a Monday evening. And the phrase “dear diary” might seem juvenile.
However, similar to exercise, simple conversation and sunshine, daily journaling — without the obligatory feeling of writing in a diary — can be good for the soul.
Journaling can help foster self-esteem, happiness and well-balanced emotions.
According to an article in Good.net — which specializes in mindfulness and introversion —writing in a gratitude journal can improve overall well-being than the usual daily journaling.
Just taking five minutes out of your day to write about what you are grateful for can help physical needs by a long shot. Not only does a gratitude journal help your health, but it is also easy to do. It can be as simple as a short list or as complex as a full page.
Writing in a gratitude journal can help with mindfulness. Have you ever thought of a recap of last year? How many things do you remember bad happening to you, and how much do you have good? A lot of the time, we tend to remember the negative in our lives instead of the positives. At the end of each year, we don’t see all the good that happened. We largely see all the negatives that occurred.
We tend to look at ourselves in this way, too.
When writing in a gratitude journal, you are forced to look at the good in yourself and the good around you. You can become happier when you fully pay attention to what makes your life happier and more fulfilling.
You also learn to be introspective about yourself, because you teach yourself healthy habits or as the article puts it “choosing to see more of the positivity in your life and give less power to negative emotions.”
The sluggish winter months in Moscow, when the sun barely shines and the rain won’t let up, make more some pretty low moods. However, keeping a gratitude journal or list can increase our positivity.
Keep the list on a computer document or invest in a journal that you can carry around. No matter the platform, it’s the content that counts.
A gratitude journal won’t fix the coffee you spilled right before class. But, it might just help you appreciate the crisp air outside or the conversation you had on your walk to school.
With a gratitude journal, you’ll remember the little things.
Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected]