The second phase of lockdown has re-introduced me to an old habit that in the past has proven to be so important and helpful to me in so many different ways. You might have already guessed from the title that the old habit I'm talking about here is gratitude journaling. In today's blog, I will be talking about how gratitude journaling has impacted my life positively. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, I will be able to convince you to start this life-changing habit if you already aren't doing it. Before we dive into it, for those who aren't aware of the concept let me explain it to you. In simple words, gratitude journaling means showing our appreciation, thankfulness and gratitude to all the good things in our lives, small or big, by writing it down or journaling it in any way or form. For this, you can use a notebook diary, a piece of paper or can even choose a dedicated gratitude journal that is widely available in the market. Gratitude journaling is not a complex activity. It is quite simple to start, simply write down everything that you are grateful for on a daily basis without fail. These things could be as small as waking up early, having a good breakfast, talking to a friend or as big as achieving a goal that you had set for yourself. The fun part about gratitude journaling is you decide what you are grateful for. There are no set rules or standards. Being grateful anyways is a good practice to follow but it has also been scientifically proven to improve our quality of life. We have so many leaders like the Dalai Lama preaching the habit of expressing gratitude. It only takes a few minutes every day but it can exponentially provide a boost to your mood from feeling just fine to amazing if practised daily. It has brought so many positive changes to my life. Based on my experience, Let me share the impact this activity can have on your life.
It can increase positivity. When you are grateful you tend to look for positivity around you. And it is no secret that a positive mindset manifests positivity. It helps you to deal with negative emotions with much more power. And Overtime it transforms you into an optimistic person who isn’t thrown off by negative situations easily.
It has helped me reduce stress and sleep better. Focusing on contentment and satisfaction naturally puts you at ease, counter stress and brings peace. With constant journaling, I have found myself to be more grounded and balanced which has made me calmer, unperturbed by stress and improved my quality of sleep.
It makes you more mindful and presents the things around you. When you practise gratitude journaling you become more aware of small and big things around you. You start taking notice of little things that you are grateful for in your everyday life. Being aware of good things brings happiness. It reminds you that there are much greater things to be happy for than to ponder about things that worry you.The pandemic and the lockdown have hugely impacted all our mental health and if lately, you have found yourself to be stressed and anxious it is time that you give this activity a try. After all, there is nothing to lose. Right? Don't wait for the right time or the right moment. Grab a piece of paper and start writing down. It doesn't require a lot of thought, start with writing down small-small things. Did the weather make you happy today? Or did sleeping in for 10 extra minutes made you happy? Write down anything and everything that you are grateful for. Keep at it and do it for 21 days. Let it form a habit and once it becomes a habit your life will change for the better. And when it does, don't forget to tell me. You can connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In or Twitter. My username is @urstylecoacch. If you found this blog to be of value to you make sure to leave us a comment and also let us know what else you would want us to talk about.
Until we talk next, stay safe and stay happy.