Mindfulness journaling is a technique which can be harnessed for personal growth and improved wellbeing – by simply practicing gratitude to change your outlook. It facilitates the process of reframing, changing mindset, and increasing positivity and happiness.
The Power of Gratitude and Mindfulness Journaling
Something you’ll see me say often is: happiness is a choice; positivity is a mindset; gratitude is the path to both. In the absence of mental health issues, being happy is a choice we each make – or not.
Although it is a choice in a broad sense, it’s also very much a process.
Once you’ve got comfortable with how to journal, scientific research suggests mindfulness journaling can be a powerful way to reinforce that decision.
Why, though, am I so passionate about journaling as an excellent way to promote positivity and wellbeing if it’s simply a choice we make?
Well, because although it is a choice in a broad sense, it’s also very much a process. And when you’ve lived a certain way for most of your life, or you’re living through difficult circumstances, or you’re surrounded by negativity – it’s not easy to transition to a new mindset.
So, you make the decision – that’s the easy bit – and then you have to put in the work to make it happen. And from experience I can tell you that this is not a linear process with starting and finishing points – by necessity, it becomes an entirely new way of life.
But how do you put in the work to make it happen? By committing to a journaling habit.
Keep reading to find out the best way to carve out time in your everyday life, dedicated to writing a journal entry at the end of each day. Consider this quality time, investing in your current and future self, by using the writing process to attain inner peace.
What Is Mindfulness Journaling?
Mindfulness journaling is much like keeping a diary, but instead of the focus being on activities and experiences, the whole concept is based around noticing, recognising, acknowledging, and processing your own thoughts and feelings in the present moment – without judgment, fear, or expectation.
The idea is that over time, the expressive writing practice of mindfulness exercises such as mindful journal prompts will enable you to:
- Gain an awareness of your own emotions, triggers, and thought patterns;
- Help clarify the thoughts and feelings whirling around your inner world;
- Develop acceptance and self-compassion.
Actively focusing on the things in your life for which you’re grateful produces a natural consequence: it also takes attention away from any negativity.
Many people combine mindful journaling practice with a meditation session, to enhance the experience and ensure they begin in the right headspace.
You may also like these poems about mindfulness.
What is Gratitude Journaling?
Gratitude journaling is very simply the regular or daily habit of mindfully recording things for which you’re grateful; often this takes the form of gratitude lists, and gratitude journal prompts can be helpful with this.
We all have good and bad in our lives, and the difference between generally positive people and those who are more inclined towards a negative outlook is simply the lens through which we view our lives.
How Does Gratitude Journaling Work?
Gratitude journaling facilitates and promotes positive reframing of your circumstances, resulting in improved mood – without any change in your situation.
This powerful tool actually has a two-pronged approach because there’s another profound dimension to gratitude journaling; establishing a new routine of actively focusing on the things in your life for which you’re grateful produces a natural consequence: it also takes attention away from any negative thoughts.
Between reframing and less space in your life for anything that doesn’t serve you, it doesn’t take too long for this technique to begin to work its magic!
The Benefits of Gratitude and Mindfulness Journaling
I am and always will be a work in progress. If I take my eye off the ball I quickly slip back into bad habits: life can become overwhelming and I tend to react by becoming anxious and stressed.
This is why it’s beneficial to make journaling a healthy new habit rather than viewing it as quick fix.
The act of writing in my journaling practice – and specifically practicing gratitude – helps me to shake off those anxious thoughts and remain mindful about living positively. And living with a positive mindset helps me in my choice to be happy.
Other benefits of mindful journaling and gratitude journaling include:
- Helping to process difficult experiences, thoughts and feelings;
- Relieving stress and depressive symptoms;
- Analysing thoughts and feelings and aiding reflection;
- Improving awareness of your own and others’ emotions;
- Improving communication skills;
- Improved ability to express thoughts and feelings without guilt or judgement from oneself;
- Releasing destructive emotions in a controlled and appropriate way;
- Identifying and challenging negative self-talk – positive affirmations are excellent for this;
- Developing awareness of emotional triggers;
- Better understanding of self;
- Promoting gratitude, positivity, and wellbeing;
- Increasing self-compassion.
Development and nurture of self-awareness through regular or daily journaling can bring about positive change in habits and mindset – and this is the reason gratitude journaling for mindfulness is so powerful.
Incredibly, journaling may even help with pain management.
Tips for Mindfulness Journaling
- Before you start journaling, the first step I recommend is to find or purchase a journal and a pen that you really love. Although a simple notebook is adequate, little things can make all the difference, and a large part of journaling is being creative – so you may as well enjoy the process!
Beautiful stationery can be the prompt you need to open those pages.
- Begin by getting into the right frame of mind. You may like to turn to meditation practice or other form of mindfulness practice to help you find the right head space before you begin.
- Start with a fresh page so that your previous entry doesn’t influence the current one. Try to refrain from looking back at how you were feeling or what you were thinking when you last journaled until after you’ve completed the entry you’re working on.
- Ensure you have plenty of time to clear your mind and focus on the present so that you’re not distracted by other tasks.
- Remind yourself that this journal is a tool for self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-development – remove any guilt about the feelings you wish to express and allow yourself to write freely and without judgement.
Exorcising negativity is part of the reflective process of letting it go, and this is a safe space in which to do so. It will also allow you to clarify your thoughts and feelings, identify where they stem from, process them and gain perspective about challenging situations.
- If you find your mind wandering to a particular event or situation (as opposed to errands you need to run which should be banned for the duration!), don’t ignore them. Utilise this time to embrace the thought loop and address it in your journal as part of a meditative journaling session.
- Make time for writing a gratitude list every occasion you journal. They can be as short or as long as you wish, but gratitude is incredibly powerful and this activity specifically is what will help to rewire your brain to be more positive.
You could simply jot down a list of five things you were grateful for that day, or you could decide to be more creative, writing around a theme. I recommend ending your journaling session with this exercise to enjoy its benefit once you’ve finished writing and go about your day, or go to sleep – on a positive high.
- Make a ritual out of your journal writing. Find your own rhythm and a routine that works for your daily life, trying to follow the same pattern each day at a set time, perhaps with a morning cup of tea or in the evening before bed.
Committing to a regular time will help you to form a habit of writing, and encourage a desire for journaling practice.
- If you still find it challenging to know what to write about, try using mindful journaling prompts like the ones in the linked posts.
- Make journaling a regular activity that forms part of your daily routine, or if you’re unable to dedicate time every day, then set days each week.
Your journal might be filled with pages of writing, or lists, or a little of both. The important thing is to tune into your mind, treat your journal as your confidante or best friend and unburden yourself: write from the soul, express fears, hopes and dreams.
And be sure to complete the specific activity that is so incredibly powerful:
11. Writing gratitude lists.
My Positivity Project
If you’re ready to get started with a journal but you’re unsure which to try, why not take a look at our adults journal printables? (We also stock a huge selection of printables for kids.)
My Positivity Project was created for anybody who already loves journaling or is ready to dip their toe in the water but would like a little guidance.
I wanted to make it more than blank pages to be filled, which I know can feel intimidating. So I wrote a short book, and interspersed the pages with:
- Gratitude prompts to help you create lists focusing on different aspects of life such as home, family, friends, mental and physical health;
- Mindfulness journal prompts for personal growth;
- Beautiful, vibrant images featuring relevant, inspirational quotes;
- Adult colouring pages for those days when simple distraction is required;
And the best thing? Because times are hard but at the core of My Positivity Project is my passion to share the value and positive impact of journaling – I’ve closed my shop and made all pages available absolutely free exclusively to our subscribers!
Head over to the resources page and sign up for exclusive access to all of our printables!