As the semester goes on, I find that these days are beginning to blend into one another. Everyday is the same routine- wake up, go to the gym, shower, go to class, go study, hang out with friends for a while, then fall asleep, wake up to my alarm and repeat this sequence over and over again. It came to a point where I would do most of my things on autopilot. I was not able to fully take in my surroundings and my conscious effort to do day-to-day tasks decreased.
That’s when my friend suggested that I start a gratitude journal. At first I was a bit hesitant to try, as before I would write journal entries that were a mix of all of my emotions from the day and personally, that did not work. However, after consistently writing in my gratitude journal for about 2 months, I can confidently say that having a gratitude journal has been extremely beneficial in increasing my mental wellbeing. I believe that writing what you are grateful for would be a form of mental nourishment that many college students will benefit from.Â
so… what is it?
A gratitude journal is a type of journal in which one reflects and writes about what they are grateful for. On a daily basis, one may choose to write about the positives in their day. The entries do not have to be entirely about gratitude itself. For example, one may write about their plans and goals for the future. Overall, a gratitude journal focuses on the positive aspects of one’s life.Â
why it works
One of the main things about a gratitude journal is that it forces you to look at the positives of life instead of ruminating on the negative feelings you have. When I would write about all of my aspects of the day, I found that I would write more about my negatives, leading me to relive all of the bad feelings that came out of my negative experience. This led to me becoming more pessimistic. I felt so comfortable in those negative emotions that it made it difficult for me to look at the positives of my life. Although it is important to acknowledge that you have negative emotions, it is also important that you take a lesson out of that experience and learn how to move on from said experience. On the other hand, when I made a switch to positive thinking with the assistance of the gratitude journal, I found that it made me feel more calm and peaceful.Â
That being said, looking at the positives of life assists you in practicing mindfulness and increasing your optimism. It may seem as though writing about your gratitude may become repetitive over time, but you learn to appreciate the little things in life, such as the different quirks your friends have that you love and how studying will assist you in becoming successful in your future. You start to find gratitude in your current surroundings, which assists in becoming more cognitively aware of your present environment, assisting in overcoming the mental fog that comes with doing things on autopilot.Â
Overall, writing in a gratitude journal assists in changing a negative attitude into a positive one, increasing your overall emotional quality.Â