THUNAIHow to Do It:
The basic concept of a gratitude journal is essentially to ”count your blessings”, even the most simple and ordinary things of daily life. It is easy to do, so just take 15 minutes out of your day and let's get started.
Write down up to five things for which you feel grateful. The important thing here is to WRITE this on paper. Don’t just do this exercise in your head.
The things you list can be relatively small in importance (“The tasty Masala Dosa I had for lunch today.”) or relatively large (“My sister gave birth to a healthy baby girl.”). The goal of the exercise is to remember a good event, experience, person, or thing in your life—then enjoy the good emotions that come with it.
As you write, here are some important tips:
Be Specific —specificity is key to fostering gratitude. “I’m grateful that my mother calls me in the morning every day when I was sick to check on my well being” will be more effective than “I’m grateful for my mother.”
Go for depth over breadth- Elaborating in detail about a particular person or thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.
Get personal- Focusing on people to whom you are grateful has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful. “My husband always quietly does the laundry when I am really feeling down. I am glad to have such a kind, thoughtful and caring person in my life”.
Be grateful for the negative outcomes you avoided, escaped, prevented, or turned into something positive—try not to take that good fortune for granted. “I am really thankful my aged father has been able to avoid COVID till now”.
See good things as “gifts.”- Thinking of the good things in your life as gifts guards against taking them for granted. Try to relish and savor the gifts you’ve received.
Savor surprises- Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude. “Neighbor took my dog out for a walk last week, my dog was so happy and I was even happier!”
Don’t overdo it- Evidence suggests writing occasionally (1-3 times per week) is more beneficial than daily journaling. Pick 3 days out of your week that would be convenient to write. You can even set a reminder on your phone for the days you choose.
Be Specific —specificity is key to fostering gratitude. “I’m grateful that my mother calls me in the morning every day when I was sick to check on my well being” will be more effective than “I’m grateful for my mother.”
Go for depth over breadth- Elaborating in detail about a particular person or thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.
Get personal- Focusing on people to whom you are grateful has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful. “My husband always quietly does the laundry when I am really feeling down. I am glad to have such a kind, thoughtful and caring person in my life”.
Be grateful for the negative outcomes you avoided, escaped, prevented, or turned into something positive—try not to take that good fortune for granted. “I am really thankful my aged father has been able to avoid COVID till now”.
See good things as “gifts.”- Thinking of the good things in your life as gifts guards against taking them for granted. Try to relish and savor the gifts you’ve received.