The art of journaling for a grateful mindset

It’s Thankfulness Month.

I always keep a Thankfulness Journal because the process radically improves my well-being.

Today, I’m gonna say I’m thankful that I can journal. Not everyone in the world has this luxury.

My thankfulness journal

This November, I’m again turning to my Instagram to chronicle the small and large things that I’m thankful for each day. This journaling practice keeps me observant, humble, and grateful. I’ve found that talking about the beauty of fall leaves while you’re in the middle of leaves falling, for instance, makes a significant biological, neurological, and spiritual difference in your brain and body. So does every other act of observant gratefulness.

Such is the science of thankfulness. Positive Psychology explains the power of gratefulness like this: “From a neuroscientific perspective, gratitude activates key regions of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the ventral striatum (a key brain region involved in processing rewards), and the insula (a region of the brain involved in emotional awareness; Fox et al., 2015).”

You can find scientific evidence everywhere about the benefits of journaling on your mind and body. Psychology Today lists 10 benefits of journaling, the most important perhaps being the reduction of anxiety and stimulation of creativity. Healthline encourages readers to begin a daily journaling habit for good mental health. Positive Psychology divides journaling into two interesting categories: Expressive Writing and Gratitude Writing, listing five overall benefits. I also highly suggest Mark Batterson’s book Please, Sorry, Thanks to improve the craft and practice of being grateful.

I’m more inclined to journal negative emotions than I am positive ones. So I’m pleased that November pushes me to re-establish this important practice of being grateful every day for the little, life-giving things.

Some suggestions for starting a thankfulness journal

• keep your statements short and simple, or you’ll dread it and stop doing it
• start with noticing the small things, like the things or people you take for granted
• go outside; nature is healing in and of itself, so noticing and relishing nature provides powerful healing
• expect to feel thankful; optimism and expectation create an attitude of gratefulness
• thank someone every day for something
• decide your platform: diary, social media, Post-it notes, 3×5 cards, whatever is easiest

prayer as a journaling technique

Prayer is an important version of journaling because it constitutes conversation within a safe environment. Prayer can include lament, thanksgiving, requests, and confession, all of which cleanse the soul and the mind. I highly suggest my award-winning book on praying effectively, called Soulspeak: Praying Change into Unexpected Places. The most unexpected place for change is our own hearts and minds. Once a change in perspective happens there, circumstances lose their power over our emotions.

Many times, I write my prayers on paper. I like to think of prayer as a two-way conversation. I speak or write what I’m feeling to God, and then I listen. Once I get my head in the right space, I’m able to think clearly about my concerns. I will say that writing out prayers keeps my mind from wandering and centers my thoughts on the exact nature of my concerns, fears, or hopes. Writing and speaking prayers gives God a face and personality, making the practice of prayer realistic and effective. Written prayers also provide great reading later on, after circumstances or attitudes have changed. I can re-read my written prayers and feel encouraged by the growth I see in myself, and even better–know the answers to those prayers.

I’ve heard that it only takes 21 days to make a habit, so November is just the right size of time to start a positive practice. However, substantive change is said to require 90 days. That means, if you continue your thankfulness habit for November, December, and January, you’ll roll into the New Year and the Love Month feeling grateful, humble, expectant, and fully confident that your life is a gift and you have a lot to contribute into making the world a better place. That’s a great way to begin a new year of your life!

Here’s a picture of me being thankful of a warm beach before I have to drive 6 hours away from it with a car loaded down and needing to be unloaded when I get home. (See? Positive over negative.)

You can follow my Thankfulness Journal on my Instagram. I hope my posts are helpful and enjoyable for you. To close, here’s a verse about gratefulness from the Bible:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”