5 Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal

Starting and maintaining a gratitude journal can be a difficult task to undertake at first because it is just something else that you have to remember to do every day. However, after a while, the effort you put into showing your gratitude every day will be well worth it in the long run. Continue to push yourself to do it every night until it becomes a habit. The best time to start a gratitude journal is now. Here are three incredible benefits that you can gain when you start to keep a gratitude journal.

It Increases Positivity
When you write things down that you are grateful for in your life, you will naturally become more optimistic and confident. Focusing on the good in your life provides less power to the negative emotions and greater power to the positive ones. Although you may have positive thoughts come to mind throughout the day, taking the time to write them down makes them more concrete.

It Improves Sleep
Spending just a few minutes right before you go to bed to write down the things that you are grateful for will help to quiet your mind and ease any anxieties that you might have about the day. A calm and grateful mind will allow you to fall asleep quicker. Gratitude has been shown to induce the relaxation response and has been proven to be a potent sleep aid.

Improves Self-Esteem
When you focus on the negative things in your life, it can become extremely easy to feel down. We tend to be more demanding on ourselves than others, but keeping a gratitude journal can help you stay focused on your achievements. Showing gratitude can help to reduce the natural tendencies we have to compare ourselves to those around us, which can be detrimental to our self-esteem. When you show gratitude for what you have, you will harbor less resentment and jealousy toward others and have a greater feeling of self-worth.

Reduces Stress
Researchers have found that when you focus on feelings of satisfaction and contentment, it will naturally counteract stress. While you will still have to deal with challenges in your life, having an attitude of gratitude will help you better deal with those challenges.

Better Health
Grateful people tend to live healthier lives and live longer than their ungrateful counterparts. This is because they have the motivation to take better care of themselves. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and are more inclined to eat healthily and exercise.

These are only a few of the many benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. If you arenŐt already keeping one, starting today will help you live a happier and healthier life. 
