Appreciation Journal Writing: Five Reasons to be Thankful

There is no better time to discuss journal writing and gratitude than Thanksgiving.

Most writers enjoy journal writing. You might call your journal a notebook, or even a diary. It’s the handy place where you store your thoughts, ideas, experiences, and your work, either on paper or in an electronic file.

A journal is an ongoing log, usually with dated entries. Some journals are topical (dream journals, travel journals, freewriting journals), while others are left open to explore just about anything. Many topical journals are meant to improve the quality of life. For example, people who are working to lose weight might keep a diet and exercise journal. Folks who are trying to better themselves might keep a self-improvement journal. Parents may keep a journal of their child’s development. But there’s another type of journal writing that suits just about anyone, writers and non-writers alike, and that is the appreciation journal.

Journal Writing with Gratitude

The appreciation journal is a daily log in which you write something, or a list of things, that you are grateful for each day.

Here are five reasons why documenting what you’re grateful for can be beneficial:

1. A great way to start your day. It’s not always easy to roll out of bed and propel yourself into the daily routine. Some days it’s downright dreadful, like when you know you have to attend a long, boring meeting, or take a test, or see the doctor. If you write in your appreciation journal in the A.M., it will jump start your day on a positive note and a day that starts off good is less likely to turn sour.
2. Good for the soul. The process of thinking about what you are grateful for and expressing your gratitude just makes you feel good. This could be contagious, and other people around you might absorb some of that positive energy. This makes life better for everyone.
3. Encourages positive thinking. Because the things for which you’re grateful are the positives in life, when you focus on them you are directing your attention away from the negatives. According to some experts, the law of attraction states that concentrating on positive aspects of your life draws even more positively desirable things to you.
4. Generates new thoughts and ideas about life. This is especially useful for creative people, like writers. Anytime you force yourself to sit down each day and think about something, the result is a string of thoughts and ideas. Some of these will be great fodder for articles and stories.
5. A great way to end your day. When it’s time to wind down and shift into relaxation mode, thinking about the good things in life will help you clear your mind and put you in a light mood. That’s a great way to prepare for a decent night’s sleep!

I personally keep an appreciation journal. Though some days there’s not enough time to write down my thoughts. I try to start off each day by thinking about at least one thing that I’m truly grateful for. Since I started doing this last spring, I have found that my attitude is more positive, it’s easier for me to put a smile on my face (even when I’m dealing with adversity), and let things roll off my shoulder, and I just feel better overall.

Try it for yourself and see how beneficial journal writing can be!

Do you keep an appreciation journal or any other kind of writing journal? Have you ever written a list of things that you’re thankful for? Tell me, what are you grateful for? Do you spend much time on journal writing?

Happy Thanksgiving!