How to Start a Gratitude Journal

I’ve written about gratitude before. Why? Because I think it’s such an important topic, but it can be easy to gloss over.

To me, expressing gratitude goes beyond thanking the barista for prepping my tall, non-fat caramel frappuccino, with extra caramel drizzle, *no whip*. Am I happy that she went to town with the extra caramel drizzle? Yes, of course! But that’s not what I’m talking about.

Gratitude is paying attention to what’s good in my life and actually feeling it. It’s more than saying “thank you” out of habit. Although I do think we can all benefit from more thank yous in our lives. And I DID thank the barista.

Gratitude is a conscious choice to notice what adds value to our lives, big or small. It’s recognizing what’s working, what feels meaningful, and what deserves to be appreciated. I find that the more I practice it (yes, gratitude is something that I practice), the easier it gets to spot the good around me.

In this post, I break down everything you need to know about gratitude journaling. We'll see what it is (and isn’t), how to make it your own, and why it might just be the best-kept secret to leading a full life.

Alright, I’m sure this is pretty self-explanatory. A journal for gratitude, right? Yup. But also more than that.

A gratitude journal is a place where you consistently write down the good things. Big stuff, small stuff, oddly specific stuff. Like "the Amazon driver went out of his way to leave my package in a covered area so that it stayed dry.”

You use it to notice, reflect, and pause. When you do all this, your perspective starts to change for the better. You're literally rewiring your brain to spot the good things. And not in an unrealistic positivity kind of way, but in a "hey, today started off awful but it got much better" kind of way.

If you need a little more convincing, then read on.

Practicing gratitude can help you sleep better (who doesn’t want to sleep better?). It can lower stress and anxiety, improve your mood overall, and even strengthen relationships, because you’re more tuned into the good stuff about others too.

It also helps reduce burnout and that feeling of being constantly overwhelmed.

And in my opinion, it just makes you better. Better to your friends, better to your colleagues, better to strangers, and even better to yourself.

I admit, I’ve never seen your journal so who knows, I might be way off base here. But I view a regular journal as holding anything like your grocery list, things you dread, or that crazy dream about being a newly trained Jedi (I’ve been watching a lot of Star Wars recently, by the way).

But a gratitude journal has a specific focus. Here’s how it stands out.

It’s specific. You’re noting the positives, not just dumping any and all thoughts, though there’s a place for that too.

It’s short, it might be three short lines.

And it’s repetitive, in a good way. You come back to it, over and over, to find the hidden gems. This is so you can detect patterns.

You’re creating a highlight reel for your life, even if today’s highlight was that it rained so you have a few more days before you need to wash your car.

If you're staring at a blank page thinking, "Where do I even start?" No worries! Here are simple ways to kick things off.

Basic? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

Examples:

1) My coffee was exactly how I like it (woohoo!).

2) My friend texted me out of nowhere.

3) My morning meeting ended 10 minutes early.

2. Gratitude by Category

People, places, things. Rotate through them. Monday = people you’re grateful for, Wednesday = places you’re grateful for, Friday = things you’re grateful for. Like looking outside the window while you work.

3. Past Successes

Think of a good thing from last week. If you need to go back farther, then the last month, or even within the last five years. Bonus: this really helps you see how far you've come.

4. Sensory Gratitude

What did you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell today that felt comforting? Like the aroma of an unlit candle or the feel of a soft blanket.

5. Gratitude Alphabet Game

This is a fun one! I’m assuming you know your ABCs. A for apples, B for best friend, C for clean sheets. You get the idea.

You can write these daily, weekly, or whenever you’re inspired to do so.

So you tried it once, got distracted, and forgot it existed. No shame. Remember that I said I practice gratitude. And I absolutely mean that, because I, too, fall off the wagon. Here are tips to make the practice easier.

Tips for keeping up with your gratitude journal:

• Keep it visible. Leave it next to your bed, coffee pot, or wherever you land in the morning.
• Use prompts. Pre-written prompts mean no pressure to come up with ideas.
• Pair it with a habit. Journal after brushing your teeth or after you shower at night.
• Set a 2-minute timer. That’s all you need.

Here are of gratitude journaling prompts to get you going.

What made you laugh recently?

Name a place you love and why

What feels like a luxury in your life right now (like heated car seats)?

Who is someone you’re glad exists?

What’s something from the past that helped shape who you are?

What’s a sound that always makes you smile?

Who’s someone who inspires you (and have you told them yet)?

You can circle back to these whenever you feel stuck or like you’re just listing the same three things over and over (it happens).

It depends on what's easiest to reach for.

Paper journals have their perks. No distractions, they’re visually satisfying (hello, washi tape lovers), and they often feel more personal and permanent.

Digital gratitude journals, like this one, are easy to access anywhere. You can set reminders, and if typing feels faster or more natural for you, that might be the smoother route.

If you're the type who opens an app but then winds up scrolling TikTok for 30 minutes, maybe stick with paper. If your handwriting makes you want to cry, then perhaps go the digital route. Or use both!

This is a really fair and honest question. Some days are awful. I don’t know your situation, nor do I know what you’ve been through. I don’t recommend pretending everything’s fine when it’s obviously not.

The idea is to do a quick scan your day for anything—anything—that made things the tiniest bit better.

If you can write "I’m grateful I survived today without punching anyone," then I’m celebrating along with you.

Tired of writing lists? Then it’s time to mix it up. There are so many creative ways to keep your gratitude journaling fun.

Try a gratitude collage where you cut and paste images that make you happy. Or mix a mood tracker with gratitude by color-coding how you felt and pairing it with one good thing from the day.

You could keep a quote page, collecting lines that bring you peace or just make you laugh. Another fun one is the before and after reflection. Jot down something like "This morning I felt ___, but after ___ I felt ___".

Or go with gratitude photos, where you print or paste a picture and write a few quick words about why it matters.

There’s so much good around us, even on the crummiest of days. Practicing gratitude through a gratitude journal is a great way to notice these things. I can say that I’m grateful that you’re here.