

We crave novelty, which can be good and bad. Guess what? Keep a gratitude journal every day can sometimes be counterintuitive! Our brain adapts quickly to positive recurring events. This gratitude exercise only works when you sit down and make a conscious decision to improve your perspective. You may find yourself writing down similar things every single day, or just trying to get this task out of the way. Make sure you add in that it’s because family can be there to support you or motivate you. WRITE DOWN WHY YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR THOSE THINGS, NOT JUST WHAT THEY ARE.įor instance, you may be grateful for family. What are the people, places, things, and moments that made your day better?ģ. But for now, focus in and think over the past few weeks.

How you write down these things are extremely important, and we will continue to discuss that. EACH DAY WRITE DOWN 1-3 THINGS YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR Your kitchen table in the mornings is a great start.Ģ. Not only that, but you should also have a specific place and time when you practice gratitude. Go get a specific notebook, a Google Doc, or even a stack of Post-It notes to use as your gratitude journal. That key buzzword will help you associate your current life with positive feelings. Take the time to be especially aware of the depth of your gratitude.” You have to understand these things in your life are gifts. We always forget about comparing what we have to those who have nothing.Īs you go through this process, Emmons advises, “Be aware of your feelings and how you ‘relish’ and ‘savor’ this gift in your imagination. It’s all too easy to compare ourselves to people in better situations.

Remember, this is nothing more than finding a way to pay attention to the good things in our lives. Robert Emmons, a professor at University of Davis, California, helps with the following research on keeping a gratitude journal.
