When it comes to feeling good about yourself, one of the surest ways is to actually realize and embrace the goodness in your life. Tes It means to know what all you need to be grateful for. Every little thing that goes right in your life is not mere confidence and it is something you need to feel absolutely good about. A simple practice that allows you to feel fulfilled and attain complete bliss is by keeping a gratitude journal for yourself. This basically is a type of diary or notebook where an individual writes down things that they are grateful for. It can be used as a daily or weekly practice to reflect on the positive aspects of one’s life.
It is not a new concept but in today’s day and age, it should become a really strong practice in order to keep you grounded. You are basically aiming to keep a good note of how things are progressing in your life. That means noting down all that needs to be said and done to feel content with all that you have. The major focus of a journal is that it helps individuals focus on the positive aspects of their life, rather than dwelling on negative experiences or things that they lack. It encourages people to appreciate what they have, rather than constantly striving for more. So basically you are creating a look of balance and looking at your own blessings rather than emphasizing what you don’t have which others do.
While the traditional and personally my favorite way of journaling is to actually get yourself a pretty little journal to pen your thoughts in, gratitude journaling can be done in different ways, some prefer to type on their computer or mobile device, while there are those people who like to include photos, drawings or quotes that inspire them. The most important thing is to find a way that works best for you and to make it a regular practice. That is the key here- you need to make it a common practice. Because otherwise it will lose its purpose if not done right.
Showing gratitude and writing it down encourages you to focus on what you have in your life, rather than what is missing. This results in a release of dopamine and serotonin, the neurotransmitters that are responsible for making us feel good and in turn, easing feelings of anxiety and depression. The reaction is similar to how regular physical exercise improves your strength and endurance, regular gratitude journaling can boost your ‘mental fitness,’ strengthening these neural pathways.
You should be knowing that life goals are important. They are what keep us motivated and will inspire us to continue improving which means for us to keep on progressing and have the future that we wish to attain. However, we often get too absorbed in these goals and become obsessed with achieving them, resulting in worry and anxiety. To reach our dreams, we want to do many things. Yet, juggling work, friends, families, and others, we prioritize unimportant things and forget to live now. A gratitude journal lets you remember what matters most: your happiness. It constantly reminds us of what we should appreciate in the present moment. It is also effective in keeping the mind focused and clear so to aid you in achieving your goals, write about people you admire in your journal. Note the things, methods, and behaviors they used to be successful. You can expect similar results by following their steps and using them as your inspiration.
When you are being consciously grateful, you are emphasizing the need to value every relationship in your life. It definitely leads to stronger relationships: basically expressing gratitude for the people in your life can help to strengthen relationships and foster a deeper sense of connection and intimacy. Also when you are being thankful for all that you have in life, it leads to an increase in resilience. Keeping a gratitude journal can help you to develop a more positive outlook, which can increase your resilience in the face of adversity.
