Learn the science behind gratitude journaling and why you should develop your own practice.
Practicing gratitude isn’t something you should do just once a year at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
In fact, gratitude journaling — spending a few moments writing about the people, places, experiences, and beyond that you feel grateful for — can have profound impacts on your well-being when done regularly. Here, the major benefits of the practice and how you can get started.
Why Keep a Gratitude Journal
Jotting down everything you’re thankful for may feel silly at first. But in the moment, practicing gratitude can melt away your worries and bring you into the present. “It's almost impossible to be stressed while being grateful — they’re like two different systems that can't operate at the same time,” says Michael Gervais, a yoga instructor at Equinox Hudson Yards and Senior Director of Group Fitness Content and Programming. “And you might be dwelling on something you said or did in the past, or in anticipation of something in the future, but gratitude journaling really brings you to the present moment.”
Over time, practicing gratitude may lead to increased happiness, life satisfaction, and quality of life, and it’s also linked with increased empathy, research suggests. “Gratitude also appears to play a role in the development and maintenance of healthy relationships and is associated with increases in prosocial behavior,” notes James Scholl, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and yoga, cycling, and strength trainer at New York City Equinox Clubs. The reason: Gratitude journaling helps you pay attention to the positive aspects of your life that you may take for granted, so over time, you become more aware of the good, according to the University of California, Berkeley.
Ultimately, making a habit of expressing your gratitude will “rewire” your brain so that when you do experience stress or loss, you’ll be able to get back to feeling thankful — and, in turn, less tense — more quickly, adds Geravis.
The physical health benefits are just as noteworthy. Grateful individuals report having better physical health, partly due to their improved psychological well-being, a penchant to take part in healthy activities, and willingness to seek help for their health concerns, according to research published in Personality and Individual Differences. What’s more, a small pilot study found that gratitude journaling may reduce inflammation and improve other biomarkers related to heart failure.
While research is mixed, some individuals with mental health difficulties, such as high stress levels or depression, may particularly benefit from practicing gratitude. According to a 2021 systematic review, maintaining a gratitude list is linked with significant improvements in perceived stress and depression. And a Frontiers in Psychology study found that when women with elevated depressive symptoms were more grateful, they tended to be more accepting of their condition, which was linked with decreased feelings of depression and anxiety.
Although the current data doesn’t fully back up the benefits of gratitude journaling to treat mental health conditions, “[it] may be an excellent complementary practice in tandem with other healing or well-being exercises,” says Scholl. Of course, if you’re experiencing any mental health concerns, reach out to a professional who can work with you to determine the best path forward.
How to Start Your Gratitude Journal
Once you decide to start gratitude journaling, your first step is to establish your intention, says Scholl. “Develop solid reasoning behind why you want to start the practice of gratitude journaling, as it will serve as motivation in the future,” he explains. Then, set a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goal for gratitude journaling, he suggests. Think about how frequently you want to journal, at what time of day, and the topics, if any, you want to prioritize (say, your family or your career). “Small, intentional steps forward are going to be associated with more long-lasting change, as opposed to waking up one morning and deciding to write for an hour about gratitude,” he notes.
When you’re ready to begin, think about why you’ve decided to practice gratitude journaling, and use that to kick off your list of all the people, experiences, and items you’re thankful to have in your life, suggests Scholl. Consider listing just one thing you’re grateful for, taking stock of how you feel, then adding on more items gradually, he adds. “If it starts to feel like a burden, I would cut back,” says Scholl. “But some people really find they enjoy the practice of journaling and could write full entries on a daily basis.”
There are no hard and fast rules of what to include in your gratitude journal, and your list items can be as broad or specific as you’d like. “There are scores of lists all over the internet that can be helpful in compiling a list, but again, my primary advice is to be intentional,” he adds. “For example, if you want to work on your interpersonal relationships, bring in questions that help you reflect on that more closely.”
Don’t overlook the smaller aspects of your life, either, notes Geravis. Your promotion or blossoming relationship is surely worth including in your gratitude journal, but so is the bird you saw on your porch or the sunshine you felt on your face this morning. “Big-ticket items” aren’t inherently more valuable than everyday experiences like touching a soft bed sheet or feeling a light breeze, he says. Allow the first thought to pop into your head to be your best thought, he adds.
If you’re stuck, consider a handful of self-reflection questions, such as:
• What am I taking for granted in life?
• What nouns (people, places, things) can I be grateful for today?
• What is something from my childhood that I am thankful for?
• What is a song/movie/book that I am grateful for?
How often you write in your gratitude journal is completely up to you. What matters most, though, is being consistent with your practice, says Scholl. “The effects of gratitude journaling do not appear to be long lasting; in most follow-up studies, the impact of the intervention had diminished one month after completion,” he explains. “Not to be dismayed, this simply suggests that consistency is key. Like any mindfulness, relaxation, or breathing exercise, you have to keep at it if you want it to continue to yield results.”
Ultimately, the key to gratitude journaling is keeping your practice simple and low-stakes. “If you are struggling one day, allow yourself to walk away rather than fighting it, then try again later,” says Scholl. “Remember, these don’t have to be profound introspective realizations — maybe you are just grateful for sunshine on a winter day, the smile of a stranger, or simply your ability to get out of bed in the morning.”