I have always believed in kindness and to be thankful. Growing up I always heard the expression count your blessings.
In recent years, I have been hearing about journaling your gratitude from a friend as a way of influencing thinking. I decided to do some research on it and this is what I found. Gratitude is an emotion that studies have reported expressing gratitude daily or weekly in a journal can change negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Resulting in increased dopamine which can have a positive effective on the brain. (Miller,2020) There are many books, podcasts, YouTube video’s and research on this subject.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com 
Photo by Claire Morgan on Pexels.com
- Gratitude journaling is keeping a weekly journal on experiences and people that you are grateful for. Negative experiences can also bring a positive result. (Miller, 2020)
2. Gratitude removes toxic emotions and can have a positive result on the brain.(Brown, Wong, June 2017)
3. Gratitude relieves stress and promotes optimism. ( Miller,2020)
4. Some studies reported writing down the experiences you are grateful for may reduce inflammation, improve health and feel more rested.(Miller,2020)
5. Content and experience more joy. (Miller,2020)
6. Less materialistic. (Miller, 2020)
7. Develop positive relations. (Miller, 2020)
After reading both articles, it resonated in me how the idea can be effective and produce positive results for some people. Researching gratitude is not new to researchers.
This summer my friend wrote a book on gratitude and started a weekly podcast on the subject. I thought it was really interesting and decided to look into it more. The more I read the more I began to believe in the idea. I don’t journal, I write notes and goals. However, I am sold on the idea and will start. It’s a good reflection exercise and possibly will become a good habit.
What do you think of the idea of journaling your gratitude?
References:
Twitter: Read more on gratitude.https://bit.ly/2HeqbTi
Facebook: My thoughts on gratitude for joy.https://bit.ly/2HeqbTi
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 