I can get a lot done in 5 minutes. I can put a wash on, empty the dishwasher or make a packed lunch. On a day where I have motivation as well as 5 minutes, I can pay a few bills, relax with some Pilates or even get in some saxophone practice. Recently though, I’ve discovered something which might just make a bigger difference to my health than any of these things. Apparently, keeping a daily log of positive thoughts in a gratitude journal can be a worthwhile way to spend a few minutes every day.
So, what on earth is gratitude journalling and can it really benefit our mental health? Is it just a new twist on keeping a diary? As usual with new ideas, there is both something original and borrowed involved.
What is gratitude journalling?
Most of us have busy and complicated lives, and stress can strike out of the blue or creep up on us unobserved. One way to keep these negative feelings in perspective is writing in a gratitude journal, for 5 minutes each and every day.
Simply think about each positive thing in your day and write down those things you’re grateful for.
Benefits of gratitude journaling
Repeating this every day could gradually make you feel less stressed and more content, self-aware and thoughtful. Perhaps we could all benefit from a daily, five-minute session spent documenting our gratitude?
How to get started
There’s no need to wait until January as you might with a diary, or even the end of the month. Start by finding or buying a small notebook or diary that will act as a gratitude journal. Of course, there are lots to choose from – brightly coloured, or in soothing pastel shades, some simply oozing with quotes from great thinkers … the choice is yours.
Then find somewhere private you can relax and think for 5 each day – your bedroom, the kitchen table or outdoors, perhaps in the park or your garden if you’re lucky enough to have one.
Then just write / draw / doodle your thoughts in your own style – long, rambling prose or super-short bullet points, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. You could even text yourself thoughts to write up at the end of the day.
What if it gratitude journalling isn’t working?
After a month or two, spend a few minutes considering whether you do feel more content or self-aware – or maybe a little less stressed. If the answer is yes, great, keep it going or decide whether you might switch to internalising the process – thinking instead of writing each day perhaps. If you feel no different, maybe give it another month or look for another solution to whatever issues are making you feel down or unfulfilled.
There is a lot of support available online and elsewhere.
Treacle.me includes links to all the brilliant mental health support groups such as Mind plus hundreds of other local and national groups offering free support and advice about finances, work, family issues, plus opportunities for volunteering and so on, many of which you simply won’t be aware of. Treacle.me is free to use, has no annoying ads and never asks for your data.
Take care out there.
Helen