This practice is part of the
Time Required
15 minutes per day, at least three times per week for at least two weeks.
How to Do It
There’s no wrong way to keep a gratitude journal, but here are some general instructions as you get started.
Write down up to five things for which you feel grateful. The physical record is important—don’t just do this exercise in your head. The things you list can be relatively small in importance (“The tasty sandwich I had for lunch today.”) or relatively large (“My sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy.”). The goal of the exercise is to remember a good event, experience, person, or thing in your life—then enjoy the good emotions that come with it.
As you write, here are nine important tips:
- Be as specific as possible—specificity is key to fostering gratitude. “I’m grateful that my co-workers brought me soup when I was sick on Tuesday” will be more effective than “I’m grateful for my co-workers.”
- Go for depth over breadth. Elaborating in detail about a particular person or thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.
- Get personal. Focusing on people to whom you are grateful has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful.
- Try subtraction, not just addition. Consider what your life would be like without certain people or things, rather than just tallying up all the good stuff. Be grateful for the negative outcomes you avoided, escaped, prevented, or turned into something positive—try not to take that good fortune for granted.
- See good things as “gifts.” Thinking of the good things in your life as gifts guards against taking them for granted. Try to relish and savor the gifts you’ve received.
- Savor surprises. Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude.
- Revise if you repeat. Writing about some of the same people and things is OK, but zero in on a different aspect in detail.
- Write regularly. Whether you write daily or every other day, commit to a regular time to journal, then honor that commitment.
Why You Should Try It
It’s easy to take the good things and people in our lives for granted, but research suggests that consciously giving thanks for them can have profound effects on our well-being and relationships. This exercise helps you develop a greater appreciation for the good in your life. In fact, people who routinely express gratitude enjoy better health and greater happiness.
Why It Works
While it’s important to analyze and learn from bad events, sometimes we can think too much about what goes wrong and not enough about what goes right in our lives. A gratitude journal forces ourselves to pay attention to the good things in life we might otherwise take for granted. In that way, we start to become more attuned to the everyday sources of pleasure around us—and the emotional tone of our life can shift in profound ways. What’s more, actually writing about these events is key: Research suggests translating thoughts into concrete language makes us more aware of them, deepening their emotional impact.
Evidence That It Works
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.
People who wrote in a Gratitude Journal weekly for 10 weeks or daily for two weeks experienced more gratitude, positive moods, and optimism about the future, as well as better sleep, compared to those who journaled about hassles or their daily life.
Who Has Tried the Practice?
Undergraduate students at a large American public university and patients at the University of California, Davis, Neuromuscular Disease Clinic participated in the above study. Around 76% of the participants were women. Data on ethnicity and race are unavailable for this study, but additional studies explore how the Gratitude Journal benefits different groups and cultures:
- A group of predominantly white and highly educated people in Brazil increased in positive emotion, happiness, and life satisfaction and decreased in negative emotion and depression after daily gratitude journaling for two weeks.
- Polish natives also increased in well-being after gratitude journaling.
- Turkish university students improved in college adjustment, life satisfaction, and positive emotion after three weeks of gratitude journaling.
- In a New Zealand study, people with arthritis experienced less pain, everyday interferences from their pain, and pain-related anxiety and more self-efficacy after gratitude journaling each week for four weeks.
- Muslim undergraduate students in Malaysia increased in happiness after two weeks of writing daily notes of Islamic-based gratitude that expressed “their gratefulness to the Merciful Allah who grants them with blessings and is responsible for their grateful and blessed situations.” About 85% of the participants were women.
- A four-week Christianity-based gratitude program, in which pastors led activities such as gratitude journaling, sermons, and psychoeducation, improved well-being, life satisfaction, and interpersonal engagement in members of a mostly white congregation in the American Pacific Northwest.
More research is needed to explore whether, and how, the impact of this practice extends to other groups and cultures.
Sources
Robert Emmons, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
References
Al-Seheel, A., & Noor, N. M. (2016). Effects of an Islamic-based gratitude strategy on Muslim students’ level of happiness. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 19(7), 686–703.
Cunha, L., Pellanda, L. C., & Reppold, C. T. (2019). Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: A randomized clinical trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 9.
Işık, Ş., & Ergüner-Tekinalp, B. (2017). The effects of gratitude journaling on Turkish first year college students’ college adjustment, life satisfaction and positive affect. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 39(2), 164–175.
Krejtz, I., Nezlek, J. B., Michnicka, A., Holas, P., & Rusanowska, M. (2016). Counting one's blessings can reduce the impact of daily stress. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 25–39.
Swain, N., Thompson, B. L., Gallagher, S., Paddison, J., & Mercer, S. (2020). Gratitude enhanced mindfulness (GEM): A pilot study of an internet-delivered programme for self-management of pain and disability in people with arthritis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(3), 420–426.
Uhder, J., McMinn, M. R., Bufford, R. K., & Gathercoal, K. (2017). A gratitude intervention in a Christian church community. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45(1), 46–57.
Quick Description
Writing a Gratitude Journal can make us more attuned to the good things in life. Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Take our Gratitude quiz to find out:
Comments
and Reviews
Jodie Jones
I appreciate the depth of thought and feeling that this practice encourages. I had previously been a "3-good things" lister and find this practice of exploring and being reflective on one aspect of gratitude to deepen the emotional benefit.
Marcia Williams
This is a great practice. I write in my journal every day and writing about what I am grateful for is part of it. This reminded me to get more specific and that enhanced the good feelings I got when writing about it. I do not like to journal online so I only did it in my own journal.
Mary Avila
I do gratitude journaling every night. Though I marked this as practice, it was not included in my compilation so it appears as if my score dropped instead of having risen. Not good for the data....
Diane L Porter
Great
Larry Berger
I was confused. The gratitude journal instructions differed from the prompt to respond. The former suggested a daily list, the latter asked to focus on a single goodness.
Janis M Christian
Find it difficult to submit review - refresh page?????
Catherine E Jackson
I am finding it difficult to write about 5 things in the time allotted. I do fill a page each time.
Catherine E Jackson
I have already been doing the Gratitude Journal for 2 weeks, 3x a week. Tomorrow I will be on Day 7.
Edward Tanner
Thinking about the things in my life that I’m grateful for and writing them down, has me experiencing feelings of warmth, satisfaction, and safety with my life.
Edward Tanner
Increases my experience of gratitude
Edward Tanner
Thinking of items makes me appreciate them more. Writing them down makes me remember more specifically
Diane Pasta
not new. worked well. cannot move to next step?
Kiely James
Great!
Joel Ward
I can't figure out how to get to the next practice.
Gianluca Colucci
Very strange practice
Jerilynn Maki
I love the Gratitude Journal. Writing makes me much more aware of all that I’m grateful for. As a result I find myself expressing gratitude easily throughout the day.
Jerilynn Maki
I love the Gratitude Journal. Writing makes me much more aware of all that I’m grateful for. As a result I find myself expressing gratitude easily throughout the day.
Diane Pasta
as a generally grateful person, I did not expect it to have much impact, but the depth of it did inspire me to express the gratitude to others, with positive impacts.
Karen Westover
I have kept a gratitude journal on and off my entire life. I try to be specific and not repeat myself. It has helped me notice the small things like someone’s smile or my husband unloading the dishwasher.
Karen Westover
I have kept a gratitude journal on and off for most of my life. One thing I try to do is not repeat something I’m grateful for. It has helped me notice the little things in life like a smile from someone or that my husband unloaded the dishwasher.
Linda Voss
I find it closer to the heart to write longhand in a journal I've chosen for it's beauty. Enhances the feeling compared with writing in the box on the computer screen for 15 minutes. Plus I can include drawings like hearts. Unpeeling the first five things yesterday got me down to the part I really appreciated (had to get through some, "yes, buts" first). The second day I just started listing everything I could think of that supported me and I appreciated. I started moving into categories--food, friends, appliances, house construction, high school friends, spiritual friends. It got me below the surface to a richness of beneficence.
Linda Voss
I find it closer to the heart to write longhand in a journal I've chosen for it's beauty. Enhances the feeling compared with writing in the box on the computer screen for 15 minutes. Plus I can include drawings like hearts. Unpeeling the first five things yesterday got me down to the part I really appreciated (had to get through some, "yes, buts" first). The second day I just started listing everything I could think of that supported me and I appreciated. I started moving into categories--food, friends, appliances, house construction, high school friends, spiritual friends. It got me below the surface to a richness of beneficence.
Ann Martina Bhutia
I enjoyed it immensely. By jotting down why I am greatful for so many things in my life made me realise how Blessed I am.
Caryl Williams Brown
i loved the list of "advice" for doing a gratitude journal. So many ways to think about it that I hadn't considered. and I really love knowing the advise is science-based!
Lyndsay Finney
It’s wonderful digging deep into the “item”, I can literally feel different parts of my body exploring aspects of the joy in order to come up with the additional material … it takes it out of just my head and makes it full bodied 😊
colleen joy mills
It made me smile 😊
Sharon
When answering how I came by this goodness noticed myself going back to many instances of people in the past supporting me on my journey.
Kristina Kay Mitchell
It's helpful to remind myself to focus on the positive, all the blessings and privilegein my life, rather than worries, especially larger ones out of my control. Do the best I can within my means... : )
Kristina Kay Mitchell
It's helpful to remind myself to focus on the positive, all the blessings and privilegein my life, rather than worries, especially larger ones out of my control. Do the best I can within my means... : )
Carol Frazee
This was a beautiful practice that reminded me on a daily basis of the beauty and good in my life.
Carol Frazee
This was a beautiful practice that reminded me on a daily basis of the beauty and good in my life.
Theresa Hurley
Always love doing this exercise
Kelly Ann Graham
Very easy and user-friendly, and will use the practices daily
Glo muti
I enjoyed listing gratitudes. Within a few days I was aware of and looking for gratitudes throughout the day. I became more positive and thankful.
Cynthia Brossard
Years ago I ran into the concept of recording three things you like about yourself and three things that went well EVERY DAY and I have been doing it for years. This is not the same as gratitude; possibly better--it sure works for me! Around New Year's I do an inventory of all the good things that happened, and it's always a surprise how well things went, all in all.
Jody Johnson
I used to wake up to thoughts about the limitations to my choices for the day (due to the pandemic), now I focus on the possibilities.
Jody Johnson
Previously, the first thoughts I had upon waking up were, “another day in the land of COVID”, now I think about the possibilities for my day rather than the limitations.
Nicola James
I enjoyed the gratitude journal, made me thankful for all the good things I have in my life that I often take for granted.
Nicola James
I enjoy the gratitude journal as it reminds me not to take anything in my life for granted and to appreciate the often small things in life that contribute towards my happiness and wellbeing.
Nicola James
I enjoy the gratitude journal as it reminds me not to take anything in my life for granted and to appreciate the often small things in life that contribute towards my happiness and wellbeing.
Kristyn Barrett
I like this experience. I go on and off doing this exercise. Sometimes I do it for weeks, sometimes days. I would like to make it a regular habit.
Kristyn Barrett
I like this experience. I go on and off doing this exercise. Sometimes I do it for weeks, sometimes days. I would like to make it a regular habit.
Sofia F
Writing makes a difference indeed. I should write more often about all the great things I have in my life.
Päivi Tolonen
It was very nice! I thought even more good things than normally.
Päivi Tolonen
It was very nice! I thought even more good things than normally.
Michael Ziegenbein
It was a good experience, it was fun for me to look at the good things in my life and it actually made me feel better.
Elizabeth Anne LeCours
Taking the time to intentionally notice and reflect on moments of gratitude was an uplifting experience for me. This was a great reminder to be present and let go. I slept great all week!!!
Päivi Tolonen
It was very nice. It makes me think all the good things in my life and make me more satisfied and i believe that i can find even more good things !!
Lucy Curtis
This practice helps me focus on the good things in my life which sometimes I overlook. Doing so at the end of the day gives me a mood boost before going to sleep
Mike Higgs
I've been journaling for a couple of years using the 5-minute journal app. Here's a review that pretty well reflects my thoughts as well - miriamballesteros.com/career-development/the-five-minute-journal-review
Mike Higgs
I've been journaling for a couple of years using the 5-minute journal app. Here's a review that pretty well reflects my thoughts as well - https://miriamballesteros.com/career-development/the-five-minute-journal-review
Liisa Kukk
Journalling is not unfamiliar to me, but gratitude journalling specifically is not something I do often. It was good to re-feel what I'd felt when the actual moment occurred, and it makes me think that I should remember more often to consider for what I am grateful, whether or not I record it. One shot and I'm hooked!
colleen wilson
It helped. I was a little stuck from a family situation the previous day and hunting for something positive to be grateful for was helpful. It certainly helped lots more than going over (and over) what I wasn't so grateful for!
Cathy Belair
I enjoyed writing in detail about things I am grateful for. It helped me dive deeper as if reliving the moment which felt more uplifting than just listing (or mentally noting) each one. I'll definitely try this again!
Barbara Federman
This is a wonderful practice, one which I intend to continue, as I journal almost every day. I find the guidelines particularly helpful in different ways to approach describing what I am grateful for.
douglas safford
loved it
Henry Gasko
I find trying to come up with new Gratitude items every day extremely artificial, especially as we are still in a state of pandemic and my life as a retiree has very little variation from one week to the next.
Terry Carswell
Although I'm finding this to be a positive experience, I haven't formed the habit yet; this is a work-in-progress. For me, a physical gratitude journal (writing down my thoughts) has a more positive impact for me than typing my thoughts.
Terry Carswell
Although I'm finding this to be a positive experience, I haven't formed the habit yet - this is a work-in-progress. For me, a physical gratitude journal (writing down my thoughts) has a more positive impact for me than typing my thoughts.
Krisztina Baumann
The Gratitude Journal is an amazing tool to remind ourself the little joys in the often fast-paced everyday life. Furthermore, it gives an idea what we feel most grateful about, and what gives as joy, so that we can incorporate it more often in our lives. It is one of my favourites.
Krisztina Baumann
The Gratitude Journal is an amazing tool to remind ourself the little joys in the often fast-paced everyday life. Furthermore, it gives an idea what we feel most grateful about, and what gives as joy, so that we can incorporate it more often in our lives. One of my favourites.
Susie Quarto
It is very good experience! I have found goodness in many small things that I do every day. The future is uncertain but I live with the pleasure of gratitude to what is around me!
Susie Quarto
It is very good experience! I have found goodness in many small things that I do every day. The future is uncertain but I live with the pleasure of gratitude to what is around me!
colleen wilson
That was good, I think, I eventually listed about 13 things/people I am most grateful for.
colleen wilson
It was good while I was writing in my book, I wasn't quite as comfortable writing online. Maybe that will ease with time. I was aware that searching for things to list as blessings helped me focus more on the positive.
Anjali
It helps you intentionally reflect on the precious gifts you receive each week from loved ones and from the positivity you created yourself as well.
Magi Acimo
It was not easy what to choose in the row of the ordinary days and happenings. Even when I started few more things came in to my mind. During writing I felt I could find much more things to be grateful in my life.
Nicola James
A gratitude journal will be helpful so that I can remind myself of the good in my life when I am going through difficult times.
Nicola James
A gratitude journal will be helpful so that I can remind myself of the good in my life when I am going through difficult times.
Mary Ashton
The 8-9 important tips are very helpful and can be taught to my coaching clients
Beth Schilling
I like reflecting on what I am grateful for but writing for 15 minutes seemed like a lot
Magali Veronelli
Good reflection guide, my capacity to write and add details improved as days pass by. Amazingly, my gratitude increased too.
Henry Gasko
I must be a very glass-half-empty sort of person because every thing in my life that I think of that I am grateful for immediately reminds me of how much better that aspect of my life could be.
Cie Marchi
Great reminders as we walk this ever active, less reflective world.
Edward Tanner
Very positive and reassuring
Kathy Mamat
Useful
Andrea Goodman
It seems like the more details I include the more satisfying it is when I read them again later.
Banban Li
Well, I did not write much, however, I have been practicing gratitude orally with my husband. i shared with her who am I thankful to. I also sincerely expressed my gratitude to him.
Frederique Roy
1) grateful fir a lovely meal at sutton brewery. I felt satiated without the excess. 2) grateful fir the glittering snowfall as we drove home at dusk 3) grateful for the heated carseat in our rented car
Nicola James
I am happy to start a Gratitude Journal as it should help increase my wellbeing by making me greater aware of the good things and people I have in my life.
Adrienne St John
It is very easy for me to do this practice. I am most grateful for all I am and have and will be.
Jessica Baxter
I'm a little confused because the long instructions in the pale green boxes are a bit different than the instructions right before the text box in the dark green box.
Lynn
A good practice to follow.
Jeanne Deborah Thomas
I enjoy the Gratitude Journal but I'm a little confused. I should mention that I've been doing it as part of the Pathway to Happiness Program. I've been writing in the journal daily but I keep getting email prompts from GG saying that I should START it. Am I missing something? I've already made 5 or 6 entries. In addition I've been unable to either save the practice or mark it as tried. Am I doing something wrong?
Jeanne Deborah Thomas
Although I always end each day with a mental recounting of three good things that have happened during the day, there is something very powerful about committing gratitude to writing. It requires a different level of concentration and reflection and somehow, to me, has more permanence.
Kylee Jaye Brandt
My experience was positive, however I didn’t put more intention and effort into doing it everyday, so I plan to repeat this practice.
Heidi Mandel Turcot
Noticing what’s going well, the everyday events we take for granted is the key to greater happiness and well-being. I enjoy writing down experiences/ awarenesses, and it helps my mindset throughout the day to notice the good.
Heidi Mandel Turcot
Noticing what’s going well, the everyday events we take for granted is the key to greater happiness and well-being. I enjoy writing down experiences/ awarenesses, and it helps my mindset throughout the day to notice the good.
Dingiswayo Edmond Sikunyane
I just felt elated given that I was coming up with some negative events which I found had a positive outcome. As advised it was my first time to look at lessons learnt from a negative experience and being grateful for it. I just felt empowered by using this perspective. I have been keeping a gratitude journal almost daily but this new approach is more deeper and empowering.
John
This was a helpful insight, I'm trying to enjoy better health especially mental health, and toothachecare happiness.
John
This was a helpful insight, I'm trying to enjoy better health especially mental health, and https://toothachecare.com/ happiness.
Ananya
This looks like a great journaling practice! I just started using The Equilibrium Journal, and it's dramatically enhanced my quality of life, mindset, and gratitude practice. Would highly recommend for anyone looking to build a lifestyle with more positivity, balance, alignment and growth.
Robert Ray Johnson Jr.
Good reminder to set up many things in your life to be reminders for what you should be thinkful for!
Karen Benjamin
this was very helpful and also helpful to know my limits too to write my gratitude and my limits.
L Kay Gohlke
I find journaling to be very soothing
L Kay Gohlke
I also used a guided Gratitude Journal, which was sometimes very difficult to fill out
Vicki Lynn York
hard for me this time
Rebecca Rae Wennlund
I started my new gratitude journal and decorated the inside front cover. I look forward to this new practice. I've done this in the past but trying to do it every day made me lose steam; I like the idea of a few times per week.
Jennifer Riggs
This was easy. I already have this practice. Not of writing them down. But thinking of them.
Romeu de Figueiredo Temporal
I was experiencing a very dificulty time after a litigious divorce, lost my business, fired from a new job, and financially broked. Some of my special friends resolve make deposits in one acount bank until (6 months) my recover. Another one host me into his house for one year. When a impredictable political change give me the opportunity to be invited to be high position on the new goverm. As State Secretariat staff chief I have the most important job in all my life. It was 14 years ago, and I`m still get a position at the State Planning Cabinet.
Gerald Gilroy
How do I get to my attitude journal
Gerald Gilroy
This is it: Journal (5 items 3 times per week) Yana walked the dog once today for which I am incredibly grateful. She did it twice a day all week. Had a magazine to deliver to Mrs. R Winters at Donway. Emma threw it back at me but the young lady at the Donway door was delightful. Grateful that I felt well today. Thankful that Don is giving me a birthday party. An encounter with a skunk was fun. Grateful that I did not get sprayed. It was fun.
Michel
This practice makes me feel great! Writing it down also allows me to review these when I feel down. I use an online app at www.puregoals.com to set up a Habit and I get a free journal to write things down. Great Habit with the right tool!
Kari | The Gorgeous Mindset Co.
I absolutely love this post! There really is no wrong way to keep a gratitude journal and the results of simply focusing on even the most basic things that I appreciate has done wonders for me. Personally, I keep a gratitude journal with the intention of writing daily, but I typically end up using it 3-4 times per week. Like you said above, it doesn't have to be an everyday thing. Just find a routine that works for you. xoxo
Tara Brown
I've been writing in my Gratitude Journal on Sundays, however, this is the first time I've seen these specific ways in which to write about gratitude and I appreciate the guidance.
Rossy Cortes
I'll practice this Journal, it's an excellent idea. Thank you
ic
Were you able to see your results?
Peggy L. Van Sickle
I started a separate gratitude journal this year. I may not go into the specifics that you desire, but I write down three things every day that I am grateful for.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.