10 Journal Prompts to Cultivate Gratitude
Gratitude:
noun: choosing to be thankful and showing appreciation for something or someone
Everywhere we look in this season, we see reminders to be “grateful.” But if we’re honest, gratitude can be hard to cultivate depending on the day, circumstances, or even season.
Some days the list is easy to recount, and as you begin to take note of the good things in your life, your heart swells in appreciation. Other times you may find yourself in a trying season surrounded by heartache, struggle, and pain. In those difficult times, when gratitude is the hardest to come by, we need it the most.
It is a disciple to train our minds to choose gratitude. It doesn’t come naturally, but study after study indicates that a daily gratitude practice can significantly increase our well-being and life satisfaction. Reflecting on and recounting the things we’re thankful for bolsters our positivity, helps us feel more alive, improves our sleep, and strengthens our immune systems.
Gratitude takes intention and practice. When we first start choosing to take note of the things we’re grateful for, it might feel slightly forced or even difficult to find the good. That’s okay. Keep at it! Gratitude, like a lot of things in life, multiplies the more you pay attention and look for it!
One of our favorite ways to cultivate gratitude is through the practice of journaling.
Journaling can help us put our thoughts to paper and prompt us to look beyond the things right in front of us and reflect on the good all around us, in our present moment, the past, and our hope for the future.
We encourage you to explore what you’re thankful for this week, and to help you get started, we’ve curated a few prompts to help unlock your gratitude.
10 Journal Prompts to Cultivate Gratitude
- Someone I am grateful is….
- A lesson I’m learning is…
- An area I’ve seen myself grow in recently is…
- I feel supported by…
- A recent opportunity I’ve been given is…
- An accomplishment I feel proud of is…
- A strength of mine is…
- A memory I am grateful for is…
- A space/place I feel safe in is…
- I’m grateful…has taught me about…
Gratitude begets gratitude. Take your practice one step further and share something from your journaling time with a safe person in your life.
Gratitude is good for us, but it doesn’t stop there. It is good for others, too. Gratitude has the potential, if expressed, to give much-needed affirmation to others and to draw us closer together in the process.
