In today’s busy fast-paced world it is extremely important to mindfully do activities to combat stress. Stress has been extensively studied as a major contributor to poor health.
Stress can inflict poor sleep, overeating, depression, skin conditions, loss of hair, and even heart disease. One way to relieve stress is to write a gratitude journal. A gratitude diary is a simple way to relieve tension, and becoming your own personal essay writer does not take much time. When one concentrates on gratitude, the positive aspects of life become more obvious. Even if it seems that everything is stressful, including work, family, health, and finances, having the ability to find something to be grateful for does produce more content.
Gratitude journal
To begin a gratitude journal you will need a designated space to write what you are thankful for. This is a great time to purchase a special journal or use a journal that has been lying empty on your bookshelf for years.
What to write in a gratitude journal
The process of gratitude journaling is very simple. There are several ways to commit to gratitude journaling. For some, it would be writing a few simple words each day in a calendar to remind them of what they are grateful for each day. For others, they may want to use artmaking to depict their thankfulness. For some, it will be a combination of techniques and ideas.
No matter how you choose to gratitude journal the results will be the same. Stress will decrease as your focus changes to the positive aspects of your life.
Below are creative ideas on how to a gratitude journal.
Making gratitude list
The simplest way is to make a list of things you are grateful for. You can even use bullet points instead of full sentences. For example:
Today I am grateful for:
- My two new kittens who remind me tenderly of unconditional love
- A healthy family
- A great supportive community
- The sunshine
- My computer
Writing five things you are grateful for every day will offer you the realisation of what is going well. Recognizing specific positive occurrences will direct your attention away from what is stressful. This refocus will enable you the connection to positive thinking and decrease negative patterns of thoughts that lead to stress.
Writing therapy is a great tool for bettering our lives, achieving success, and learning more about ourselves on a deeper soul level. The following are forms used in writing therapy for healing to achieve just that.
Journaling
Journaling or writing in a diary or notebook is a classic form of expression that allows us to vent our most inspiring and important thoughts, feelings, and observations at that moment. Keep a private journal of events, dreams, thoughts, emotions, desires, and needs daily as a quick essay help and a way to gain clarity in your life for healing. This journal must be something strictly for you (or share if it helps with the recovery). Some may opt to journal online, but an old-fashioned tangible book is always best for writing those moments and storing them away from when you want to reflect later. Keeping a daily journal can be very enjoyable in many ways, and the freedom to write whatever you want is a bounty of playground for the mind, emotions, and soul.
Creative writing
Create a story. Write a poem or song. Creative writing is a fantastic way to infuse life into your very own creation as you see it and is one of the most healthy forms of expression. It has the genuine ability to stretch the mind into a place where consciousness and subconscious meet through the language of artistic creativity. It makes no difference whether you perceive yourself to be a creative person or not. Give it a try and you may be surprised where it takes you and what you will find.
Freewriting
Try simply freewriting about anything in any form. Allow yourself to jot down whatever thoughts, ideas, and notions come to you. This is also an excellent exercise for allowing the subconscious to speak. No boundaries, just total freedom of expression.
Letters
Write a letter to yourself or others. You do not have to necessarily send it, but this can serve as a way to communicate with anyone, living or non, real or imaginative. Its purpose is to help regain a sense of closure, understanding, and peace of mind yourself. Communicate the words that you may not have been able to communicate any other way.
Notes/Lists
Randomly from day to day jot notes and create lists of ideas, goals, and affirmations. Do this as a written meditation to keep the energy of creation and goal going for quicker manifestation. This not only helps to remind you but can ground you on purpose. This allows you to quickly indulge in writing therapy that is convenient and quickly implemented throughout the day.
Gratitude art journaling
Another approach to gratitude journaling is using images and art-making. Instead of writing your thoughts, use an image from a magazine to illustrate what you are thankful for. You can also cut out words from magazines and collage the words with the images. To make a gratitude art journal you will need the following simple supplies:
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Magazines
- A sketchbook
You can also add the following supplies if you would like to add more artistic expression:
- Acrylic paint
- Markers
- Colored Pencils
- Water Colors
- Paintbrushes
- Water
The process is simple. Find words and images, or draw words and images, of what you are grateful for. The best type of book to support gratitude art journaling will be a sketchbook. The paper is thicker and therefore stronger for art materials. The unlined paper will allow for more artistic freedom. You can do a quick 5-minute gratitude image daily.
Another idea for gratitude art journaling is to pick one word that depicts what you are thankful for that day. Using only one word you can be creative in how you honor your word including:
- Write the word over and over again on your page, this will also be meditative as a mantra.
- Write the word big so it takes up the page, adds colors and doodles.
- Write the word in different types of fonts being playful.
- Find the word in a magazine and collage it.
David Tobin did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
