GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Last Sunday I started a Gratitude Journal. I hadn’t heard of such a thing until last week during a segment on NPR talk radio station — I’m a nerd and love talk radio. Their topic of the hours was about giving thanks and specifically keeping a journal of your thoughts and how it affected your emotions and life. Since I was pretty young, I’ve kept a journal to write down my life’s adventures and I’m a huge list person! The concept is simple — write down a few things you’re thankful for once a week. It seems a little funny that by simply jotting down a few pieces of your life you are truly grateful can help reduce stress, change your mood and overall outlook on life in an upward direction, but at the same time it makes sense — gratitude is a positive emotion. I’m only five days into my new gratitude journal and I wouldn’t says it’s changed my life, yet, but I do find myself being more aware of things I’m grateful for while they happen.
