How to Start a Gratitude Journal that You'll Want to Keep | ‘Manifesting in the Real World’ Episode Three
Being grateful may seem like a no-brainer. Just as we’re taught to use manners as kids, most of us are good at saying thank you without thinking about it.
But the real power of gratitude comes from taking time to really feel it and acknowledge all the things you have to be grateful for.
Keeping a gratitude journal may seem silly, but the simple act of writing down what you appreciate and letting yourself truly feel gratitude, can transform your mindset, and ultimately, help you manifest. Focus on being grateful for what you have, and you’ll attract more good things into your life that you can be grateful for.
Today, you’re going to start a gratitude journal that you’ll actually want to keep!
Hey everyone! If you’re just meeting me for the first time, welcome! My name is Ebonie, and this blog and YouTube channel is here to help you reconnect to your intuition, so you can manifest the most magical life you could dream of – in the real world!
If you’re new to the Law of Attraction, I recommend starting with Episode One of this series: ‘What is the Law of Attraction & How Does it Work?’
In today’s video, we’re talking about gratitude. It might seem like a very basic concept – of course, we all likely consider ourselves grateful human beings. But how often do you stop and actually feel grateful? Not just in brief, passing moments – but in an active way, fully embracing the feeling of gratitude?
I believe that we take being grateful for granted.
We have so much to be grateful for, but there’s always so much going on – work, politics, relationships, social media, money, all of the myriad experiences and emotions that come with life. It’s far too easy to be overwhelmed and distracted. It’s easy to be caught up in negative thoughts. It’s easy to live a life driven by fear and limiting self-beliefs.
It’s much more difficult to break free of negativity, when we’re always surrounded by it. Honestly, I don’t think it’s even possible to be completely positive, all the time. But there are habits that you can start right now, to begin shifting to a more positive state of mind.
Practicing gratitude is one habit that you can build, that will help you when you’re feeling down. It will lift your spirit and send out a clear message to the universe – that you are appreciative of all that you have, and all that you will have. It will allow you to focus your energy and your mind on all the good things in life, so you will start to see the good things, everywhere.
Taking even just 10 minutes out of your day to sit down and write out 3 things that you’re grateful for, sounds so simple you may question whether it’s worth your time. I get it, some days it’s hard to motivate myself too – especially after so many months in lockdown.
But when you feel truly grateful, you cannot simultaneously feel anxious. When you really embrace feelings of gratitude – fear and worry fall away. With a grateful mindset, you are charged with positivity. The more you practice tapping into this feeling, the more you will attract positive experiences into your life.
The Law of Attraction can work wonders, when you work with gratitude. Gratitude plays a major part in successfully attracting or manifesting anything. Sure, it might sound like a simple idea – but don’t underestimate the power of gratitude!
Today I’ll show you how to keep a gratitude journal that you’ll be excited to write in – so that you can really increase your chances of manifesting!
There are a few choices to make when it comes to starting a gratitude journal, and it all comes down to what makes the most sense to you and your life. There’s no one right way to do it – but there are a few crucial elements that will help make it so much easier, and more enjoyable.
Today I’ll share with you a checklist of things to consider, so that you can get the most out of your gratitude journal!
If you find this blog post and the video helpful, I hope you’ll consider subscribing to the channel, and turn on notifications for future videos!
So, without further ado, let’s delve into my top tips for starting a gratitude journal that you’ll actually want to keep!
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The Gratitude Journal
Pick a journal you love and make it solely a gratitude journal. Pen and paper are always best for this, but if you prefer, you can use a notes app on your phone. I really do encourage you to use a dedicated journal, but if you’re more likely to actually do it on your phone, then you’re better to do it there than not at all!
The journal doesn’t have to be fancy – but I do think choosing one that you love is a good idea! As long as it’s not too pretty that you don’t want to scribble in it! Keep it next to your bed if you can, somewhere in plain sight so you remember to write in it!
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Writing Your Entries
As for writing in your entries, I like to keep it simple. I just add the date at the top each time, followed by a dot-point list of things or people that I’m grateful for. I usually aim to list 3 to 5 things each time, dedicating around 10 to 20 minutes.
Every single thing on your list should also include a reason why you’re grateful for it.
I follow this structure each time, “I am grateful for (this thing), because (of this reason).”
For example, “I am grateful for my dog Molly, because she brings me so much joy, and today we went for a beautiful walk on the beach.”
Keep your entries specific and genuine. The more time you put towards this, reasons will start to flow effortlessly! Don’t overthink or over complicate it, and don’t worry if you repeat the same things occasionally!
The feeling of gratitude is what really counts, more than anything. As long as your points matter to you and you can resonate with them, then every entry in your gratitude journal is going to be powerful.
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Feeling Your Entries
Feel all the emotions that come along as you’re writing your list. Then once you’ve written down what you’re grateful for, go through each, one by one, and say thank you. Either out loud or in your head, say thank you three times, or multiple times over until you really feel the gratitude. Spend time on each item, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and visualise that particular thing or person you’re grateful for. Meditate on the feelings that come up, and really focus on the positive light of gratitude.
If it helps add some oomph to your gratitude, you can visualise directing your positive energy towards the universe or any higher powers you believe in, or you could just send it towards what you’re grateful for. This is almost like saying a little prayer! Regardless of your beliefs, it feels really nice to do this.
Embodying gratitude will fill your heart with so much love!
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How Often to Write
You don’t have to write in your gratitude journal every single day.
It goes without saying that every day is best, but when life inevitably gets in the way, it’s easy to fall out of the practice and struggle to start back up again! There’s no need to put that kind of pressure on yourself. It’s meant to be an enjoyable practice, not just an item on your checklist.
Aim for once a week minimum. Once a week is still wonderful! Try ending your week with a list of things you’re grateful for – every Sunday night would be ideal.
3 days a week is a good goal to strive for too, or roughly every second day.
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Set Aside the Time
Pick a time and set a reminder on your phone. Mark it in your calendar. Write it in your diary. Set the time aside for writing in your gratitude journal, so that you’re not rushing through it, or skipping it entirely! Depending on the time you have, you can list anywhere between 3 up to 10 things you’re grateful for.
As I mentioned earlier, I spend 10-20 minutes writing down between 3 to 5 things that I’m grateful for. If I have more time, I’ll maybe make it 30 minutes.
I recommend at least 10 minutes minimum, listing at least 3 things that you’re grateful for.
What time of day depends on your preference, and there are some good points to make for each. First thing in the morning sets your day off on a beautiful, positive note. Last thing before you go to sleep is truly wonderful too, especially if you’ve had a somewhat stressful day. It allows you to focus on the positives, which can really aid you to have a peaceful sleep.
But really, I believe that the time of day is less important than the act of actually writing in your gratitude journal.
When I was working full time, I’d write in my gratitude journal at the end of the workday, and it was hugely beneficial to me! It was a lovely practice to transition out of work mode, to cast away the stresses of the day and to shift my mindset to one of appreciation.
Pick a time and stay consistent with it for at least a week, to see how it goes. If it feels at all stressful, or you just can’t get into the habit of it, try a different time. If you want to make this a habit, consistency is key – but it may take a little experimenting before you find what time works best!
One thing I’ve also heard of people doing is holding on to a gratitude rock and thinking or speaking out loud what you’re grateful for. This practice would work well to do alongside your journal. Maybe if you write in your journal in the morning then hold the gratitude rock at night, for instance. I haven’t tried it myself, but I’d like to! Let me know if you’d be interested to learn more about it, or if you’ve tried it yourself before!
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Make it Fun!
When you sit down to write in your gratitude journal, make it a part of your day that you look forward to! Make yourself a coffee, cup of tea, or cacao, light a candle, and put on some music. Much like Morning Pages, you want to make it an easy, enjoyable process.
Your journal and pen should be easily accessible, not buried beneath a pile of books or crammed in your desk draw. You want to be comfortable and cozy. Ideally, you want to be uninterrupted, so you can really dedicate your attention to it. This could just mean you wear headphones and aim to write while everyone is still asleep, or just before you go to bed. I usually write my list of gratitude directly after I’ve done my morning pages, before the rest of the household is awake!
Another way to make it fun is to share the idea with others! If you have a friend, partner or family member who would love to start their own gratitude journal too, why not start together and keep one another motivated?
You don’t have to share what each other writes or anything, and you don’t have to be in the same room or even the same house either. It’s just a matter of having someone to check in with, to encourage one another to remember to write in your gratitude journal every day!
This is not an excuse to compare yourself to another person, or to judge. It’s important to keep your gratitude journal to yourself, so that you can write freely. But sharing your experience with a gratitude journal, not the actual contents of the gratitude journal itself, could really add to the fun of it!
My point is – if you enjoy doing something, you’re far more likely to continue doing it. If you make it fun, you will not only want to keep on writing in your gratitude journal as often as possible – but you’ll also find it far more beneficial to you.
If your friends and family want to know why you’re in such a good mood, maybe send them a link to this blog post or the video! Encourage them to give it a try too and watch the power of gratitude help them, as it will help you.
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Gratitude and the Law of Attraction
The Law of Attraction is the idea that energy attracts similar energy. So, if you’re focused on good things, if you’re feeling grateful, you are likely to attract more of that positivity to you. If you’re focusing on what you’re grateful for, you’ll attract more of the same.
Feeling grateful is high on the scale of vibrations known as the Hawkins Scale. There is also The Abraham-Hicks Emotional Guidance Scale which is a similar concept. On the Emotional Guidance Scale, the highest emotions one can feel are Joy, Appreciation, Empowerment, Freedom and Love. So, the closer you are to feeling joy, the more you are able to attract what you want into your life.
Practicing gratitude is taking a leap towards feeling joy. If you’re really in the moment of gratitude, you will also be so blissfully happy. Your practice will have guided you to the highest state of being – feelings of joy, appreciation, love, empowerment and freedom from fear.
When you feel gratitude, you are appreciating all that you have now and focusing on all that is good in your life, and around you in the world.
As Abraham Hicks states: “When you focus on the good, the good gets better.”
To learn how to return to a state of joy and appreciation is a skill that will help you in times of hardship and lead you to manifesting what you want. Practicing gratitude is a wonderful place to start learning this skill.
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The Psychology of Gratitude
Studies have shown the power of gratitude in terms of psychology too. One article I read discussed the research of two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami.
“In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics. One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.” —
There are many studies that show similar results, supporting the theory that there is an association between gratitude and an individual’s wellbeing.
I’m not a psychologist, but it makes sense right? Let me know if you’d like to learn more about this aspect of gratitude!
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I feel like I could talk about gratitude and its many benefits all day, but this post is likely already so long at this point! If you have any questions, please do drop them below – and if you have any requests, I’d love to hear them too!
One of my favourite things about a gratitude journal, is that you are essentially writing yourself a book of positivity. If you’re feeling down, pick it up and read it. What a beautiful thing to have in your life!
If ever you’re struggling to feel grateful, that’s okay too. Some days you may be unable to conjure up the pure feelings of appreciation.
Don’t make yourself feel bad – it happens. When you’re low on the Emotional Guidance Scale, the best thing to do is recognize where you’re at, then try your best to focus on feeling that little bit better. Work your way up the scale, one step at a time.
Let gratitude help you and be kind to yourself. In future videos in this series, we’ll delve into the idea of cognitive reframing, which will hopefully help with this too.
Every entry in your gratitude journal will strengthen your ability to tap into a high-vibe mindset that is crucial whenever you’re trying to manifest.
Because as wonderful as it may feel to be brimming with gratitude and joy, it’s hard to stay at that level all the time. Practices such as keeping a gratitude journal are a wonderful way to get back into that receptive state – so the more you do it, the better.
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Just to quickly recap the main points from today:
Pick a journal you love and keep it nearby.
Write a list of at least 3 specific, genuine things you’re grateful for each time, including reasons.
Truly feel the gratitude!
Write entries as often as you can.
Aim to write for 10 minutes minimum each time.
Make it fun!
Enjoy the process, feel the gratitude and you’ll start to notice more things to be grateful for!
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Now I’d love to hear from you!
Comment below – what is one thing you’re grateful for right now?
Are you super inspired to start a gratitude journal now?
Please share your experiences below – and share this video to anyone you feel could benefit from it too!
I really hope you enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful! If you haven’t already, I hope that you’ll consider subscribing, and ring the little bell to be notified when I post a new video, every Thursday at 2pm!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below too, or find me on Instagram @eboniehyland. I’d love to see you over there! As always, if you’d like to learn more see the Resources and Recommendations linked below!
Thank you so much for being here today! I can’t wait to see you next week.
Much love,
Ebonie xx