By Emiliano Angeles, Youth Mental Health Ambassador
Gratitude journaling is a daily practice where you write in a journal about everything you are grateful for. It is both a mantra and a presence practice, involving statements of gratitude for things like "the sun," "the water I drank earlier today," or "my phone because I got to text my friend." Gratitude journaling can consist of stating, "I am grateful for ____," followed by a reason, "because I got to ____," or simply expressing gratitude for an item, person, or concept. Most feelings, such as joy, happiness, or anger, are fleeting and tend to fade over time. However, gratitude is different. Gratitude is a unique concept because you can be grateful for everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen.
My approach to gratitude journaling involves using a simple gray journal with blank, lined pages. I grab any generic pen I have nearby and start by writing the date on the upper right side of the page. It is important to note that this practice is best done in the morning, shortly after you wake up, to create a sensation of gratitude that you can carry with you throughout the day. I start each sentence with "I am grateful for," followed by an example, such as "the sun shining through my window." Adding a reason for your gratitude can create more depth, such as, "because it sets my circadian rhythm by telling me when to wake up."
The practice of gratitude journaling significantly improved my mental health, especially when I was struggling at the end of 2022 after my breakup. Gratitude journaling was one of the practices that helped lift me from the trenches and pushed me to become a better person. You don't need to write an entire page or pages on things you are grateful for, even though there are endless things you could be grateful for. I usually write about half a page to three-fourths of a page each time I journal. This method of practicing gratitude and increasing presence is truly powerful when applied daily. However, even practicing it occasionally, rather than not at all, will still greatly improve your mental health and how you perceive the world.
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