In earlier posts, we have discussed the fact that acknowledging all the good things in our lives is a great way to increase our overall happiness. Getting in the habit of showing and experiencing more gratitude is a one of the most powerful ways to increase your feeling of happiness.
There is a simple little tool that will help you stay on track, requires no batteries and you already have everything you need to use it – a journal. A journal is a wonderful thing, something that can have a surprisingly big positive impact on your life. Best of all, you don’t need anything fancy. Grab a notebook and a pen, or if you prefer, boot up your computer and open up a word document. I highly recommend pen and a simple notebook of some type, but if that doesn’t work for you go ahead and use the computer. It’s better than not doing it at all!
The idea is simple. Each day write for a few minutes, thinking back on anything that made you happy throughout the day. By listing all the positive things in your life, you’re putting them in the forefront of your mind. That alone will help to increase your mood and make you feel happier and more accomplished.
Not only will your writing help you right away, as you create each daily entry, you’re also making a great memento of your happiness journey. Later, you can pull out your journal, curl up on the couch and read through it whenever you need a little boost of happiness. Seeing in black and white (or maybe wonderful colors) how far you’ve come throughout the past weeks, months, and even years is truly amazing.
As you start to read about the events and people that you felt grateful for in the past, you’ll start to relive those memories, and with it those feelings. Think of your journal as a happiness battery you can plug into whenever your happy energy level goes down. You’re storing your good feelings in an easy format that allows you to access and relive them on demand. What a powerful idea.
Writing in and reading your journal regularly will help you form new positive habits. You’ll start to have a more positive outlook in life, and since the journal focuses your attention to think of and find the things and people you’re grateful for in any given day, your brain will automatically start to look for the positive instead of the negative.
Lots more fun stuff in this 50 Journaling Tips document!
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