Keeping a gratitude journal helps to create a habit of noticing positive elements in your life that you may overlook when you focus only on pain and suffering. Doing this counters what researcher Rick Hanson calls “the mind's negativity bias”—the tendency to focus on what's wrong and ignore what's right.1
In my writing groups, some people like to use a notebook or spiral-bound book for their gratitude journal. Others prefer using a laptop. Do your words come more freely if you write by hand? Is it easier or harder to express ideas or emotions? Do you feel more engaged than when you're tapping on a keyboard? If you decide to write with pen and paper, take time to reflect on what appeals most to you—blank or lined pages, a fine pen or marker, black ink or a favorite color.
A simple way to start a gratitude journal is to think of a few pleasant experiences you had today. As you recall these moments, linger with them and notice their details and texture, and any images or sensations that arise. This practice is most meaningful when you recall experiences in which someone has been generous or made a difference. If a gift was unexpected (for example, a friend stopped by to visit), all the better! Savor it!
Expressive writing teacher Deborah Ross recommends working with positive statements.2 For example, if you are pleased that the house was especially quiet throughout the day, you could write in your journal: “I am grateful for the peace that permeated the house today. I was able to think about my loved one without any of the usual distractions.” Ross explains that adding a sentence as to why you feel especially grateful for what you have written about can “widen the smile of remembrance.” A gratitude expressed in a negative statement like, “I'm grateful that the kids were NOT noisy today” is less effective.
As you become more comfortable reflecting on gratitude, you may choose to write more fully about your experiences—small things you're grateful for today—or about people who are essential in your life, such as your partner, children, or grandchildren.
Writing in a journal or computer file collects your thoughts in one place, so you can look back and see what you were thinking and feeling at different moments. You'll probably be surprised to see your thoughts and feelings change over time (a reminder of impermanence!).