Last night I realized I was pregnant during the height of the pandemic and the 2020 election cycle, but I didn't have any self-care practices in sight. I was chronically stressed and spent way too much time on social media when I should've been finding ways to ground myself. After a tough four years of navigating everything from motherhood to starting my career, I've finally started utilizing gratitude journaling as a tool to get through tough days.
I don't know how you may be feeling today, but I've created journal prompts you can refer to when you're scared, anxious, unsure of the future, and more. They're not meant to replace meditation or seeking therapy, but they are here for moments you need to check in with yourself.
A Gratitude Journaling Idea For When You're Worried About The Future
Write Down 5 Things You're Grateful You Can See, Touch, Hear, And Smell
This is actually a practice I picked up in therapy to help redirect my anxious thoughts. It's something I often refer to when I'm fixated on the future and things that might happen. Any time you feel yourself not being present because you're worried about what's next, focus on things that are immediately in front of you or around you.
For example, here's what's reminding me to be present:
- I can hear one of my favorite gospel songs playing and the subtle humming I'm doing.
- I can see two lime green books on my desk.
- I can smell the clean laundry my fiancé took out of the dryer.
- I'm touching the keys on my keyboard as I type this.
Gratitude Journaling Idea For When You're Experiencing Sadness
Write Down 3 Things You're Grateful For Today
Practicing gratitude when you're sad isn't so you can pretend the sadness doesn't exist. It's a very real emotion that calls for us to be curious about why we're feeling that way. However, if you feel like you're 'stuck' in your sadness, you can try writing down 3 things you're grateful for right now. Again, they don't have to be grandiose. They just have to make sense to you.
You could be grateful for:
- Eating a delicious meal
- Having a good night's sleep
- Hearing your favorite song at the right moment
- Morning snuggles with your pet or toddler
- Having access to binge watch your favorite TV show when you need to escape reality for a bit
Write Down The People You're Grateful You Can Rely On
My hope is that everyone has at least one person they can rely on during difficult moments in life. I know everyone doesn't have huge villages for different reasons, but I'd rather focus on who is there.
This gratitude journaling idea doesn't require you to go in depth about why you're grateful for the people in your corner unless you want to. You can simply write their names down if that's all you have the bandwidth for.
Recount A Memory That Always Makes You Smile
When in doubt, think about a moment that was hilarious or filled you with joy. It can be from your childhood, first year in college, or even your wedding day! The one memory that always makes me smile is from an interesting moment I told one of my uncles he looked like Santa Claus. I was around 5 or 6 years old, so it was a super innocent comment, but still it was hilarious nonetheless. No one in my family has let my uncle or me forget that moment. It's small, but it's one of the memories I'm grateful I can remember when I'm feeling sad.
A Gratitude Journaling Idea For When You Feel You're Not Doing Enough
Write Down 1 Thing You've Grateful You've Accomplished
I know some journal prompts ask you to list multiple things you've recently accomplished, but I've found that makes me a little more anxious that necessary. If this sounds like you, I see you and think it's just as impactful to be grateful for one thing you've done that you're proud of. It could be as simple as:
- "I had the strength to get out of bed today after wanting to do nothing more than hide under the covers."
- "I did laundry and put everything away."
- "I made myself a meal instead of ordering lunch like I usually do."
- "I stuck to my budget this week."
- "My presentation at work or school went really well."
- "I made that scary phone call I've been putting off."
- "I went for a walk around my neighborhood or local park."
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