A Gratitude diary is a simple positive psychology exercise we can all do to help improve and maintain our mental health and to encourage a more positive outlook.
As humans we are often drawn towards the negative. This is natural for survival, we need to be aware of any potential dangers and react or prepare accordingly, but in the modern world with 24/7 news cycles and worldwide instant information we are surrounded by negative information.
This can lead to a very negative world view.
This exercise helps us to remember the world is also full of positive moments and actions. There is good news out there too.
How to do a Gratitude Diary…
Carry a small note book or diary with you and each day write down three moments during the day that you are grateful for.
Write down - I am grateful for …
These can be simple small things.
Here are some examples from my own diary-
Sunday
I am grateful for breakfast with a friend, for him sharing his time with me.
I am grateful for the bright sunlight on this cold winters day.
I am grateful for the music of that band helping lose myself in the music.
Monday
I am grateful for the strong water pressure in the shower.
I am grateful for the cool breeze after the stuffy tube ride.
I am grateful for the bus driver waiting for me as I rushed to catch the bus.
Tuesday
I am grateful for the smile from a stranger as I walked past.
I am grateful for delicious meal I got to enjoy.
I am grateful for the shop assistant helping me find that item I was struggling to locate.
You get the idea.
Writing these moments down in your diary is key to the effectiveness of this exercise.
According to Psychologist Rick Hanson negative stimuli form into memory extremely quickly while positive stimuli can take a dozen or more seconds to transfer into long term memory.
Therefore the act of writing down these moments and events that we are grateful for makes us concentrate on them for long enough to form long term memories.
Positive Effects
Being grateful can also help us form stronger bonds with others. If we acknowledge our gratitude for what someone else has done for us, then we are more likely to want to reciprocate, and therefore becoming more connected to others in a positive manner.
Taking the time to to contemplate and concentrate on these moments of gratitude also makes us more aware of our world, our place in it and how we experience the world.
Another effect that I and clients of mine that have tried this exercise have noticed is that after doing a gratitude diary for a while we began to notice more and more positive instances that we were grateful for. It became easier to find the positive moments with the fog of negative experiences.
Try it for yourself and let me know how you get on.
If you find that you are feeling very negative and are only focusing on your negative experiences counselling can help you to understand what is going on for your and to help you work with this and gain perspective. Get in touch now to find out how Counselling for negative thoughts can help you.
