From gua sha's to green juices, with all the wellness hacks that Tiktok offers, it can be hard to keep up with what's really worth the hype. Luckily professionals have now stepped in and have deemed gratitude journals an important ritual you may wanna consider adding into your self-care routine. Here's what therapists have said.
Gratitude journaling is the act of taking a few minutes out of your day to write down a list of things that you are grateful for. One specific approach to the trend is the 5-minute journal, which poses questions such as, "what am I grateful for? what would make today great?" and more. But it turns out it's not a hoax by influencers. In fact, it can actually have beneficial effects on mental health!
Licensed professional mental health counsel Joanne Frederick explained, "Gratitude journaling can lead to a more positive outlook about life in general, and a more positive outlook about oneself." By writing out all the things that you love and make you happy, your mood for the day can be boosted. Incorporating the journal prompt on a day-to-day basis can immensely be beneficial over time. Fredrick further added, "When we experience a situation that depresses us or [gets us] down, a gratitude journal will help you find something good in your life no matter how bad the situation is. It gives a sense of hopefulness."
Psychotherapist Kathryn Smerling demonstrated how it works: "the more you appreciate what you have, the better your mental health is going to be. You're not going to be concentrating on what you don't have, but rather what you do have." It can be easy to get lost in daily life stresses, work, and tasks we need to accomplish. But setting out time for oneself to practice gratitude can improve many aspects of one's life. It can aid in changing life's outlook for the better. "A gratitude journal helps you take a look at things you may feel sad about, [but can be] grateful for from a different perspective," added Dr. Smerling. It doesn't need to be tricky - just grab any journal, a pen, and get writing!
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