30 Gratitude Journal Prompts To Help You Become Happier
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward
Practicing gratitude — it sounds so simple, but it is surprisingly difficult to do. After all, we lead such hectic lives where we're constantly busy and stressed, and worried about an endless list of to-do's. To make things worse, we're constantly faced with negative news day after day.
And that is exactly why we should finding the time and space to enjoy the little joys in the world around us. Because there is, truly, so much to enjoy in our lives. We just tend to lose sight of these things because of how preoccupied we are with work, school, family, and other commitments.
Making gratitude a daily habit will help you become more attuned to the simple things in life, so that you can become a happier, more positive, and more resilient person.
Why you should start a gratitude journal
Words have power, and they have even more power when they are spoken out loud or written down by you and for you.
When it comes to practicing gratitude, writing down your grateful thoughts or noting down things you are grateful in your life for can be really powerful.
This makes gratitude journals a powerful tool to help you look on the bright side of things and feel more appreciative of the things you have.
There's no one way to write a gratitude journal. Some people use their gratitude journals to write down at least 1 thing that they're grateful for that day. This method helps them to take notice of the small things in life — a delicious lunch, a hot bath, a comfortable bed — and appreciate them more.
Other people use gratitude journal prompts, which are short questions that the writer can write down their answers to. These gratitude journal prompts can span across many journaling topics. Gratitude journal prompts in particular will help you to think deeply about what you have right now in life, help you notice more things that you should be grateful for in your life, and in turn bring your more happiness and satisfaction.
It's up to you to decide which type of gratitude journal suits you best, or simply combine both methods into a single gratitude journal of yours. You could use journal prompts on some days to guide you with a specific journaling topic that you would like to delve into, and you can free-write on other days.
All you need is a notebook or a digital diary app, some topics to journal about on your mind, a handful of gratitude journal prompts, and you're good to go!
30 Gratitude Journal Prompts
Here are 30 gratitude journal prompts that you can answer at night, at the end of your day, to help you become a more positive person.
- What made you happy today?
- Are you happy with how your day turned out?
- Write down 3 small things that you're grateful for today
- What is a happy childhood memory of yours?
- Look around you right now. What is something that you're grateful for?
- What did you accomplish recently that you're proud of?
- Write about an occasion where you did something nice for someone else.
- Write about an occasion where someone did something nice for you.
- What is something that cheers you up when you're down?
- Write about 3 people you're grateful for. What makes them special to you?
- Write about your favorite hobby.
- Think about a recent struggle of yours. Can you find something to be grateful for in this struggle?
- Write about 2 struggles that you've overcome in your life.
- Look through your photo albums? What is a photo that makes you happy, and what is the story behind it?
- What were the 3 best days in your life? Describe them.
- What were the 3 worst days in your life? Think about how far you've come and how much you've learned from those days?
- What is something or someone that makes you feel safe?
- What is a mistake or failure in your life that you're grateful for?
- What is a personality trait of yours that you're grateful for?
- What are some situations in your life that need a change in perspective? (For example, a person at work who is irritating you, or a stressful situation at home)
- What is a recent purchase that has added value to your life?
- How can you pamper and treat yourself in the next 24 hours?
- What are 3 things or people in your life that you've been taking for granted, and what can you do to show more appreciation?
- What are your biggest accomplishments?
- What are 5 physical characteristics of yours that you are most grateful for?
- What are 5 things that you like about yourself?
- Write about all the ways you are fortunate. (For example, having a comfortable bed, having hot water for a shower, having a roof over your head.)
- Describe a piece of positive or happy news that you heard recently.
- How has your life changed between now and one year ago?
- What talents or abilities of yours are you most grateful for?
Using a digital diary app for your gratitude journal prompts
If you're someone who doesn't like writing in a physical notebook, or if you feel like you would have the tendency to leave a physical notebook lying around, why not consider using a digital diary app instead?
With a digital diary app like Journey, you can write your gratitude journal entries and reply to gratitude journal prompts with ease and efficiency!
Using Journey, you can write your gratitude journal on whatever device you prefer — your laptop, your tablet or your phone. Yes, you can now write and answer your gratitude journal prompts on the way home from work or from the comfort of your own bed.
Daily gratitude journal prompt programs
If you've already gone through these 30 gratitude journal prompts in your gratitude journal, fret not. There are many other gratitude journal prompts out there — and in Journey Coach.
With Journey Coach, you have access to a wealth of daily journal prompt programs that cover various journaling topics aimed at self-care, self-love and self-improvement. All you have to do is enroll in a Coach program in the app, and you'll be sent daily prompts to answer and reflect upon.
Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to just gratitude journal prompts with Journey Coach! You can now explore so many more topics to enrich your wellbeing and use them in your journal entries. Explore various journaling topics and write freely on Journey.
It's not easy, getting into the habit of genuinely practicing gratitude. But with regular practice and daily gratitude journal prompts, you can make gratitude a regular part of your life and come a happier and more resilient person!