Journaling is a popular way to organize your thoughts, get to know yourself better, and often gain new perspectives on personal dilemmas,

Journals don't have to be the classic "Dear Diary" account of your day and thoughts. There are many techniques for journaling, from careful prose to simply making lists of words or ideas associated with something on your mind.

Gratitude journaling is a quick and, often surprisingly, effective technique to help improve mood. Simply list 3-5 things you appreciate each day. This can be very basic, for example:

  • My cup of coffee this morning
  • The bus was on time at the end of the day
  • I saw a pretty bird outside my window

Or the even more streamlined version:

  • 6-26-16: Coffee, Bus, Bird.

It might seem awkward at first, but practice creates a habit of attending to moments of positive experience, regardless of what is happening in the bigger picture of life. In difficult times, this is especially important as it can break through the monolithic dark lens that distorts our perspectives. This is not about denying or repressing things that are troubling us. Rather it is a  way to actively balance out the pull that our troubles can have on our attentions. It is a way to bring nuance to our experience of life.

Make sure to pick things you really do appreciate. I may think that I should be grateful to have two working legs, but if I can't access a real feeling of appreciation about that, then it doesn't help to try to manufacture it now. Keep it simple and real.

And to make things more interesting, journals don't have to use words at all. Draw your own emoji faces, or stick figure sketches, or use abstract images and color. No technical artistic skill is required to externalize something of what you're feeling. Any journal style gives you a way to look at your thoughts and feelings in a new light, and offers a record of yourself over time.

If writing daily seems daunting, start with the commitment to write 5 things per week. All in one day, or spaced out, it doesn't matter. Just pick a concrete number of items/days to write and stick with it. If you leave the plan open-ended ("I'll just write as much as I can") then a simple meditation moment can feel like an endless chore.  By limiting your list, you also get the small and regular satisfaction of meeting a goal each week. These little moments add up to support a sense of self-efficacy and confidence.

For more thoughts on the value of cultivating gratitude, check out: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/thanks-beneficial-effects-expressing-gratitude/