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This chaotic year has really shown me how helpful it is to practice gratitude.
With so much uncertainty of our future, practicing gratitude can help you ground yourself.
You’ll realize all the things in your life you should truly appreciate.
It’s easy to get sucked up in the mindset of striving for more and the feeling of inadequacy takes hold of your life.
By practicing gratitude daily, you help yourself get out of this dark hole and see the light that is already in your life.
Below are 10 journal prompts you can use to practice gratitude.
I’ve also created a free printable workbook for you to use! Go to our Free Resources Library to grab it now!
1. What do you have now that you deeply desired a year ago?
Like I said about, it is so easy to find yourself always wanting more.
For example, I studied for about half a year to pass this test and get certified in my profession.
It was something I desired deeply, but once I received my certificate, my enthusiasm was shorter than I expected.
I started wanting more. My mind kept thinking about the next step instead of being grateful that my mind was resilient and studied hard enough to pass.
Especially with societal comparisons, it becomes a habit to think this way.
However, when you practice gratitude, you begin to wipe away this mindset.
Instead, you choose to invite love and appreciation of your life.
A great way to celebrate yourself is by noting down all your wins!
Reflect and remember all the goals you had for yourself last year.
Think about how much you have accomplished and be grateful for yourself because you made it this far!
2. Is there something in your life that you can’t live without?
When we’re so used to something, we tend to take it for granted.
You need to remember that nothing in life is set in stone.
Every part of your life will change, so you have to appreciate the now.
Imagine how your life would be without what you currently have.
Although you will learn to move on, just take this time to fully enjoy the presence of these specific parts of your life.
It could be family, friends, your house, your favorite hobby, your favorite place, or anything you care about but typically tend to take for granted.
For instance, you could keep telling yourself you’ll hang out with that person or do this hobby after you’ve completed all your goals.
But what if the opportunity to do so is now gone?
There are times that you should focus on your personal and professional development, but there are also times when you must enjoy the now.
Life is all about balance. If you keep focusing on the future and forget to appreciate the present, you’ll never be able to truly enjoy life.
Why?
Now that you’ve thought about who and what will be difficult to live without, remind yourself of your why.
What is the reason these people, places, items, or activities make you feel the need to appreciate them more.
Remembering your “why” will help you better practice gratitude as you go deeper into your love for these parts of your life.
3. List 10 activities that make you truly happy.
Why do you do what you do? Why do you strive for what you want?
It’s to make your life better. When your life is better, you believe that you will be happy.
If you keep thinking this way, you’ll fail to take a step back and realize all that you can truly appreciate in your life right now.
So, take a step back right now to practice gratitude.
Be grateful for 10 activities in your life that make you truly happy.
4. What made you smile today?
By reflecting on this daily, you’ll learn to enjoy each day as it comes.
When work is hectic, I tend to focus on the negatives and dread every weekday morning right when I wake up.
This mindset then creates my whole day, even my whole week for me. A day full of negativity.
But if you practice reflecting on what made you smile, your mindset will start to shift and focus on the positive aspects of your life.
Slowly but surely, you’ll be able to wake up not dreading the day. But instead, you’ll wake up wondering what joy today will bring.
“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.”
— Mother Teresa
5. What do you look forward to in the future?
In one year, will all that you currently worry about matter? While a slight few may, the majority will not.
Many of your worries may simply be assumptions you’ve created in your head that never ends up happening.
Don Miguel Ruiz explains in his book, The Four Agreements, that once we learn to rid ourselves of constantly assuming, we will find ourselves to feel heaven on earth. We have created our own personal freedom.
So instead of worrying about what could go wrong, focus on what you can do to make your future look bright.
Instead of draining yourself, think of ways to enjoy more of your hobbies or be in the presence of those you care about.
6. Plan for your favorite holiday!
This is a fun one! This lets you focus on a future holiday you look forward to, and remember, this happens every year for the rest of your life!
Your favorite holiday will be a constant factor in your life, and that itself is something you should feel grateful for.
Spend some time looking forward to this upcoming holiday, and plan how you want to celebrate.
There is joy in planning when it’s about something you’re excited about!
See Related Post: Holiday Gift Giving and How to Transform Well Wishes into Wellness
7. List 5 features or characteristics you love about yourself and why.
Many parts of your life can come and go, but you, yourself, will always be there for you.
You need to be able to appreciate all the great parts of yourself, and this journal prompt will help you practice gratitude and also increase your confidence.
Again, list the features but also write down your “why.”
Your reasons will solidify these feelings you enjoy about yourself.
While you can appreciate life, you are the center of it all! So learn to appreciate yourself!
8. Write about the time you received one of your most cherished gifts.
Gift giving is a love language that may not initially be easy to understand.
Some pair this with materialism when it truly is all about the thought and sentiment of the item.
While some gifts can also be activities, I’m sure you have a gift that you cherish and continuously enjoy reminiscing.
Take this time to think about the gift, the person you received it from, and the feeling that you get from it.
Be grateful that this happened and that you have a beautiful memory because of it.
See Related Post: The Love Language of Gift Giving and Its Effect On Happiness
9. What activity have you been wanting to try?
You may have hobbies that you enjoy, but the world has so much to offer!
Think about what activities interest you, and how you can plan to look forward to doing this activity in the future.
Some activities I’m interested in and look forward to trying are:
- Video content creation – Starting a YouTube Channel
- Traveling outside of this country
- Hot air ballooning
- Picnic and Painting with friends
- Decorating my future home
- Creating a personalized candle making recipe that works
- Crafting resin art
10. For 5 people you care about, write down one favorite memory you have for each person.
While we can look forward to future memories with the people we care about, we should also appreciate the great events that have already happened in our lives.
Maybe life may be rough at this moment, but by remembering all the joy and love you have received, you can understand that this feeling of joy will always be attainable.
Everything in life is bittersweet, and it’s a matter of mindset that allows you to focus on what is ‘sweet’ versus what is ‘bitter.’
You can relive these moments in your memories and also use them to learn how to create similar ones in the future.
For now, feel happy that you were able to enjoy these moments.
Free Printable Workbook to Practice Gratitude
If you practice gratitude daily, you’ll be able to see a great shift in your mental wellness.
By focusing on what you can appreciate every day, your mind will get used to searching for joy in everyday life.
To help you on this journey towards self love, I’ve create a free printable workbook for you to practice gratitude!
You can easily grab it in the Free Resources Library!
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