Keeping a gratitude journal will make you healthier and happier! Do not you think? Then try it out …
Stress, anger and then bad weather – yes, some days you should cancel and stay in bed. Everyone knows that this will not bring fulfillment into our lives in the long term. And: actually we're fine. Most of them very well. We just never or rarely become aware of it. How do you change that and still benefit from it? This works with a very simple method: the gratitude diary. Why, why, why, we explain here.
Study of gratitude
A well-known study by the psychologist Robert Emmons expressed gratitude on his subject, in which three groups were asked to write over a period of 10 weeks:
- what they are grateful for (group 1)
- what went bad and (group 2)
- which events influenced them (group 3)
And that's how the participants answered …
- From the first gratitude group there were answers like "wake up this morning", "wonderful parents" or "the Rolling Stones".
- The second group of anger mentioned e.g. For example, a "messy kitchen that no one cleans", "stupid people who drive" and "doing a favor for a friend who doesn't appreciate it".
- The event group stated, among other things, that they had "spoken to a doctor about studying medicine" or "participated in the Whole Earth Festival".
Results of the study
The evaluations gave amazing results, so the test subjects had with the Gratitude diary measurably more optimism, felt more zest for life and felt more vital. There were also physical changes: They slept a little longer and better and had fewer physical complaints.
Another study by psychology professor Sheung-Tak Cheng at the Hong Kong Institute of Education with hospital staff produced similar results: The stress and also depressive symptoms were significantly reduced when gratitude was practiced.
Sounds good right ?! And the best thing is that we can all easily do it ourselves and use it for ourselves.
Ideas for your gratitude journal
In principle, all you need is a nice notebook, journal or just a notebook, a pen and some time. A little guide to get you started:
- Reserve five minutes in the evening. This can be right after work or before you go to bed – whichever suits you best.
- Then sit down at your appointment with yourself and the book and think about what you are grateful for today.
- Write about three to five thingsto which this applies.
- Stay on the ball. Do not expect miracles overnight, the test subjects also did this exercise for several weeks. If you notice that this ritual is good for you, of course you don't need to stop after a few weeks …
To get started, it is enough if you write down three things. You can also expand the exercise and take your time in the morning and write down three things that you wish for that day.
Questions about happiness
If you get blacked out at the beginning, take a look at your life and answer a few of these questions:
- What good has happened to me (today)?
- What made me happy
- Did someone give me a smile (today)?
- Who makes me feel good?
- What good qualities do I have (and did one of them show up today)?
- Do I have everything I really need?
- What gives me security?
- What is happiness to me
- What did I do for my happiness?
- What do I value about my friends / family?
Tip: You don't think you're happy? Here are 10 ways you can spot satisfaction.
Examples of the gratitude diary
How you write it down is up to you. The important thing is that you are grateful for it are – what to be grateful for should, does not count. Everything is worth writing down, people, special things, relationships, gestures or experiences.
"I'm thankfull ….
- … for my sister"
- … for my colleague who gave me a hand today "
- … for offering me his seat on the full train "
- … for staying calm when arguing with my boyfriend "
- … for finishing project XY at work today "
- … for ensuring that my best friend always has an open ear for me "
- … for my favorite armchair "
- … for my coffee tomorrow "
- … for my aunt's wonderful necklace "
- … for sunshine "
- … for snow "
- … for my favorite dish that was served in the canteen today "
- … for this inspiring book that I'm reading right now "
- … for video telephony "
- … for flowers "
- … for love "
… and what are you grateful for?
What is the difference to a diary?
Didn't experience anything today. Nice too.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is said to have written that in his diary. Most of the time, a lot happens. If you have a diary you probably write all sorts of thoughts into it: what you experienced that day, what depresses you or what will happen the next day or in the near future. Simply everything that concerns you – we often tend to notice the negative things. The gratitude diary, on the other hand, should only be about positive things in your life.
Why is it that we tend to notice negative things
Do you also know the one friend who is upset about everything or the boss who talks about the mistakes rather than the successes? The fact that people perceive negative things more strongly than positive ones has evolutionary biological reasons, as happiness researcher Karlheinz Ruckriegel told n-tv.de. "In the past, we had to be more aware of dangers in order not to be eaten by the next big animal. The limbic system in the brain is responsible for this. It's all about survival in the here and now, "he explained there. The dangers are no longer so great, but the system of perception has not yet adapted so far. And so it happens that we are still more negative today With a gratitude diary, however, the focus can be turned to the positive – yay!
The benefits of a gratitude journal
The gratitude diary gives us the chance to perceive our world and our life positivelyto learn to appreciate our relationships and other circumstances (roof over our heads, good food, enough clothes, work, etc. …) and also shows us that we ourselves can contribute something to our own happiness.
In the Brigitte Community you can talk to others about a happier life!