The gratitude journal: how to choose the right one? How do I use it?

Benefits of a gratitude journal

Several studies suggest that a grateful attitude, manifested on a daily or weekly basis, improves subjective well-being. People who make a habit of keeping a gratitude journal seem to feel in better physical and mental shape than those who do nothing in particular. Focusing mindfully on the positive aspects of life could therefore bring emotional and interpersonal benefits.

Choosing the right journal

So let’s start keeping a gratitude journal!

First step: choosing it. Choosing the right gratitude journal is essential because it will determine how much you enjoy keeping it.

First of all, the format. If it’s too small, you’ll feel you have to hurry up, be brief and to the point. But after all, why not? A simple word can evoke great ideas… Too big, and the page might seem empty, difficult to fill. Your words could get lost… But on the other hand, it allows you to express yourself widely. In short, there is no standard format. Choose the one in which you feel most comfortable.

Next, the design. Whether it’s sober or extravagant, plain coloured or illustrated with motifs, your gratitude journal should appeal to you, and only you. For the inside pages, choose according to your personality: lines that support the writing, more discreet dotted lines that will be easy to forget, blank pages that can accommodate small sketches from time to time.

Finally, the material. A gratitude journal is a sensory object that you can touch and breathe. Recycled or eco-responsible paper, or paper made from plant fibres, can add smells and tactile sensations.

How to use it?

The gratitude journal is a daily appointment with yourself. It should be part of a routine or ritual, but never a constraint. Running out of time? No pressure! A simple word is enough. A thought. An evocation.

Here are a few tips to help you establish this writing ritual over time.

1. Choose the best time of day, when you’ll be quiet and not too likely to be disturbed.
2. Don’t spend too much time on it. 5-10 minutes is enough. The more tedious the ritual, the less likely it is to last.
3. Always leave your gratitude journal in the same place. Somewhere safe, where you can find it and where… you can protect it from readers who are a little too curious.
4. Prefer handwriting… The touch of the pen and the effort of writing help to establish the ritual and avoid being interrupted by a notification.

Write down at least one item of gratitude every day.

Ideas for filling in a gratitude journal

Expressing gratitude does not mean adopting a posture of forced bliss. It’s about looking objectively at what’s beautiful in your life.

It’s about being grateful for the little joys, the little nothings, the tiny pleasures that punctuate the day: a smile, a smell, a good memory that resurfaces, a kind word, a sight in nature that could have gone unnoticed but that you witnessed.

It’s also about thanking life for all the great things it has to offer. It means appreciating your good fortune to be alive, to have given birth to a child, to love and to feel loved…

It’s also about realising that some of the bad times were, in the end, just as important as the good ones. Like those trials that we wouldn’t go through again for anything in the world, but which are part of us and have shaped who we are today. These joys must also shape us and remain anchored.

There are no rules for doing things right. Anything goes, since you’ll be the only reader. Write down everything that brings you joy and gives you a good vision of your life and yourself.

The gratitude journal and personal development

The gratitude journal speaks to your innermost self. It’s a meeting with yourself. One-to-one. This writing ritual must be accompanied by a certain discipline: regularity is the key to success.

Once the framework has been established, the gratitude journal can contribute to personal development, since it leads to a form of introspection and questioning that encourages inner growth and self-esteem.

Then, after a few weeks of this exercise, go back. Read it again. How satisfying to experience all those positive moments again!

The best booklets

le typographe’s notebooks, with their variety of formats, colours, patterns and papers, make perfect gratitude journals.

Why not turn the Garden / 4 seasons notebook into a gratitude journal? It’s a great way to record moments of joy in a seasonal way.

The Garden notebook is made up of 4 sections, one for each season, with dotted lines on the right-hand page, leaving the left-hand page blank. The inner paper is different for each notebook: kiwi, almond, grape and lemon. It is made from 55% FSC virgin fibre, 30% recycled fibre and 15% other organic materials such as kiwi, coffee, olives and cereals.

And if you prefer a collection of mini leather notebooks that are easy to carry around, always in your bag or even your pocket, you’ll find the leather mini diaries. Available in a range of colours, the leather is incredible – genuine full-grain lambskin from France. The inside is printed with squares on one half of the notebook and lines on the other half.