Journaling for just 5 minutes a day has changed my life.

Keeping a gratitude journal has many benefits, and studies has shown that people who are more grateful for who they are and what they have are

more hopeful and healthy.
sleeping better
have more self-esteem and empathy to others
less affected by trauma

Here’s how to get started:

1. Find a notebook. It is best to use pen and paper. When you write down something physically, you can register more.

2. Journal in whatever format you’d like. It can be expressing with words, or pictures or scribbles. Have fun with it!

3. Pick the same time every day to journal. It can be first thing in the morning when you wake up, or before you go to bed at night. Habit forms easier when it’s related to another habit that you are already doing. It can be right when you wake up, or right after you brush your teeth at night. That way, your habit is being wired together in your brain with another habit that’s formed.

4. Try this exercise by writing down:

3 things you are grateful for.
Something positive that is going on in your life right now.
Something that you’ve achieved in the last 24 hours.

Celebrate and acknowledge your achievements, even if they are minor tasks. Acknowledgement creates a healthy dose of positive reinforcement!