Here’s why Gratitude Journaling is Important.
Fixing your mind on GOOD THINGS can completely change your life! Don’t believe me? Keep reading! In this article, I’m unpacking why gratitude journaling is so important… plus, download a free printable journaling page to help you get started with a daily gratitude journaling practice!
The more I learn about how the brain works, the more I realize how important our thought patterns are.
Okay, so… I am OBSESSED with mindset. (If you’ve been around me for a minute, then you probably already know that! 😆 ) The more I learn about how the brain works, the more I realize how important our thought life is. To put it simply: Gratitude is ESSENTIAL. But before we talk about WHY it’s so important… What does gratitude actually mean?
Research on gratitude has shown that it can’t be categorized with other feelings (like anger, or happiness), because gratitude is a choice. Dr. Robert Emmons wrote, “Feeling grateful is not the same as being a grateful person, [a grateful person] is one who regularly affirms the goodness in his or her life and recognizes that the sources of this goodness lie at least partially outside of themselves.”
So, WHY is gratitude journaling so important?
I don’t think it’s an accident that the Bible talks about being grateful & giving thanks. God knows how your brain is wired — I mean; HE MADE IT! 😍
The research on gratitude is AMAZING. I just did a quick Google search, and I only scratched the surface of the research on how incredible a consistent gratitude practice is.
Here are just a few ways that gratitude journaling can change your life:
Gratitude can reduces stress and anxiety by regulating your stress hormones!
A study in 1998 showed that participants who felt grateful showed noticeably lower cortisol levels. There are also a studies showing that practicing gratitude helps you handle stress better. Having a gratitude practice can help rewire your brain to deal with the daily stress of life with more flexibility and a better perspective.
Gratitude creates physical changes to your body:
A study in 2003 showed that patients who kept a gratitude journal saw reduced pain. Another study saw that gratitude activates and regulates the hypothalamus and it’s mechanisms, including your sleep patterns. Studies have also shown that the hippocampus and amygdala (the two main sites regulating emotions, memory, and bodily functioning) get activated with feelings of gratitude.
Gratitude has long-lasting effects.
Studies show that gratitude goes a long way in affecting our brain and nervous system, and the effect of gratitude on the brain is long-lasting (Moll, Zahn, et al. 2007). G.K Chesterton said that “The pursuit of true happiness is much the same as cultivation. We won’t get the desired result unless we nourish and nurture the seeds properly (Chesterton, 1986). The effects of a gratitude practice aren’t immediate… but once you start, it will affect your physical and psychological health for years.
