This post is part of our Women’s Health Editorial Series, brought to you by Caduceus Medical Group, Facial Aesthetic Concepts, and Zammex. We hope these pieces provide you with helpful information, encouragement, and insight about your health.
I began writing a thankfulness journal not too long ago after a friend of mine was talking about how she started writing down what she was thankful for every day. See, at the time that I was talking to her I was in a pretty woe is me state of mind.
I have to be honest, there are a lot of things that I want in life that I don’t have.
It’s easy for me to look at others and wonder where I went wrong. Like somehow everyone else seemed to get the memo about life and I was absent that day.
And it’s completely true what they say – comparison is the thief of joy. I was letting the fact that I didn’t have what I thought I should have ruin my day. And that is no way to live.
So, I started writing in a thankfulness journal.
And almost immediately my mindset started to shift. I notice a difference in the days when I begin writing in my thankfulness journal and the days that I don’t.
Some days I am thankful for so many things. Other days, the days that are harder I a simply thankful to be breathing. I’ve learned that it’s okay for me to have a hard time being thankful. I’m human. I’m not perfect.
I’m just trying to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday.
If you’re thinking about starting a thankfulness journal it’s actually quite easy! You don’t need a fancy journal or a specific type of prompt. I have a notepad that I keep and simply write down a few things that I’m thankful for.
I try to write in the morning – but whatever time works best for you is what you should do.
I’ve also found that the more I write the easier it becomes to be more specific. For example, in the beginning I would write down that I was thankful for my children. As time went on I became more intentional – I’m thankful for my son’s quirky smile. I’m thankful for my son who still runs like he’s a superhero.
I can’t wait to look back on my thankfulness journal when I get older. I know it will not only help me remember that stage of life, but it will also remind me of how far I’ve come and how much I truly have to be thankful for.
