Keep a Gratitude Journal

Quick Win

Counting your blessings every day may help improve your mental well-being and sleep.

Try This Today

• List it. Jot down three to five things you’re grateful for.
• Make journaling a habit. Write in your journal at the same time each day, whether it’s first thing in the morning or right before bed. Creating a routine will help you keep writing.
• Ask questions to prompt your gratitude. What good things happened today? Who made a difference in my day? What’s something outside my window that I’m grateful for?
• Get creative. If you find yourself circling back to the same things, think about extended family or friends that you haven’t seen in a while, coworkers, your children’s teachers, an artist who inspires you, a song you like or a favorite food or place.
• Reread past entries when you’re feeling blue. Reminding yourself of what you’re thankful for can lift your spirits.

Why

Gratitude may benefit both your mental and physical health. AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health, in its 2018 report “Brain Health and Mental Well-Being,” recommends keeping a gratitude journal because the emotion “reduces depression and anxiety, lowers stress and increases happiness and empathy.” Additionally, a review of 19 studies (6 were specific to writing), published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research in 2020, suggests that people who began listing what they were grateful for at least a few days per week reported better sleep quality than those who did not.