Gratitude Journaling Saved Me Mentally and Spiritually

If you've read some of my more recent blog posts you know the last few years have been crazy, hard, full of trials. But there have also been some incredible beauty and miracles and growth that I would not give up for anything.

One thing that helped me get through the mess of life and see the miracles forming in front of my eyes was gratitude journaling. Something as simple as writing down things I was grateful for, no matter how small, helped me see light when I felt surrounded by darkness.

What Is Gratitude Journaling?

If you're not familiar with gratitude journaling, here's a quick guide:

• Get a blank journal

• Write the date at the top

• Write at least three things you are grateful for

  • If you're ready for more light, write ten things you are grateful for

You can start your entries with "I am grateful for..." and create a list. Or you can follow this formula that I learned from the book The Magic. I have loved this formula as it helps me truly feel gratitude, not just think it, and understand the blessings that come what I write.

Formula: I am grateful for [blank] because [blank].

How I Got into Gratitude Journaling

My journey with gratitude journaling started when I was a teenager. At a church girls camp, one of the leaders gave each of us girls a small notebook with the words "Gratitude Journal" written across the cover. When I first received the notebook, I did nothing with it. I already journaled quite a bit and wasn't ready for an extra one. But after a few years I noticed the journal collecting dust on my bedside table and decided to give it a chance.

At this time I wrote down three things I was grateful for, and most of the time it was as simple as "food, a good day, and sleep." I enjoyed thinking about the blessings I received throughout the day and sometimes wrote more complicated or interesting things I was grateful for.

A few years later I took a health class in college and was pleased to learn that keeping a gratitude journal helped with mental health. Yes, I felt pretty good knowing I was taking care of my mind.

I continued to keep a gratitude journal off and on throughout the yeas but really got into it when Scott was deployed with the Air Force.

During this time, to keep myself busy in the mornings, I would take Obi, my dog, out to my parents' back yard and sit in the sun. There I would read scriptures, journal, and pray. This is when I started writing more than three things and moved on to 10. It was challenging, but good because it really forced me to notice how the Lord was blessing my days.

Fast Forward to When Gratitude Journaling Saved me Mentally and Spiritually

When Scott and I first started going through our struggles a few years ago, all I could see was darkness. I was mad at God. I was mad at our situation. I felt Heavenly Father had led us to failure and I even wondered if I made all my promptings up in my head. Did God really talk to me? Did He really care about me? Was He with me now?

Needless to say, I was going through a faith struggle. My heart and spirit hurt, and a part of me wanted it to hurt. I wanted to feel validated in my feelings.

But even though I was filled with so much doubt and pain, I continued to read and journal. It was about this time I read The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. A big part of this book is about having gratitude and it suggests not just writing down what you are grateful for but why.

So I changed up my gratitude journaling to include the formula you see above. This new practice took longer. And because of my struggles and doubt, sometimes I didn't want to see the good. I wanted to wallow in my self pity. But I kept going. I forced myself to write and try to see.

And things started to shift. As I looked for the miracles, God showed them to me. And my spirit and mind, that was so full of anxiety and frustration and anger, began to heal and find peace.

President Russel M. Nelson, former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught in the 2022 April General Conference ("The Power of Spiritual Momentum") to "seek and expect miracles." I don't know that I was expecting them (because of my doubt), but I was seeking them. And by keeping my daily gratitude journal, I started to see them more clearly.

My heart and mind and spirit did not heal overnight. It took days of journaling and reading scriptures and counseling with my husband and praying to heal. But I wanted to heal. I still wanted to believe. And I had hope.

Gratitude journaling saved me spiritually and mentally. It helped me come closer to God and feel His love. It helped me feel peace and comfort. It helped quiet my mind.

Have you tried gratitude journaling? What has been your experience? Let me know in the comments.