The Gratitude Bullet Journal
While many people who regularly practice gratitude journaling prefer to separate their gratitude by day or week, others like the final product when listing things they are grateful for in one big block for each month.
This format is referred to as the gratitude “bullet” journal since each thing you are grateful for can be represented as one bullet point in the monthly block. Many who prefer bullet journals still keep these bullets organized by day, although they tend to use the day of the month rather than the day of the week (i.e., “15” rather than “Tuesday the 15th”).
For an example of the gratitude bullet journal, see the pictures below.
Many who extoll the benefits of the gratitude bullet journal recommend listing one thing, or at least one thing, you are grateful for each day, which may make it easier to start if you are struggling to come up with five items each day.
You could even save yourself some work and purchase dedicated gratitude notebooks that have prompts and inspirational snippets. Pockitudes are pocket-sized journals that serve as a compact reminder to practice and log daily gratitude reflections and are available at many retailers in the US.
Whether you choose a more traditional log of gratitude or a gratitude bullet journal, what’s important is that you commit to feeling grateful every day and stick with it!
Decorating your journal or adding a personal touch or other stylistic flairs can help you stay motivated, so don’t be afraid to get creative. This journal is for you and only you, so do whatever works for you!
Writing a Gratitude Essay
A gratitude essay is a step further than gratitude journaling—it takes more time, more effort, and more pages.
However, it can have a profound impact on your perspective and spur you to be more mindful and grateful of the good things in your life.
Respected researcher and Journal of Positive Psychology editor Robert Emmons describes his assignment of a gratitude essay as follows:
“Some years ago, I asked people with debilitating physical illnesses to compose a narrative concerning a time when they felt a deep sense of gratitude to someone or for something. I asked them to let themselves re-create that experience in their minds so that they could feel the emotions as if they had transported themselves back in time to the event itself. I also had them reflect on what they felt in that situation and how they expressed those feelings”
(Emmons, 2013).
A gratitude essay is a declaration, a reflection, and an acknowledgment of what you have to be grateful for and, indirectly, who you are. The occasion that you think back to and your reaction to this reflection can reveal a lot about who you are and what you value.
For example, if you look back with deep gratitude on something your mother did for you, full to the brim with self-sacrificing love, you will likely find that you place immense value on family and close relationships with loved ones.
If you reflect back on a helping hand from a teacher, you might be the sort of person who greatly values mentoring, compassion, or the “pay it forward” mentality.
The point is that writing a gratitude essay is not just a great way to acknowledge and reflect on some of the most important or defining moments of gratitude in your life, it is also a way to learn about yourself.
With that in mind, grab a pen or a keyboard, get to thinking about something you are grateful for, and prepare yourself to learn!
Printable Journal Templates
There are countless templates out there for you to base your gratitude journal on.
To save you the time of looking through hundreds of templates, I narrowed it down to five different printable templates you can use for your own journal.
Of course, if none of these fit your personal style, there are many others just a few clicks away. As always, find what works for you!
The Grateful Journal
This template is intended for those who would like to meld their gratitude practice with their religious or spiritual beliefs. If you are not looking for mentions of a specific religious figure or deity, continue on for more templates!
Gratitude Journal
For an easy-to-use journal that incorporates a range of useful prompts, try our free gratitude journal worksheet.
The worksheet invites you to start your day by listing ten things you are grateful for. You’re then encouraged to reflect positively on the learning opportunities provided to you by the day’s challenges, as well as the people you are grateful for. Finally, before going to bed, you are invited to reflect on the day’s happiest moment for five minutes–hopefully helping to lull you into a peaceful sleep.
Gratitude Journal, Four Parts
This is a different design than we have discussed so far, but it’s a fun one!
It splits the sheet into four parts, with a part dedicated to morning gratitude (listing things you are grateful for right at the beginning of your day), one corner for writing down what you are learning from challenges in your life, one part to list the people you are most grateful for today, and the final piece dedicated to describing the best part of your day.
This is a fun and unique way to make every day a gratitude-filled one!
Gratitude Bullet Points
If you’re partial to the bullet points style, you may like this template. It includes four separate week columns with space for three things you are grateful for each day.
One nice thing about this template is that you can start your week on whichever day works for you since the days are labeled “Day 1” through “Day 7” instead of Sunday through Monday.
Gratitude Journal, Etsy
If you feel like supporting an independent business owner, there is a great template available for purchase on Etsy.
This instant download is under $10 and includes space to note what you are grateful for each day of the week as well as space to explain why you are grateful for each item. They also have other versions that you may be partial to. Head on over to support a crafty individual and begin your gratitude journey at the same time!
What our readers think
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Just starting my journaling journey at 57, but better late than never… as they say.
As a “newbie” I felt a little out of my comfort zone expressing my feelings on paper, and actually wrote on page one/day one, “Today I am grateful for nothing, sadly!” Not exactly the best start?
However having read your article I crossed out my entry and expressed my gratitude for you taking the time to write this post and passing on your wisdom to me.
Thank you so much for this article.
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Thank you for posting this . I am filled with negativity and finding a way to get rid of it through a gratitude journal and I thank God that I found your site. I will come back in a week to write down my progress. (God willing).