We’re big fans of gratitude over here at Good Vibes. In fact, it was our daily gratitude practice that inspired our whole line of books – that’s how much we love it.
So, we thought it would be fun to do a 30-day gratitude journal challenge here on the blog with 30 gratitude journal prompts to get you started! You don’t need anything fancy to do this challenge, just a simple lined notebook will be just fine! Of course, if you’re a big believer in gratitude after this challenge, like we are, you can always grab one of our gratitude journals to guide you through an entire year – that’s 52 weeks – of daily gratitude journal.
Why Practice Gratitude?
Gratitude is so simple, easy and quick – but it packs serious health benefits! It’s a total win win for you (and will probably have positive collateral effects on everyone around you too, score!). In fact, our energy trickles into the environment and people around us, creating ripple effects and waves of energy that influence everything around us all the time. Imagine what good it could do for you and your whole circle by adjusting your own energy through gratitude!
Here are some of the amazing health benefits of gratitude to really inspire you! You can read more about these incredible health benefits in this post.
- Gratitude can make us happier
- Gratitude can reduce stress
- Gratitude can increase good energy
- Gratitude can improve your sleep
- Gratitude can improve our relationships
- Gratitude can increase our empathy
- Gratitude can increase our resilience
- Gratitude can help us at work
So, basically, gratitude can make all areas of our life better. And, since stress and sleep are such huge factors in our health, it can improve health as well.
Not a bad deal.
How To Do The Gratitude Challenge:
The 30-day gratitude challenge is so simple! Just download the free list of challenge prompts and put it in a place where you will see it and won’t forget it. A great place is in the bathroom where you get ready in the morning or your side table by your bed. You could even put it on a pinboard above your desk so when you sit down to get to work, you can take a few minutes to focus on gratitude.
Then, set a time each day when you will do your gratitude challenge. Set aside about 5 minutes for this each day and make sure it’s a place that you feel really comfortable.
Each day, take a few minutes to look at that day’s prompt and then either close your eyes and really dwell on the prompt, saying your answer out loud, or you can jot down some notes in your notebook. Using a notebook is nice, because then you have a record to go back on and look at your progress.
That’s it. It’s so simple. The goal is after 30 days, you’ve made a habit of practicing your daily gratitude and you can continue going as long as you see and experience the benefits in your life.
The 30-Day Gratitude Challenge:
Time for the challenge! We are going to list the daily prompts below, but you can also download the printables for free and hang them up where you use them. If the image for the printable doesn’t load for some reason, just scroll down to see the list.
Gratitude Journal Prompts:
- What’s a simple pleasure that you’re grateful for and why?
- Describe a happy memory that always makes you smile.
- Name one thing, or more, that you have today and didn’t have a year ago.
- Share something your body can do that you are grateful for.
- Name a place that you like to go that always makes you feel happier.
- Describe a food or drink that you enjoy and are grateful for.
- What is a gift you’ve received in your life that you are grateful for?
- Name a person in your life that you are grateful for and why.
- Share your favorite article of clothing and why it makes you feel good.
- Share an accomplishment or a decision you made that you feel good about.
- Think of a sound that helps you relax and meditate or listen to that sound.
- Look around your environment or outside. What are 3-5 things that you are grateful for?
- Share a few changes in your life that have happened in the last 1-3 years that you are grateful for.
- Share a skill that you have that you are grateful for and why.
- Think of a place you have visited that you are grateful for.
- Think of one thing you love about where you live and share why.
- Share a song or artist that you are grateful for. Enjoy some of their music.
- What are some future plans that you have that you are grateful for?
- Name the last meal you had that you truly enjoyed.
- Think back to the last show or movie that really made you laugh.
- What technology makes your life easier? Share which ones you are grateful for.
- Describe a conversation you’ve had that you are grateful for and why.
- Think of three things you turn to when you’ve had a hard day and why.
- List qualities that you are grateful for in others and explain why.
- Share what you love about winter and why.
- Share what you love about spring and why.
- Share what you love about summer and why.
- Share what you love about fall and why.
- Name three qualities about yourself that you are grateful for and why.
- Think of a time when you did something for someone else that they are grateful for. How did that make them feel? how did it make you feel?
More Tips:
Before you go, you can also check out our post with tons of gratitude quotes we love that can really help motivate you to stick with the challenge and even continue with a daily gratitude practice after the end.
It’s important to note that expressing daily gratitude does not mean that we are not aware of the challenges in our lives. This also is not going to cancel out any pain and frustration that we may be feeling from world events or personal experiences we are going through. Also, taking a few moments to express gratitude doesn’t mean that you can’t also be honest about the things going on in your life that are not so great.
Taking a few moments to think about and meditate on things you are grateful for is simply like a reset button for your mind and body. You are allowing yourself to press pause on all of the other thoughts, demands, stressors, relationships, anxieties and more going on in your life and around you and say, “For the next five minutes, I am putting those things on the table and I will simply rest, breathe, and give myself a break.”
This state of rest is so important. So many of us are living in an exhausted, over-stressed, constant state of anxiety. This takes a huge toll on our health and lives.
We hope that by starting this 30-day gratitude journal, you’ll be refreshed and motivated to keep going.
Good vibes only,
E