Write a Gratitude Journal – 7 Positive Effects for Your Life

If you're reading this, you might be thinking: "You sell gratitude journals. Of course you're going to say that gratitude journals are great." Touché, we can't blame you for thinking that. And it's true: we created the 6-Minute-Diary that has become the world's best-selling gratitude journal.

But the book isn't so successful because we say it is, but because more than 1.5 million people worldwide now use it every day to successfully practise gratitude and report a wide range of positive results. Its effectiveness has now even been scientifically proven by an independent study by the Medical School of Berlin. [1] [1] How The 6-Minute-Diary works: Lorenz, Timo, Algner, Mona, Binder, Benjamin/Frontiers in Psychology (2022): A Positive Psychology Resource for Students? Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the 6-Minute Journal in a Randomized Controlled Trial 

From health and sleep to relationships: we've compiled seven good reasons why keeping a gratitude journal will improve your life. Get inspired!

1. A gratitude journal makes you happier

Have you ever wondered why so many grumpy people stomp around angrily? The reason is a behaviour that is hardwired into the human brain and has been ruining our mood for about 2.8 million years. We call it the negativity bias. Our brain forces us to perceive problems and annoyances much more strongly than positive experiences. [2] [2] Bad things are perceived more intensely than good things: Baumeister, Roy F.; Bratslavsky, Ellen; Finkenauer, Catrin; Vohs, Kathleen D. (2001): Bad Is Stronger Than Good, in: Review of General Psychology, Issue 5 (4)   

Once, this helped us survive, because when in doubt, it was better to worry too much than to be eaten by wild animals or cast out by our fellow humans. Those who sat contentedly by the campfire watching the sunset had no survival advantage because of it.

The good news: you can reprogram your brain. The best way to do this is to write down every day what you are grateful for. What happens then? You form new neural pathways in your brain for greater confidence, optimism, and positive thinking. [3] [3] Daily gratitude changes the brain: Brown, Joshua W.; Gabana, Nicole; Kini, Pratik; McInnis, Sydney; Wong, Joel (2016): The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity, in: NeuroImage, Issue 128, pp. 1–10   

Of course, this exercise won't make all your problems disappear. Negative experiences are part of life. However, if you keep a gratitude journal regularly, you will find it easier to deal with them.

You can't always choose the situations in your life, but you can choose the attitude that fits the situation. – Zig Ziglar

Conclusion: By consciously taking a few minutes every day to feel and write down what you are grateful for, you can improve your well-being in a simple, measurable way.

2. A gratitude journal makes personal development easier

Maybe you're already perfect just the way you are :-) But if sometimes a little angel on your shoulder whispers that working on yourself couldn't hurt, then you too will eventually end up in the seemingly endless market of self-help literature. On Amazon alone, you'll find 150,000 book titles on topics such as lifestyle and personal development, all promising a better or healthier life. But which of them are actually practical, and which ones really work in the long term? 

We love making big plans to improve our lives – and just a short time later, our initial euphoria has fizzled out. 92% of people who want to quit smoking every year fail. 95% of people who want to lose weight end up with the yo-yo effect, and 88% of people who start the new year with good intentions end up feeling that their annual gym membership was a waste of money after a short time. [4] [4] Almost everyone fails to achieve their goals: Robbins, Anthony (2012): Change, Robbins Research International

A good gratitude journal like The 6-Minute-Diary saves you a lot of effort, because you can practise the new behaviour almost playfully with very little time and good guidance. This makes it easier to stick with it. You don't need to work with five books at once, and 6 minutes a day is enough to get your transformation started. We don't know of any other training session that is so beneficial and allows you to lounge comfortably on the couch :)

Even a heavy door only needs a very small key. – Charles Dickens

Conclusion: A gratitude journal is probably the most versatile and convenient training for a better life that exists.

3. A gratitude journal improves your relationships

We humans are social beings by nature. So it's no wonder that we are happier the more we are loved by the other members of our pack. Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman found in several studies what sets the 10% happiest people apart from the other 90%: close, fulfilling relationships with friends and family. [5] [5] Grateful people have better relationships: Seligman, Martin, University of Illinois (2002): Relationships and Happiness: The Scientific Evidence 

But how do you make connections if you're doodling in your gratitude journal all alone? It's quite simple: psychologist Dr. Philip C. Watkins summarised several studies and analyses and found that regularly practising gratitude improves personal relationships like almost nothing else. After all, people are naturally drawn to grateful people.

Gratitude helps us build and nurture relationships. Gratitude promotes prosocial behaviour and makes us want to help, cooperate, share, praise, and act politely and compassionately. [6] [6] Gratitude makes you more helpful: Allen, Summer (2018): The Science of Gratitude, in: Greater Good Science Center   If you are grateful, the people around you will also be very grateful that you exist.

Conclusion: A gratitude journal promotes prosocial behaviour and makes you a pleasant person that people like to have around. 

4. A gratitude journal makes you more resilient and successful

You have surely experienced how quickly everything can change in life. Fewer and fewer people work at the same job for decades. And lifelong partnerships are no longer the rule either. Life means change in difficult times, and the art of mastering it consists in repeatedly learning new skills and adapting to changing circumstances. Gratitude is an excellent teacher for this.

A study with more than 100 students showed how much gratitude helps, for example, with the challenges of studying. [7] [7] Strengthening resilience through gratitude: Wilson, Jane Taylor (2016): Brightening the Mind. The Impact of Practicing Gratitude on Focus and Resilience in Learning, in: Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Issue 16 (4), pp. 1–13   

For several months, half of the prospective students regularly received text messages reminding them to practise gratitude while they were cramming for their exams. The other half had to get through their studies without such reminders. And lo and behold: Team Gratitude was able to solve new tasks significantly better, learn faster, and was also more resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks. You can send yourself a reminder like this – by placing your gratitude journal clearly visible on your nightstand.

Conclusion: A gratitude journal improves your adaptability. This allows you to better master times when many tasks pile up before you. 

5. A gratitude journal makes you less dependent on wealth and status 

Maybe you are one of those people who think “I will be happy when I have achieved my goals.” Our performance-driven society likes to tell us that happiness is synonymous with success and prosperity – my career, my house, my hundred thousand followers on Instagram!

None of this is necessary to be content, nor is it always achievable. Even super-rich people can confirm this. Startup investor Naval Ravikant, for example, who invested in Twitter and Uber among others, said that he had spent most of his life pursuing exclusively material goals. “When I achieved them, I realised that the people around me – many of whom had achieved similar success and were on their way to even greater success – simply didn't seem happy.

And my own well-being also dropped again shortly after achieving big goals every time. True success takes place internally and ultimately has very little to do with external circumstances." [8] [8] Naval Ravikant's most important life insight: The Tim Ferriss Show: Naval Ravikant on Happiness Hacks and the 5 Chimps Theory, Episode 136 (13.40 - 14.45 min)

With a gratitude journal, you get used to discovering and experiencing small successes every day – no matter how much you have in the bank. It could be a beautiful sight in nature, a compliment from someone you appreciate, or a small victory over your inner resistance. Because if you don't celebrate the small moments, it's unlikely you will celebrate the big ones.

So make contentment over small achievements a permanent part of your everyday life as well. This way, you learn to emancipate your inner well-being a little more from status, wealth, and external recognition. That doesn't mean you have to stop reaching for the stars.

It is not the external circumstances that change life, but the internal changes that manifest in life. – Wilma Thomalla

Conclusion: With a gratitude journal, you learn not to make your inner happiness dependent only on life's big successes. 

6. A gratitude journal improves your sleep

Speaking of happiness: we hope you're not one of the third of all people who suffer from sleep disorders. Chronic sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, disrupts the metabolism, and increases blood pressure. [9] [9] Insomnia is unhealthy in the long term: GEO Magazine Health No. 9: Why Insomnia Is So Dangerous in the Long Term   

If this does affect you, a gratitude journal can ease your suffering. Because we often can't fall asleep at night because worries race through our minds just when everything gets a little quieter and the distractions of the day are over.

If you open and fill out your journal in the evening, it helps stop your racing thoughts and send you into the realm of dreams with a good feeling. The written gratitude routine thus improves not only falling asleep, but also staying asleep. [10] [10] Sleep better with gratitude: Emmons, Robert A.; McCullough, Michael E. (2003): Counting Blessings Versus Burdens. An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life, in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Issue 84 (2)   

And another positive effect will benefit you: In a world where we stare at screens from morning to night – which, by the way, keeps us awake longer – you say goodnight to the day in a very old-fashioned, relaxed way with paper and pen. 

Conclusion: With a gratitude journal, you create a calming evening routine that helps you sleep better.

7. A gratitude journal makes you healthier

For the most stubborn sceptics: we'll finish with a bold claim: If gratitude were available in pill form, it would probably be the best-selling medication in the world. Because we are far from done with its positive effects: Those who regularly practise gratitude improve their mental health, prevent depression, and even reduce micro-inflammation in the body.

A study shows that grateful patients had healthier hearts two weeks after an acute cardiovascular disease than pessimistic patients with the same condition. [11] [11] Stay healthier with gratitude: Sansone, Randy A.; Sansone, Lori A. (2010): Gratitude and Well Being. The Benefits of Appreciation, in: Psychiatry (Edgmont), Issue 7 (11), pp. 18–22   And the best part: If gratitude were available as a pill, it wouldn't need a package insert. Because there are no side effects!

You should just keep two things in mind so that your dose of gratitude can work properly:

1. Patience: When you start your gratitude entries, probably not much will happen in the first few days. According to scientific studies, you need about two months before gratitude really becomes anchored in your brain as a new habit. [12] [12] 66 days until it becomes a firm habit: Lally, Phillippa / H. M. Van Jaarsveld, Cornelia / Potts, Henry W. / Wardle, Jane (2009): How habits are formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, in: European Journal of Social Psychology, Issue 40 (6) 

2. Feel what you write for ten seconds: A thought can be quickly thought. But positive experiences must be felt and held in awareness for at least ten seconds so that they can really make the transition from short-term to long-term memory. Only then does a short, pleasant state of mind also transform into a lasting neural structure in the long term. [13] [13] How positive experiences make it into long-term memory: Hanson, Rick (2016): Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence 

Conclusion: When used correctly, a gratitude journal has a positive effect on your health. 

Write yourself happy!

And these are far from all the positive effects. In 2021, the evaluation study by the Medical School of Berlin mentioned at the beginning found that The 6-Minute-Diary measurably reduces your negative feelings and stress levels.

At the same time, it helps build your resilience and sense of self-efficacy. [14] [14] How effective The 6-Minute-Diary is: Lorenz, Timo, Algner, Mona, Binder, Benjamin/Frontiers in Psychology (2022): A Positive Psychology Resource for Students? Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the 6-Minute Diary in a Randomized Controlled Trial   

The latter means that after facing challenges in the past, you are more confident that you can overcome difficult situations in the future. Just like resilience, this is not a fixed personality trait. That is why we can train both.

With our 6-Minute-Diary, you can start this training right away! All you need is a pen and three minutes each morning and evening. Our daily questions – for example, about your best moment – help you focus your thoughts in the right direction.

If you want to bring all these wonderful benefits into your life, you should order yours today. We have so much confidence in this book that we'll even refund your purchase price if you don't notice any improvement in your life after 66 days. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments or in a review, because that makes us feel grateful :)

What do you write in a gratitude journal?

With a gratitude journal, you consciously focus on the good things that happen around you every day – and for which you are grateful. Whether it's a nice message from a friend, the bus driver's smile, or a beautiful autumn day – there is so much to be grateful for!

This post was written by Daniel Dzienian, former journalist and word juggler. Instead of working under time pressure as a reporter for a daily newspaper, he now writes passionately about serenity.

Sources:

[1] [14] How effective The 6-Minute-Diary is: Lorenz, Timo, Algner, Mona, Binder, Benjamin/Frontiers in Psychology (2022): A Positive Psychology Resource for Students? Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the 6-Minute Diary in a Randomized Controlled Trial

[2] Bad things are perceived more intensely than good things: Baumeister, Roy F.; Bratslavsky, Ellen; Finkenauer, Catrin; Vohs, Kathleen D. (2001): Bad Is Stronger Than Good, in: Review of General Psychology, Issue 5 (4)

[3] Daily gratitude changes the brain: Brown, Joshua W.; Gabana, Nicole; Kini, Pratik; McInnis, Sydney; Wong, Joel (2016): The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity, in: NeuroImage, Issue 128, pp. 1–10

[4] Almost everyone fails to achieve their goals: Robbins, Anthony (2012): Change, Robbins Research International

[5] Grateful people have better relationships: Seligman, Martin, University of Illinois (2002): Relationships and Happiness: The Scientific Evidence

[6] Gratitude makes you more helpful: Allen, Summer (2018): The Science of Gratitude, in: Greater Good Science Center

[7] Strengthen resilience through gratitude: Wilson, Jane Taylor (2016): Brightening the Mind. The Impact of Practicing Gratitude on Focus and Resilience in Learning, in: Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Issue 16 (4), pp. 1–13

[8] Naval Ravikant's most important life lesson: The Tim Ferriss Show: Naval Ravikant on Happiness Hacks and the 5 Chimps Theory, Episode 136 (13:40–14:45)

[9] Insomnia is unhealthy in the long term: GEO Magazine Health Issue 9: Why Insomnia Is So Dangerous in the Long Term

[10] Sleep better with gratitude: Emmons, Robert A.; McCullough, Michael E. (2003): Counting Blessings Versus Burdens. An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life, in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Issue 84 (2)

[11] Stay healthier with gratitude: Sansone, Randy A.; Sansone, Lori A. (2010): Gratitude and Well Being. The Benefits of Appreciation, in: Psychiatry (Edgmont), Issue 7 (11), pp. 18–22

[12] 66 days until it becomes a firm habit: Lally, Phillippa / H. M. Van Jaarsveld, Cornelia / Potts, Henry W. / Wardle, Jane (2009): How habits are formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, in: European Journal of Social Psychology, Issue 40 (6)

[13] How positive experiences make it into long-term memory: Hanson, Rick (2016): Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence