{"id":3196,"date":"2024-03-27T20:05:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T20:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/?p=3196"},"modified":"2024-03-27T20:05:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T20:05:05","slug":"a-smaller-take-on-gratitude-journals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bellagracemagazine.com\/blog\/a-smaller-take-on-gratitude-journals\/","title":{"rendered":"A Smaller Take on Gratitude Journals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Gratitude<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tWords: Christen Hammons<\/a><\/span>\n\t\n\tPhoto credit: Gillian Vann<\/a><\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n

Most of us have, at some point, made it a goal of ours to start a gratitude practice, usually in the form of a journal<\/a>. We also likely followed the same guidelines, winding down at night by writing three things we were grateful for that day. And, if you\u2019re like me, you overthought it, wrote down the same things each day \u2014 something broad and unspecific \u2014 and became bored with the routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gratitude Journals: A Smaller Take<\/h2>\n

After reading \u201cLittle Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult Word\u201d by Todd Doughty, I was moved to have fun with my gratitude practice. You see, the author wrote a book full of some of the most tiny, yet specific things for which he was grateful. Things like \u201cHaving the remote control all to yourself,\u201d \u201cMastering the eyelash curler,\u201d and \u201cFunny-shaped ice cubes.\u201d Of course, I have big things in my life to be grateful for, like my health and a stable job that I love. But there are also so many things I encounter or experience every day \u2014 most of them so small and seemingly insignificant \u2014 that I am thankful for, but by waiting until the end of the day to acknowledge and appreciate them, I will likely forget them by the time I pull out my journal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help with my journey to create a gratitude practice that was all my own, I\u2019ve turned to technology, something I rarely do. Throughout my day, when something sparks joy in my heart or makes me feel grateful for experiencing it, I make a voice note right away. I say things into my phone like, \u201cSilly socks peeking out from a business suit,\u201d and \u201cA piece of chocolate so decadent it made me close my eyes for a moment.\u201d I dusted off my journal, and each night I listen to the notes I left myself throughout the day, smiling as I write them down, happy to revisit the things that brought me such joy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, some of these things might seem silly, and perhaps in some ways they are, but on those days when it\u2019s hard to feel grateful for much of anything, I\u2019m especially thankful for these tiny joys that serve as big reminders that there is still happiness to be found all around me. And the more I make an effort to express my gratitude for them, the more I find them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Small Moments of Joy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here are some of the small moments of joy I wrote in my gratitude journal last week, one that was especially stressful:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n