Living in a world of constant negative news, violence, and complaints, wouldn't it be nice to learn how to refocus your attention on the positive things that are going on in your life?
I know that when I focus on things I am grateful for, I tend to let go of the negativity that is causing me stress in my life.
Taking some time each day to really pinpoint the things that are going well for you can help lift your spirits and let you feel a new sense of appreciation.
In order to do this, you need a good place to write down everything you are thankful for every day so you can go back and look through it when you are feeling down.
Today we cover the six best gratitude journals for 2024.
Don't have time to read the entire review?
Here's a quick look at our top picks for best gratitude journal!
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Best for building a daily habit of gratitude: The 90-Day Gratitude Journal: A Mindful Practice for Lifetime of Happiness | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for the religious: Gratitude: A Journal Diary by Catherine Price | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for morning people: Instant Happy Journal by Karen Salmansohn | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for doodlers: The One-Minute Gratitude Journal by Brenda Natha | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for combining bible study and gratitude journaling: Gratitude Journal by Brenda Nathan | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
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Best for people who love to color: Tiny Buddha's Gratitude Journal by Lori Deschene | CLICK HERE FOR PRICE |
How to Create a Gratitude Journal
Carefully select your journal.
Your journal is a personal item, so it can look however you want it to look. The important thing is to choose something that you like enough that will make you want to write in it on a consistent basis.
It is important to make your ritual of gratitude journaling an enjoyable process. To do this, you need to find a journal that you like, or that defines who you are in some way. You can make this as creative as you want.
The key here is to set yourself up for success in writing in your journal every night.
Create your habit.
Before you start to write in your gratitude journal, plan out a ritual to do every time you write in it. This will help writing in your journal become a habit.
Often, people buy gratitude journals with the intent to keep it up and write in it on a regular basis, and then let it slip to the side and forget about it.
It is important to be consistent and develop a call to action in your mind so you will not allow your journal to sit on your desk unused.
A few “habit” suggestions include:
- Playing light music
- Taking a bath
- Drinking tea
- Saying a prayer
- Lighting a candle
- Meditating
- Stretching
Whatever routine you decide on will be a great way to allow your mind and body to know that you are about to reflect on gratitude. Do your routine consistently because it will strengthen your ability to create a habit out of journaling.
Express your gratitude.
You can format your gratitude journal however you want. Some people like to make lists of things that they are grateful for, while others like to draw pictures. You may want to write some poetry or narrative.
The only important thing to do during the process is to feel your gratitude while you are recording it. Do whatever feels best for you so you will continue using your journal.
If you don't like writing long paragraphs, then don't feel like you have to. This journal is only for your reflection. No one else has to see it.
Even after a bad day, think of at least one positive thing that happened that you appreciate. Forget about all of the negativity from the day and write about one great life event, and why you are thankful for it.
At times, it can be challenging to remember the things or events you're grateful for. This is where gratitude journal prompts come in. Instead of struggling to recall past positive experiences, use any of these 120 gratitude prompts to ignite your creativity.
How to Use a Gratitude Journal
There are three main things that you can use a gratitude journal for. These are a diary, a personal development tool, and a life-changing experience.
1. Diary
A diary is the basic level of a gratitude journal. It acts as a place to write things down that make you happy.
Typically, you will put three to five things down on the paper each night and call it a day. Brief notes usually suffice for this kind of gratitude journal, as long as you are feeling the gratitude as you are writing.
This is a great habit because you will reflect upon the things you are grateful for on a regular basis, which will tune your mind to a positive frequency. It is easy to grab your journal and a pen and get started.
However, with this method, you are missing out on a lot of the potential benefits of your journal.
You will be focusing only on the things that are currently present in your life, instead of thinking about possible things that are missing. But this is a fast and easy way to keep a gratitude journal, so it is a perfect place to start.
2. Personal Development
If you have a little more time to commit to your gratitude journal, you can take it a step beyond writing a simple diary and create more of a tool to aid in your personal development.
By knowing why you are writing in your journal, you will be able to track your growth. Having a process for spotting your progress and the shifts that are happening in your life means you can have your journal work for you to develop new habits and improved methods of thinking.
When you know why you want to do something, it is easier to plan your intentions and make an action. With this clear vision, you will be more likely to write in your journal more often, and stay motivated.
With a clear process for tracking your personal changes, you will be able to pinpoint your successes.
3. Life-Changing Experience
If you want to make your gratitude journal a central part of your life, then you should aim to make it a life-changing experience.
To do this, work with your gratitude affirmations, refer to inspirational quotes, and use different gratitude techniques to be able to make a fundamental shift in how you live your life. This doesn't have to be extreme, but it can be an integration of your gratitude into your everyday thoughts.
Using affirmations and gratitude techniques can help you retrain your busy mind, shifting your thoughts from negative to positive. The impact of this will be long-lasting and profound, as you will be able to incorporate your gratitude into every part of your life.
What are Some Things to Consider When Writing?
If you are having trouble starting your journal, or you need some inspiration, there are a many questions you can ask yourself to get you started. It can sometimes be difficult to dig deeper without some prompts.
Think about kind or thoughtful things that people have done for you lately, or the people who have always been there for you during times of trouble. Also, think about either events or people who have inspired you to become the person you are.
Further, think about how your life has improved from the past, or things you have learned along the way to help you succeed. Have there been any movies or books you have read recently that had an impact on your life?
6 Best Gratitude Journals (Our Review for 2024)
With all of these things in mind, it is important to find the gratitude journal that will work best for you.
With a variety of options to choose from, it is helpful to know the differences between the different types of journals. Here are the six best options on the market today.
1. The 90-Day Gratitude Journal by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
The 90-Day Gratitude Journal: A Mindful Practice for Lifetime of Happiness best journal for building a daily habit of gratitude and reinforcing your happiness. This journal will provide you with a simple way to record your positive thoughts by using the science of positivity to increase your happiness.
This journal will help you focus your attention on the good things in your life, allowing you to improve your overall well-being. It will also lead to fewer complaints about life and more positive results.
With a structured format, this journal is easy, fast, and effective. It will help you eliminate some of the excuses you have for not keeping a journal. This is the best overall journal because it truly only takes five minutes each day to write an entry and help you focus on the important things in your life.
PROS
- Includes a through explanation of the science behind each day's prompt
- Includes motivational quotes
- Has clear instructions and prompt built in
- High-quality cover
CONS
- Challenges that are offered are not very difficult
- Some bleed through on pages
- The pages are thin and tend to fall out or rip easily
2. Gratitude: A Journal Diary by Catherine Price
Gratitude: A Journal Diary by Catherine Price is a great gratitude journal for those who are religious. It allows the user to keep a daily record of small blessings that come along the way.
This keepsake gratitude journal includes a year's worth of insightful challenges and prompts, inspiring quotes, and enough writing room for reflecting on everything in life that you are grateful for.
PROS
- Very colorful
- Great size to be able to take with you on the go
- Budget-friendly
CONS
- May not be the best journal for you if you are not religious
- Some find this book to be bulky and difficult to open
- Does not provide enough space for longer journal entries
3. Instant Happy Journal by Karen Salmansohn
Instant Happy Journal: 365 Days of Inspiration, Gratitude, and Joy Journal by Karen Salmansohn might be the right journal for you if you are a morning person.
Each page includes a specific prompt or intention, an inspiring quote, a thought-provoking scientific fact, or a deep thought to consider. When you are able to begin your day with happiness prompters, you increase your ability to see the positive moments in your day.
This journal helps teach two major habits of happy people, which are to intentionally enjoy your day and to end your day reflecting on the things that made you happy. When you stop to think about the things that went right with your day, you are left with a positive frame of mind.
This journal includes fill-in dates, allowing you to write at your own pace. It also has a graphic design and a modern, fresh feel.
PROS
- Writing prompts allow user to be mindful and reflective
- Allows you to choose any topic and any page to write on
- Thought-provoking sayings motivate the user to write
CONS
- Small, not a lot of room to write a lot
- Does not follow a theme with its quotes
- Some people who are religious do not find this book to be appropriate
4. The One-Minute Gratitude Journal by Brenda Natha
The One-Minute Gratitude Journal by Brenda Natha is a great journal for people who like to doodle and draw little pictures. It helps the user develop feelings of gratitude and feel the benefits of that attitude.
This journal allows the user the flexibility to record their own dates and skip as many days as they feel is necessary. It also has pages where the user can simply draw or doodle something to record their feelings. Each page also has an inspirational quote.
PROS
- Book has pressure-free guidance for writing
- Simple and straightforward
- Has words of inspiration on every page
CONS
- Pages are a bit thin
- Some find the format to not be user-friendly
- The book is a bit big
5. Gratitude Journal by Brenda Nathan
Gratitude Journal: A Journal Filled With Favorite Bible Verses (KJV) by Brenda Nathan might be the right journal for you if you want to combine your bible study with your gratitude journaling.
This journal includes a Bible verse on every page to help provide the user with inspiration and motivation. Each day, the user is challenged to write down three to five things that they are grateful for to help turn ordinary experiences into blessings.
PROS
- Easy to carry around or even put in your Bible
- Lightweight, with a beautiful design
- Bible verses are carefully chosen so the user can meditate on them for a few days
CONS
- This may not be right for you if you are not religious
- It is a bit small, so there is not a lot of room if you think you may want to write in narrative form
- The book is a bit thin, so it can easily become a bit torn up
6. Tiny Buddha's Gratitude Journal by Lori Deschene
Tiny Buddha's Gratitude Journal: Questions, Prompts, and Coloring Pages for a Brighter, Happier Life by Lori Deschene might be the right gratitude journal for you if you are creative and like to color.
Written by the author of Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges, this interactive journal is flexi-bound to help readers use their creativity to foster gratitude in their lives each day.
The book allows the user to recognize small blessings. Each page has a question to help readers reflect on everything that they have in their lives that is worth being thankful for.
There are also 15 coloring pages in this journal that show ordinary objects that enhance our lives, and provide space for the user to write a reflection on the page. This helps readers recognize small blessings, be optimistic, focus on the positive aspects of life, and be the happiest they can be every day.
PROS
- Great to foster creativity through coloring
- Helps keep life in a positive perspective
- High-quality so it will last a long time
CONS
- The daily prompts become redundant
- There are a lot of blank pages, so it may not be right for you if you do not like to draw or write a lot of text
- The cover has an uncomfortable texture
Final Thoughts on the Best Gratitude Journals
The 90-Day Gratitude Journal is the clear winner of this best gratitude journals roundup.
It gives the user enough motivation and prompts to be able to write a significant amount of text without having to go into too much detail.
It helps with personal development and does not require the user to spend too much time each day thinking about the things they are thankful for. Rather, it takes only a few minutes to reflect on certain events or things that happened that day.
This journal allows you to easily gain a more positive state of mind by reminding you of the important things in your life. Don't take your mental health lightly. Consider buying the The 90-Day Gratitude Journal today.
And if you're interested in learning about other journals, check out these blog posts:
- 23 Printable Gratitude Journal Template Examples
- 20 Best Daily Personal Journals and Notebooks
- 5 Best Bullet Journals to Capture Every Idea
Finally, if you don’t know the “right” way to journal, then check out this seven-step process for building a journaling habit that sticks.
