Five Minute Gratitude Journal

As a daily commuter traveling from Grand Rapids to Lansing, and long attempting to create a suitable, sustainable work-life balance, finding time to pour into myself is a challenging task. I’ve learned overtime that my 5-9 is far more important than my 9-5, but that time is precious and goes quickly. Furthermore, I’m not a morning person, so I need and practice a slow-start morning that outlines the intention for my day and fosters a positive mindset. Because of a friend’s generosity, I discovered the “Five Minute Gratitude Journal,” and it truly is just that – five minutes.

The journal simply prompts the reader to outline three things they are grateful for, what would make the day great, and an affirmation for the day. At first, I didn’t believe this journal would make a difference – how can five minutes change an ever-constant stressful mindset? But, throughout the past few months of integrating this practice into my daily routine, I am happy to report that stress has slowly melted away as gratitude strengthened my resiliency and ability to deal with the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day. Spending moments every morning highlighting areas of my life that I am thankful for ultimately decreased the overall negative impact of events that stress me out or have me worried. Subsequently, hitting a hurdle during my day is less of a problem now as I’m able to recall the items of gratitude I jotted down at the beginning of the morning. I am more aware when my emotions stray from positive and hopeful, to negative and unbalanced.

Click here to check out the “Five Minute Gratitude Journal.” Although this journal is cute, meaningful, and sparks joy in my daily life, any piece of paper will work to spend some time jotting down what makes you happy and highlights thankfulness.