🌱 Gratitude journaling is not about ignoring pain or pretending life is perfect. It is about creating a quiet space each day to turn toward ourselves with kindness and ask:
- What do I need to feel good today?
- What has helped me feel good recently?
- What three things am I grateful for?
These gentle questions are an act of mindful self-compassion. Instead of pushing through or judging ourselves for not being enough, we pause and listen to our own needs. Some days, what we need might be rest, movement, connection, or simply permission to feel what we feel — remember, you are not a robot, you are human.
Alongside this self-check-in, we write down three specific things we are grateful for. They do not need to be big or extraordinary. Gratitude works best when it is grounded in the ordinary: the delicious flavor of a cup of warm tea, a kind word from someone as you left the shop, or the way the sunlight shines through the window and makes the dust sparkle — and you got to see it. Some people call these shimmers or glimmers.
It’s important to remember that gratitude is not about pushing the goalpost forward — saying “I’ll be happy when…” Gratitude invites us to focus on the present moment. Survivors of great suffering have reminded us that this is the essence of resilience: finding something to hold onto, however small, that reminds us life is still worth living.
By beginning or ending each day (and we don’t expect perfection — start with two days a week and work up) with compassion for ourselves and gratitude for what is already here, we strengthen our capacity to face challenges with steadiness and hope.
Gratitude Practice Outline
1. 🌬️ The Power of the Pause
Before you begin writing, take one slow, gentle breath.
- Inhale fully, noticing your body soften as you fill with air.
- Exhale slowly, releasing what you don’t need right now.
- Pause at the end of the breath. Rest here for a moment.
This pause is your doorway into gratitude. It slows the mind, centers the heart, and opens space for compassion.
2. đź’— Mindful Self-Compassion Check-In
Ask yourself: “What three things can I do to feel good today that support my values?”
There are no wrong answers. It might be rest, encouragement, movement, connection, or simply permission to feel what you feel.
3. ✍️ Three Specific Gratitudes
Now, write down three things you are grateful for today or recently. Keep them small and specific — tiny details often carry the greatest meaning.
4. đź•Ż Reflection Prompt
Gratitude is not about waiting for life to be perfect. It’s about finding peace and hope even in the middle of uncertainty. Survivors of great suffering have shown us that pausing to notice beauty — however small — is one of the roots of resilience. Ask yourself: Where did I experience a moment of peace, connection, or hope today?
Closing Encouragement
Each time you practice, say: “I did it!” and acknowledge that you took a step to change the grooves in your brain — one breath, one pause, one gratitude at a time. This is how resilience grows, and how we stay on our path of healing.
Remember, it’s always heal-ing, never healed, done. Well done, dear one.