Gratitude journal app

The benefits of keeping a gratitude journal are well documented. In order to get into the practice of keeping one, though, you need a place to do it. For many, a dedicated gratitude journal app is the key to imbuing this time-tested, beneficial practice. Diarly has powerful features that make it the best journaling app to use for dedicated gratitude journaling.

What is a gratitude journal?

A gratitude journal is a journal that is used to reflect daily on the things the writer is grateful for. By doing this, the writer shifts their mindset from focusing on things that are anxiety-inducing or upsetting to focusing on things that are going right. This shift can have profound effects on the writer’s overall mental wellbeing.

For many people, a gratitude journal takes the shape of a daily reflection, answering the prompt, “What happened in your day today that you’re grateful for?”

The journal entry can take the shape of an expansive reflection or something as simple as a short list — three one-line reflections about things that happened that day that the writer is grateful for.

The benefits of gratitude journaling

Studies have shown that purposeful, regular reflection about gratitude can have serious health benefits. Several studies have shown heavy reduction in things like body image dissatisfaction and excessive worrying after a period of keeping a gratitude journal.

Keeping a gratitude journal in Diarly

Diarly is an app dedicated to making journaling possible for users. It is highly customizable, which makes it a perfect fit for someone who is looking to start a gratitude journal. With a few simple tweaks, Diarly can become a dedicated gratitude journal, which you can turn to each day across your devices to complete your daily gratitude journaling.

What makes Diarly a good fit for gratitude journaling?

1. Using customization tools, you can change the look and feel of the interface, creating an aesthetic that is most attractive to you.
2. You may set a password on Diarly, making it a completely secure place for you to collect and explore your thoughts.
3. You can create a template with questions — prompts to ask yourself each day about your gratitude for the events of that day. Each time you open your dedicated gratitude journal within the app, you’ll see the same questions. All you need to do to engage in gratitude journaling is answer them.
4. Because Diarly syncs across devices, you can engage with your gratitude journal in a variety of different ways, in different settings. This is especially helpful as you’re starting and figuring out how gratitude journaling will best fit into your day. You may find that typing a list on your iPad or iPhone during your lunch break works best. Or perhaps you like to sit down with your computer for a moment of peace and reflection. Different approaches will work for different people. Diarly’s ability to give you access from various different devices means you can try different approaches for yourself.

Getting started with gratitude journaling

The number one way to start a new habit, no mater what it is, is to start. It sounds trite, but it really is true. Begin today.

Once you’ve written your first entry, reflect. Ask yourself: is this time of day the best time for me to do these entries? How can I ensure that I make time each day to do this simple journaling practice? Perhaps it makes sense to make gratitude journaling part of your nighttime routine. Or maybe you’d rather do it in the middle of the work day as a bit of a break. Journaling is a wholly personal practice. Don’t worry about what type of a schedule or routine you think someone else would do. Just worry about you and what will be best for you.

When you’ve determined what time of day will be best for you to do your gratitude journaling, make a real plan for how you’re going to make it happen. Health experts say it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit to the extent that doing it comes naturally and without effort. How will you make sure you’re remembering to engage in your new habit until it becomes muscle memory? You may consider setting an alarm, or adding journaling to your calendar as if it were an appointment each day.

Whatever you can do to make sure you actually engage in the practice daily, do it.