How To Practice Gratitude Journal – From Bad to Good Exercise

Practicing gratitude journaling is a powerful tool that can change your life. Studies have found that journaling can affect the way you see yourself. 

You become more secure in your self-worth. 

You become more confident, and more resilient.

Gratitude journaling improves loving relationships and helps you to feel more secure.

These are just of a few of the many benefits that make doing the gratitude journaling exercises worthy of your time.  

In this article we discuss the exercise as described in the book by Robert A. Emmons, Graitude Works, From bad to Good. 

Can Thinking of Bad things in your life help you feel more grateful?

Consider practicing Gratitude Journaling as something special you choose to do. Like any ritual or habit, make it special. 

Before you begin get in a quiet space with your journal. Take a few deep breaths and exhale to prepare for what you will find here. Do your best to drop into a calm slow state. Doing these exercises will develop discipline in accomplishing your goal of self-care. You will want to set aside at least 10 minutes.  Resist the temptation to edit or be concerned with your grammar or spelling. 

Just write from your heart. 

Grab a cup of tea or a favorite beverage and pause.

Good to Bad Gratitude Journaling Exercise (Step by Step)

1. Recall a time that was difficult for you. Think of a time that was bad, a crisis, a loss, or a time that considerably stressed you out. Maybe you lost your job, or a loved one passed unexpectedly, or you became ill. It could be a trial, trauma. Remember this time and ponder on the event.
2. Now think about what followed because of this event.  Let’s use the loss of a job for an example.  Maybe you were forced to get training in a new area.  Perhaps you had to go back to school and discovered you are much more content with this new career.  Maybe you have since found close friends because of this bad event now finding the good that came from it.
3. Write about the event.  Include the good that came about.
4. What did you learn? Who did you meet here? What can you be grateful for?
5.  Relish the feeling you discover here.
6. Repeat for 3 total. No worries if you can’t think of three.  Do your best.
7. Do this exercise on Days seven, fourteen, and twenty-one. 

This exercise requires a visit to perhaps some of the worst times of your life. At first, you might wonder if this exercise will be uncomfortable.  While there may be some discomfort from recalling a bad event, the sincere effort to find what was gained and be grateful will make your efforts worth it.  Life brings are greatest joys and our worst pain, yet, if we look, we can find what is there to be grateful.

This habit of daily exercises will bring you the greatest gift of all, a new lens.  Humans are wired to see the negative as a protective mechanism.  We need to feel safe, so we alert to what might make us unsafe.  Reframing our experiences so that we find those things we can be grateful, will be a great blessing to you. 

This exercise is the seventh and final of the 21 Day Gratitude Challenge.  Look for the other videos and blogs on the other six including:

1. The Three blessings
2. To whom and for what
3. The gifted self
4. Look to the future
5. Absence of blessing
6. The gratitude letters

Remember, yourself care and well-being are in your hands. You get to decide how you offer kindness and care to you. Busy people who are committed to change and progress know that daily changes can have amazing impact. 

Consider committing to a gratitude journaling practice, you will be glad you did. In this article we discuss the exercise as described in the book by Robert A. Emmons, Gratitude Works, From Bad to Good.