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What lifts it · Lesson 5 of 11

Gratitude Journaling: A Small Lift and a Weekly Habit

Learn what a gratitude journal can and can't do for your mood, how often to write, and how to keep it specific so it never turns into homework.

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Gratitude journaling is a popular happiness exercise, and a well-studied one. In this lesson you will see what a gratitude journal can and can’t do, and how to keep one that does not turn into homework.

What a gratitude journal is

A gratitude journal is simply a place where you regularly write down things you are thankful for. It can be a notebook, a file on your computer or a note on your phone. The tool does not matter. The habit of looking for what went well does.

Three ways to keep a gratitude journal side by side: an open notebook with handwritten lines, a plain sheet labeled File, and a phone with a note labeled App. A small label below says Well studied.(opens the full-size picture)
Notebook, file or app: pick whatever you will actually use.

A small lift, but a real one

So does it work? A large review of studies from 28 countries found a small average lift in wellbeing for people who did gratitude exercises, compared with people who did not. It is small, but real. It also works best as a regular habit, not as a one-off.

A bar chart titled Wellbeing after a few weeks. The bar for gratitude exercises is slightly taller than the bar for a usual week, with an arrow above it. Next to it, a globe with the labels 28 countries, Small but real, and Works best as a regular habit.(opens the full-size picture)
The bar for gratitude is a little taller. Notice how little.

Always ask: compared with what?

Here is the catch. Against other upbeat activities, gratitude did about as well, not better. And some of the famous early results compared gratitude with writing down daily hassles, which may itself lower your mood. A weak comparison makes any exercise look strong.

Three cards in a row. Gratitude and Other upbeat writing both have a happy face and a tall green bar of equal height. Hassles list has a sad face and a shorter red bar. Large text below reads Compared with what?(opens the full-size picture)
Gratitude matches other upbeat writing and beats a list of hassles.

Not a treatment for low mood

Gratitude is not a treatment for depression or anxiety. Reviews found only modest effects on those symptoms. A journal is a pleasant extra, not a replacement for care.

When to see a doctor

If low mood lasts or gets deeper, see a doctor or another health professional. Do not try to write your way out of it.

A card reading Gratitude cures low mood is crossed out in red. A label says Modest effects on symptoms. Below, a card with a doctor reads Low mood that lasts or deepens: see a doctor.(opens the full-size picture)
Gratitude has modest effects on symptoms. Lasting low mood needs a doctor.

How often to write

In one small study with students, happiness rose when people wrote once a week, but not when they wrote three times a week. Later reviews found no clear rule, so treat this as a hint, not a law. Once a week is a sensible place to start. Writing the same thing every night can also go stale, because the good feeling fades when the list never changes.

Two week strips from Monday to Sunday. The first, labeled Once a week, has one checked day. The second, labeled 3 times a week, has three faint dots. A label says No clear rule. A notebook with the words my family written three times sits next to a sleepy face and the words Same thing, nightly: stale.(opens the full-size picture)
Once a week is enough to start. Repeating the same entry goes stale.

How to do it well

Three simple habits make a journal work better:

  • Be specific. Write “a friend brought soup”, not “my friends”.
  • Add why it happened. For example, “because she noticed I was tired”.
  • Rotate the topic. People one week, work or nature the next.

List a handful of good things each time, not a long list.

Three ticked rows. Be specific shows the words my friends crossed out and replaced by A friend brought soup. Add why it happened shows Because she noticed I was tired. Rotate the topic shows a circular arrow and three icons labeled People, Work and Nature.(opens the full-size picture)
Specific, with a reason, and a new topic now and then.

YOUR TURN

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Read the full lesson script

In this lesson, you'll see what gratitude can and can't do for your happiness, and how to keep a gratitude journal that doesn't turn into homework.

A gratitude journal is simply a notebook, file or app where you regularly write down things you're thankful for. It's a popular happiness exercise, and a well-studied one.

So does it work? A large review of studies from twenty-eight countries found a small average lift in wellbeing for people who did gratitude exercises. Small, but real. It works best as a regular habit, not a one-off.

Here's the catch. Against other upbeat activities, gratitude did about as well, not better. And some famous results compared it with writing down daily hassles, which may itself lower your mood. So always ask: compared with what?

Gratitude isn't a treatment for depression or anxiety. Reviews found only modest effects on those symptoms. If low mood lasts or deepens, see a doctor instead of writing harder.

How often? In one small study with students, happiness rose with writing once a week, but not three times a week. Later reviews found no clear rule, so once a week is a sensible place to start. Writing the same thing every night can go stale.

To do it well, list a handful of specific good things, not big general ones. Add why each one happened. And rotate the part of life you write about: people one week, work or nature the next.

So remember: gratitude gives a small, real lift, about as much as other upbeat habits. Once a week is a good start. And specific beats general. Before the next lesson, write down three specific good things from this week, and why each one happened. Next, you'll see what kindness and giving can do.