4 Ways a Gratitude Journal Can Improve Your Life

When life is going well, it's easy to be happy and positive. It's when things go wrong or when struggling to overcome challenges that finding the silver lining becomes difficult. One way to get through it is with some insight from an authentic psychic about the meaning of these events. Another way is to keep a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a wonderful tool that can help you find the good in every day. Here are four ways starting a gratitude journal can improve your life.

It Keeps You Balanced

Life is all about balance — positives and negatives; yin and yang. It's the natural ebb and flow of life. When negativity starts to develop, it throws your life out of balance. Negative thinking can quickly take root if you allow it to. Once it does, it is hard to dig it out. At the end of each day, write down even the smallest incident that made you happy that day, even if it was just a compliment from a stranger. There's always something in every day to be thankful for. It helps keep you balanced.

It Shifts Your Perspective

You know the old cliche: "There's always someone worse off." This is true. Sometimes it seems like things just can't get any worse. It's easy to adopt a woe-is-me mentality until you see or talk to someone going through something worse. That's when you realize your problems are not as bad as you think. A gratitude journal is a good place to count your blessings. It forces you to stop and think of all the positive things in your life. 

It Boosts Your Health

There is scientific proof that gratitude has far-reaching health benefits. Research by the National Institutes of Health shows that people who feel grateful have higher levels of activity in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that influences activities like eating, drinking, sleeping, the metabolism, and stress levels. It is also shown to increase the feel-good hormone dopamine. Gratitude increases optimism and happiness which, in turn, boosts your immune system. 

It Lowers Anxiety and Depression

It's only natural that if you're feeling positive, optimistic, and happy, your levels of anxiety and depression will drop. Gratitude is the best antidepressant. It's hard to feel down when you're aware of how much there is to appreciate in your life. If you're feeling anxious or stressed, read your gratitude journal. It will remind you of other stressful times you came through and that everything always works out in the end. 

Life is full of ups and downs. Even the best psychics can't predict every challenge you'll encounter along life's path. When they do come up, you'll cope better when you remind yourself of all the positive things in your life. A gratitude journal is easy to start and doesn't require a lot of time. Just five minutes in the evening is all you need to jot down what you're thankful for.