Keeping a journal or a diary is perhaps the most fundamental lifelogging tool out there. It is simple, effective and in most cases is directly proportional to the user’s interest levels, since there is a more personalised recording of data.

While the purpose of the Quantified Self movement is to bring about a physical betterment, another onus is to make a holistic improvement – and that involves feeling great mentally and spiritually. In this regard, perhaps the most effective lifelogging tool is a gratitude journal.

If this is the first time you’ve come across the term, or want to refresh the basics, this article talks about exactly that: the principles of keeping a gratitude journal, the benefits of maintaining it and some popular applications.

EASING INTO THE BASICS: WHAT IS A GRATITUDE JOURNAL?

As the term represents, a gratitude journal is a diary where the user can log anything which made him/her feel positive through the day, and he/she is grateful for. Modes and forms include either a simple pen and a notebook, or specialised applications where the user can log the events which made him/her happy.

There’s a stark difference between the notebook method and the app method. The notebook method relies on the user making entries voluntarily. It’s the process of building up a habit, and needs the momentum for the results to actually become more evident.

The application method on the other hand asks the user simple questions which the user can answer. Usually this process is automated, with or without the presence of context as the understanding medium. Later on, I’ll be talking about some applications which can help the user to maintain a gratitude journal.

WHY MAINTAIN A GRATITUDE JOURNAL?

Perhaps the most relevant question in this regard. We’re talking about maintaining a gratitude journal, and we’ll later talk about the benefits associated with it. But to answer the question from a more generic point of view, why maintain one?

I’ve personally maintained a journal some years back, where I’ve recorded all that I’ve gone through in the day – be it noteworthy events, or pointers which I would like to suggest to my future self (one of them was to continue pursuing my hobby of writing, and here I am today!).

Arianna Huffington says that gratitude acts as an antedote to negative emotions. And more than that, at the end of the day when you are recollecting all the positive things, it makes you feel healthier spiritually. It’s journalling for a better mind, where the primary beneficiary is the user’s overall persona.

But look at the health benefits of having a positive outlook, and you’ll see that it’s actually a chain process, where each benefit is directly governed by (and governs) the preceding (or succeeding) benefit.

• More positivity implies a healthier mind.

• A healthier mind leads to reduced stress levels.

• Reduced stress levels implies better nocturnal sleep cycles (and therefore better sleep tracking!).

• Improved sleep would result in the body gaining more energy, thereby vitalising it.

• Perhaps the biggest advantage would be that gratitude journalling enables the user to maintain a positive outlook about his/her self. This in turn motivates the person to achieve goals in a more quantified manner.

TIPS FOR A BETTER GRATITUDE JOURNAL

Now that we’ve gone over the benefits of maintaining a gratitude journal, let’s look at how can the experience of keeping one be enhanced.

• Experts recommend to write consciously, believing that a positive change will come in one’s life. This will in turn motivate the journal keeper to maintain the gratitude journal diligently.

• Instead of focusing on maximising the number of events which made you feel positive, focus on particular events which made you feel truly positive. The focal point is to improve upon the depth, rather than the breadth.

• Monotony is always boring. Make sure to include something new everyday in the gratitude journal.

• Include surprises. Surprises often elicit a deeper sense of pleasure and emotions, and the memories attached will be fresh for a long time.

GRATITUDE JOURNALLING APPLICATIONS

The smartphone is perhaps the most powerful lifelogging tool out there, and this is made more powerful through the presence of relevant applications. Journaly is a great Journalling companion since it lets you customise your Journal completely!

What these do is simply nudge you to recollect some of the most wonderful experiences you might have had through the day, and record it within a journal. You can look back on these journal entries and the positivity that comes while reading them makes it worth all the trouble.

TO CONCLUDE

Besides maintaining a gratitude journal, another lifelogging trick which might be useful is to write a letter to your future self. Writing a letter to yourself, while highlighting your aspirations and aims and at the same time briefly talking about all that you’re going through at the current time period really makes a person open up and feel more rejuvenated.

The Quantified Self is more than just keeping track of numbers and graphs. It involves bringing about a holistic growth in oneself, and the most foolproof method of bringing about a healthy growth of the mind and spirit is through Gratitude Journalling.

(Featured Image source: Power of positivity)

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