Reignite Your Gratitude Practice: Fresh Prompts for Meaningful Reflection
We all know that practising gratitude can have a profound effect on our well-being, right? If you don’t, then I’m so glad you’re here! Gratitude has been shown to reduce stress, improve mental health, boost happiness, and even strengthen relationships (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). So, naturally, when you first start journaling, you might feel a wave of excitement. With a new journal or notebook in hand, you eagerly start listing everything you're grateful for—your family, your job, your health, the roof over your head. But after a few days, something happens. You begin to repeat yourself. The entries start to feel a bit stale, and you may even lose motivation.
Repeating the same things isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it’s wonderful to be grateful for the constants in our lives—but when the practice starts to feel routine or uninspired, you may find you’re not connecting with it as deeply as you did at the beginning. When gratitude becomes just another item on your to-do list, the powerful benefits you initially felt can start to fade.
So, what can you do when you feel stuck or uninspired in your gratitude practice? The key is to mix things up.
Why Gratitude Journaling Gets Stale
It’s completely normal to feel like you’ve run out of things to write after a week or two of gratitude journaling. This happens because our brains are wired to adapt. When something becomes repetitive, it loses its novelty, and we don’t experience the same emotional response we once did. Psychologists call this phenomenon hedonic adaptation—essentially, we get used to the good things in life, and they stop feeling as exciting or rewarding (Lyubomirsky, 2011).
In gratitude journaling, this adaptation can leave us feeling like we’re just going through the motions without truly embodying the sense of gratitude that gives the practice its power. To maintain that emotional connection, variety is essential.
The Power of Variety in Your Gratitude Practice
Research has shown that varying your gratitude practice keeps you engaged and helps you continue to reap the benefits. According to a study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, people who regularly changed the focus of their gratitude practice reported greater well-being compared to those who wrote about the same things each day (Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2006). When we take time to reflect on different aspects of our lives, we’re more likely to notice the subtler, often overlooked things that contribute to our happiness.
For example, instead of simply listing the big, obvious things like family or career, you could take a moment to appreciate the smaller details—a particularly beautiful sunrise, the sound of your favourite song, or a meaningful conversation you had that week. These little moments add depth to your gratitude practice and help you stay connected to the sense of abundance in your life.
10 Gratitude Prompts to Vary Your Practice
If you’re feeling stuck in your gratitude journaling, here are 10 prompts to inspire new reflections and reignite your practice:
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What’s one thing you enjoyed about today that you don’t normally notice?
– It could be the warmth of your morning coffee or the sound of birds outside your window. -
Who is someone you’re grateful for, and what specific thing have they done recently that you appreciate?
– Focus on recent actions, however small, that made a difference. -
What ability or personal strength are you grateful for today?
– Whether it’s resilience, creativity, or a sense of humour, acknowledge a part of yourself that you value. -
What’s a recent challenge you overcame, and what did you learn from it?
– Think about a moment of growth or a lesson learned, even if it was tough. -
What is something in nature that you’re grateful for today?
– The changing leaves, a cool breeze, or the night sky—find beauty in your surroundings. -
What’s a piece of advice or a quote that has positively influenced you?
– Reflect on the wisdom that has shaped your perspective. -
What’s a comfort or luxury (big or small) that you often take for granted?
– Maybe it’s having clean water, your favourite blanket, or a comfy chair. -
What’s one thing about your body or health that you’re thankful for?
– Instead of focusing on imperfections, recognise something your body does well, like healing itself or giving you the energy to get through the day. -
What’s something you’re looking forward to, and why does it excite you?
– Gratitude can also be about future joy—something on the horizon that lights you up. -
What’s a routine in your life that brings you peace or comfort?
– Consider how your daily habits, even simple ones like your morning routine, contribute to your overall well-being.
My Own Gratitude Journey During a Difficult Time
I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you’re hitting a wall with gratitude journaling. During the pandemic, I went through a particularly difficult time. I was separated from my then-boyfriend (now-husband) due to travel restrictions, and my mental health took a hit. I was feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and anxious, and I knew I needed something to help me shift my mindset. That’s when I turned to gratitude journaling.
At first, it was a game-changer. For the first week or so, I felt lighter and more focused on the positives in my life. But soon, I found myself writing the same three things over and over again, and the practice stopped feeling as impactful. I wasn’t embodying the gratitude the way I had at the beginning, and I knew I needed something more to keep it going. That’s when I started coming up with my own prompts to guide myself into thinking more deeply—about anything and everything I could be grateful for.
Those prompts made all the difference. They encouraged me to reflect on things I hadn’t considered before, like small moments of joy, personal growth, and even the challenges I had overcome. It completely transformed my gratitude practice, and that’s when I knew I had to create a tool to help others experience the same shift.
Introducing the Elysian Wellbeing Gratitude Journal
That experience is exactly what inspired me to create the Elysian Wellbeing Gratitude Journal. I designed it to address the monotony I’d faced in my own practice by offering a wide variety of prompts that guide you through deep, thoughtful reflections each day. Instead of writing the same things over and over, this journal helps you explore different areas of your life—your relationships, personal strengths, daily experiences, and more.
By breaking the cycle of repetition, the Elysian Wellbeing Gratitude Journal helps you connect more deeply to the things you’re grateful for. It’s designed to keep your practice fresh, meaningful, and engaging. You’ll find questions that push you to think about aspects of your life you may never have considered, bringing depth and variety to your gratitude journey.
Variety has been shown to be key to maintaining a long-term practice, and that’s exactly what this journal offers. Whether you’re a seasoned gratitude journaler or just starting out, the Elysian Wellbeing Gratitude Journal can help you unlock new layers of thankfulness and keep your practice thriving.
So, if you’ve ever felt stuck or uninspired in your gratitude practice, this journal was made for you. It’s a tool that can help you reconnect with the power of gratitude in a way that feels fresh and transformative. Give it a try and see how it can help you go deeper in your gratitude journey.
References:
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Lyubomirsky, S. (2011). The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want.
Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006). How to increase and sustain positive emotion: The effects of expressing gratitude and visualising best possible selves.
