Get some Gratitude
Journalling is a great way to unearth a sense of gratitude that can sometimes be lost in the busyness of the day. But it’s something that might change your life
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Journalling can save your life…just ask Jason Neufeld. At 360 pounds, with severe anxiety and a litany of physical ailments, Neufeld hit rock bottom in November 2020. Traditional and alternative remedies had failed him, and he was skeptical when his therapist introduced him to the practice of gratitude journalling. But within a year, he was down over 100 pounds, and his mental and physical health problems, including sleep apnea, disappeared.
“After my experience with gratitude journalling, I wondered why more people weren’t tapping into this powerful tool, but once I saw what was out there, I realised we needed something better,” he said. Inspired by the life-altering power of gratitude journalling, the entrepreneur explored other journals to help further his daily practice and launched his vegan-friendly Thankable Gratitude Journal (thankable.co).
But Neufeld’s story is not a one-off. Gratitude practice and journalling have worked for thousands of others. No matter how small, we can be grateful for all the positive things in our life — from the food on our plates, the feet that carry us around and the friends that share our lives, to the clothes that keep us warm in the winter.
A daily gratitude and journalling practice can foster a multitude of positive benefits, from reduced anxiety to better sleep — the longer you do it, the more powerful it becomes.
So what not try it today? In fact, let’s start right now. Ask yourself: what are three things that I am grateful for? Have a think and write them down. It might just surprise you. But don’t rush through it, don’t do it mindlessly, really try to feel gratitude for everything you list. Feel the amazingness of those things in your life.
As Leo Babuata of Zenhabits (zenhabits. net) says: “I dare you to be complacent about life after doing that.”
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
