Gratitude Journal: spend five minutes a day with it
Gratitude Journal is an app for iPhone that says it’s “designed to make gratitude a daily habit.” Every day, you enter five good things about your day. It reminds you, so that you make it part of your routine.
The journal is private, but it does connect with social media so that you can share if you choose to do so. The app syncs across devices, and you can make a printout into a PDF file of your entries over time.
Gratitude Journal costs 99 cents, and a portion of that goes toward the developer’s favorite charities. It is only available in iTunes though, not on Android devices, even though it’s been in production since 2008.
The benefits of gratitude are not disputed
Numerous studies have been done touting the reasons you should make it part of your life. Gratitude Journal says that it takes five minutes a day for 21 days to make gratitude a habit. These a just a few of the ways you’ll benefit:
- You improve your health. Gratitude is good for your immune system, and you’ll be more likely to take care of yourself by going to the doctor.
- You’ll sleep better.
- It reduces stress.
- Gratitude reduces aggressive tendencies and increases empathy and sympathy.
- By acknowledging your employee’s contributions, they feel appreciated. Thank you goes a long way toward loyalty.
- Gratitude improves your self-confidence and productivity.
Making gratitude a way of life improves your relationships, both corporately and personally. Gratitude Journal says it only takes five minutes a day to make an entry. You do have to sign up and have the option to link your social media accounts. It’s a nice reminder to make notes about what you’re thankful for.
However, if you’re like me, you don’t need another app to take even five more minutes out of your day. Because when I pick up my phone, I want to check email, texts, and Facebook. Those few minutes turn into fifteen or twenty in no time. One alternative is to take those five minutes and connect with a loved one and share your gratitude with each other, not with your phone.
