I first heard about this idea of a gratitude journal nearly 10 years ago, when a gratitude journal app got featured in iTunes. I thought it was a neat idea at first, but it never really stuck to me at the time. Part of the reason was because I hadn’t really enjoyed typing on my iPhone at the time, and another reason was because I wasn’t entirely sure what I should be writing in my gratitude journal. What was the point of keeping a gratitude journal if I was just going to write that I was thankful for a good meal and a roof over my head everyday? Over the years there have been more research that keeps popping up here and there saying that keeping a gratitude journal can increase happiness. After going through a rough month, I decided I was ready to do anything to give a little boost to my happiness and keep myself in good moral. So I’ve decided to give this whole gratitude journal a whirl. Because I already carry around a Traveler’s Notebook, I opted to buy an insert notebook rather than a separate notebook or fancy journal.
To decorate the cover, I decided to use the photo of my “I am positive” tattoo that I mentioned I was going to print in my September favorites. It came out a bit lighter than I thought it would, but I decided to go ahead and use it.
I’m not a huge fan of glue because dealing with glue can be a messy business, and I hate it when it makes the paper wrinkly or uneven. So I tend to use tape or washi tape to stick things on to pages. Here I decided to use some black and white washi tape, because I felt like using washi tape with color would detract from the polaroid. Especially since the colors of this particular photo have a faded, washed out look.
After trying out some washi tape for the top corner, I decided I liked the way it looked with washi tape just on the bottom, so I pulled out some double-sided tape to stick the rest of the photo to the notebook cover.
One of the interesting things about the Traveler’s Notebook inserts is that it always has this sort of window box on the first page. After rummaging through my drawer I found a “Keep Calm and Carry On” stamp that I hadn’t used in ages, and thought it would fit rather nicely!
I think I must have pressed too much ink onto my stamp, or let it sit too long while I was taking photos because the ink sort of dispersed and made this distressed look that I hadn’t anticipated. Or maybe it’s just that my ink pad is getting too old. I bought this mini ink pad nearly 10 years ago too.
Since I was at home, I made good use of the date stamp that I have in my stamp tray. I’m actually using the lid of a perfume box as a stamp tray because the size worked out perfectly. It’s also where I keep my binder clips and travel stamps that I picked up a few months ago. I find that I use my stamps much more often now that I have them set out on my desk in this tray. I keep the rest of my stamps stored away in a drawer, because I don’t use them quite so often. When I’m out and about and don’t have my date stamp with me, I just go ahead and write the date with my pen. I’ve tried a few times leaving a blank space to stamp in once I got home, but I found that I never remembered to do it. So now I just write in the date with my pen if I’m not at home, and I find that it doesn’t bother me.
It’s interesting how many things started to pop into my head once I started writing down the things that I was thankful for. It was nice to spend some time appreciating the small moments in life that would have otherwise just passed me by. I think modern life is so busy and crammed full of information that we hardly have any time to breathe and just think about what we’re thankful for. So it’s nice being able to take a couple minutes out of my day to just appreciate the good things in life. So here’s to lifted spirits through a gratitude journal, cheers!
Your Turn ♥ Have you tried keeping a gratitude journal before?
