According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 50% of college students rated their mental health below average or poor and 40% of them do not seek help. Whether you have already sought or are seeking help from external sources, you can still compound wellness practices. Gratitude journals are a low-commitment, high-reward practice that can greatly benefit one’s mental health.
According to the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), gratitude journaling is defined as spending 15 minutes a day recording up to five things you are grateful for. When you record your list, try to savor the good emotions attached to the event, person or experience you are describing. While gratitude journals can sound a little goofy if this is your first exposure, the benefits associated with them are backed by empirical research.
GGSC recommends that you should be detailed and specific with your gratitude, and while it is okay to have duplicate entries, make sure to focus on new aspects of the things you are grateful for. Sometimes the people and events in our lives are not conducive to finding gratitude; if you find yourself in such a position, it is recommended to try and find aspects of your life that you might take for granted.
If you have been pleasantly surprised by a discount at the store, a good meal or even a compliment from a stranger, hone in on that. Events that break us out of our daily routine are more likely to carry stronger emotions. Finally, keep these lists consistent, set a time and schedule but do not overdo it. GGSC recommends one to three times a week rather than daily because “we adapt to positive events and can soon become numb to them.”
Professor of Psychology at UC Davis Robert Emmons, who focuses on the psychology of gratitude, gave a talk at GGSC on the effects of practicing gratitude.
“There is new evidence coming out showing that gratitude is effective in the prevention of episodes of depression, reduces their duration and makes future episodes less likely,” Emmons said.
The research done on gratitude journaling is a part of the positive psychology movement that is described in one study as a “‘build what’s strong’ rather than a ‘fix what’s wrong’ approach.” Rather than look for methods, practices and remedies for eliminating negative emotions and states of mind, positive psychology aims to strengthen the beneficial emotions and states of mind.
There is a growing body of scientific research being done on the positive effects of gratitude. A 2010 article in Psychiatry (Edgmont) found five studies that linked a focus on gratitude to improved well-being and life satisfaction; one of the five studies even linked gratitude to better subjective sleep quality. The same article does mention that there are two studies that found there can be “conditions or circumstances that temper the association between gratitude and well being.” Non-traumatized veterans, college students with neutral emotional condition and divorced middle aged women have shown not to be affected by gratitude journaling. This implies that there are certain circumstances that will limit your ability to gain from gratitude journaling.
Gratitude journaling will take 45 minutes a week if you choose to do the maximum recommended amount. Even if you do fall into the conditions and circumstances that could limit the potential benefits, the benefit-to-cost ratio is in your favor. This will not be a practice that takes over your life, but it may be one that greatly benefits it, so what is there to lose?
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