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The 9 Best Gratitude Journals To Help Promote Positivity & Mindfulness

There are options for all different writing styles.

by Braelyn Wood and Danielle Calma
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Originally Published: 
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When you’re late to work, spilled coffee on your new white top, and definitely left your straightener on back home, it’s safe to call it a pretty bad day. But instead of letting life get you down, try using the best gratitude journals to focus on the positive aspects of your life.

Studies have shown that beginning a journaling practice can positively impact mental health, and these gratitude journals are thoughtfully designed to help you build habits to improve your general outlook. Rather than focusing on every fumble and downfall, they use carefully selected prompts and exercises to help you alter your own perspective to appreciate the little things in life.

What To Look For In A Gratitude Journal

Of course, not everyone is used to writing in a journal or has the same attention span for creating goals. Luckily, there’s a wide range of gratitude journals that appeal to different writing styles. Highly organized personalities may prefer a sectioned planner that offers space for daily affirmations or guided journals that use your personal goals and desires to help you craft a plan for success. Alternatively, free spirits may enjoy journals with plenty of space for free writing and other forms of creative expression. And for self-proclaimed “terrible writers,” there are even journals designed for writing quick lists that only take a few minutes each week.

So when it comes time to give yourself a little self-love today, here’s a rundown of the best gratitude journals on Amazon.

1

The Best 1-Minute Gratitude Journal

Just dedicating a minute to reflect on what you’re thankful for can make a difference when you’re building a gratitude practice. This 112-page gratitude journal is broken down into daily spreads with space to free-write what you’re grateful for. Set a timer for one minute and write away — and since it’s undated, you can take it at your own pace.

One reviewer wrote: “It seems like our lives are so busy, we don't have any extra time. That is why I like this journal, it is simple and set up for you to only post a quick note about what you are thankful for each day. The dates aren't pre-printed, you if you skip a day, no big deal, you just enter the day you are journaling. There is space for two entries on each page and in between each entry they have an inspirational quote. And, scattered throughout the journal there are 3 or 4 pages when you can draw something.”

Cover: Paperback | Pages: 112 total pages

2

The Best Gratitude Journal With Tons Of Thoughtful Prompts

Start fostering gratitude in your everyday life with the Tiny Buddha Gratitude Journal. It features 160 pages of questions and prompts, including 15 relaxing coloring pages, all designed to help you recognize the smaller blessings in life and focus on the positive. With prompts like “I appreciate that when I'm feeling down...” or “What challenges are you proud to overcome,” this journal is created to remind you of the little things that make you happy.

One reviewer wrote: “I look forward to writing every day because of the prompts in this book. They nudge me to dive deeper and express myself more creatively. I also enjoy the pictures to color.”

Cover: Hardcover | Pages: 160 total pages

3

The Best Gratitude Journal To Nurture Your Creativity

This beautifully designed journal features supportive prompts that push you to reflect through writing exercises, charts, and drawings to nurture your mindfulness. With questions like “What are your three most frequent thoughts?” interspersed with watercolor quotes like “We become what we think,” this soft cover notebook offers 128 pages to explore your consciousness.

One reviewer wrote: “I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it might be a bit trite or cheesy, but these prompts have surprising depth. The book eases you into asking tough questions, interspersing narrative-based reflection with mindfulness exercises and goal-oriented analysis. I highly recommend it.”

Cover: Paperback | Pages: 128 total pages

4

The Best Free-Writing Journal With A Daily Gratitude Prompt

If you’re looking for an option for more traditional journal writing, this six-month one is a great fit. Each daily page features a sizable section for writing down your thoughts, as well as smaller sections for listing three things you’re grateful for and a positive affirmation. It also includes sleep and habit tracker pages and end-of-month prompts to reflect on what you learned. As a bonus, there are inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout the length of the journal to keep you motivated on your way to becoming the best version of yourself.

One reviewer wrote: “I've tried to journal a few times but I needed more structure. This journal is perfect with specific sections to help me think and stay organized. It looks beautiful and is very sturdy. The inspirational quotes help to stimulate thinking and habit tracking & sleep data really helps staying on track. The journal comes in a nice box which is perfect for gifting. The space for free form writing is enough but not unlimited which for me made it less intimidating. It's small enough to fit easily in a back pack but accommodates my rather large handwriting. I love it!”

Cover: Hardcover | Pages: 222 total pages

5

Editor’s Choice: A Budget-Friendly Gratitude Journal For The Whole Year

If you’re looking to start a daily gratitude practice, Bustle editor Wesley Salazar recommends this budget-friendly gratitude journal as a great place to begin. “It’s basic,” Salazar explains, “but it has a colorful cover and designated space to write down what you’re thankful for every day.” Simple as it might be, the journal is divided into weekly spreads, and with 52 weeks, it can last the entire year. For those starting to welcome more gratitude in their lives, according to Salazar, “it just might be the structure you need to get started — without feeling overwhelmed.” Plus, it has 28,000 ratings on Amazon and counting.

One reviewer wrote: “I'm starting a practice of gratitude every morning. Sometimes it's hard starting a new daily habit and making it stick. This book is so simple, not complicated...it is making this new daily sooooooo easy to stick with. I am actually looking forward to writing in it every morning and getting that oh so good feeling of accomplishment. It was exactly what I needed.”

Cover: Paperback | Pages: 118 total pages

6

The Best Gratitude Journal For List-Makers

This best-selling hardcover journal has garnered more than 2,700 ratings on Amazon and counting. It features 160 pages filled with weekly lists carefully crafted to boost your happiness. It also features 52 prompts that encourage you to reflect and discover what makes you happy through writing down your thoughts in list form. As an added bonus, it’s gorgeously decorated on both the inside and out, with stunning travel photography and charming illustrations.

One reviewer wrote: “I adore this book. First, it is beautiful and so well made. There is rose gold lettering on the cover and the spine is also metallic rose gold. There is a maroon velvet ribbon sewn in to hold your page. There are a handful of beautiful color photographs throughout the book. Most pages also have adorable color illustrations of makeup, bubble baths, records, etc. Just writing in this journal feels like a luxurious experience.”

Cover: Hardcover | Pages: 160 total pages

7

The Best 90-Day Productivity Planner With Gratitude Prompts

The daily version of the Panda Planner offers an intensive approach to increasing your productivity and happiness over a 90-day span. Each month, you’ll start by planning out your goals, creating a loose schedule, and selecting a daily habit goal (think: flossing or meditating). Then, you’ll turn to the weekly section to create your goals for the week, break down projects, review the past week, and plan ahead for the next. Finally, the daily pages help you track what you are grateful for and your daily affirmation, plus schedule out your day. It’s undated, so you’re welcome to start at any point in the year.

One reviewer wrote: “The PANDA Planner combines motivation, productivity and organization in one product. For someone like myself, who was mired in multiple ongoing projects that seemed like they were going nowhere - it has helped me get started and it's truly motivating for me to keep getting things done - chipping away at work, personal and exercise goals - practicing gratitude and celebrating accomplishments.”

Cover: Hardcover | Pages: 220 total pages

8

The Best Annual Productivity Planner With Gratitude Prompts

Centered on the “law of attraction,” this deluxe 12-month planner includes a foldable vision board, morning and evening power questions, mind maps, reflection pages, habit trackers, and a gratitude journal to help put your happiness first. Weekly and monthly feel-good lists help you track your progress and keep you focused. The undated planner has a soft faux leather exterior — available in 30 colors and designs— and it also includes stickers to personalize your planner.

One reviewer wrote: “I've bought this brand for several years and I've always been impressed with the thought that goes into each one. [...] On the inside is a series of questions and goal-orienting prompts to answer that are thoughtful but will take some time answering. After the questions it is cut into sections- Month by month, followed by week by week, followed by weekly progress reports, followed by 90-day check ins. The previous versions had month-to-month check ins, but I definitely prefer this! Needless to say, this is an in-depth planner and a time commitment. BUT I ultimately think it has increased my day-to-day productivity, helped me remain goal-focused and pushed me to reflect on myself and the choices I'm making.”

Cover: Hardcover | Pages: 248 total pages

9

The Best Self-Care Gratitude Journal

This 12-week guided journal includes daily pages to track your mood and self-care needs and center your mental health. It also provides dedicated spaces to list your daily wins and gratitude reflection. The monthly pages offer the opportunity to mull over your larger accomplishments and overall well-being. Plus, post-therapy session prompts encourage you to make note of topics discussed and helpful takeaways for the future.

One reviewer wrote: “I really enjoyed this journal. [...] I think what I like most is that it’s very simple and low pressure. Each prompt is very manageable and concise, which is helpful especially when you’re struggling with feeling overwhelmed. It puts everything into nice bite sized pieces, but provides enough guidance to actually help you get through your thoughts.”

Cover: Paperback | Pages: 239 total pages

Study referenced:

Smyth, J. M., Johnson, J. A., Auer, B. J., Lehman, E., Talamo, G., & Sciamanna, C. N. (2018). Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. JMIR mental health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6305886/.

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