Chapter 1

Journaling is a simple act and something many of us might have done as children.

As we get older, we often feel we don�t have time for journaling, and we drop the habit.

But this is a huge shame, as not only is journaling a rewarding experience in itself, it�s also a practice that can help you to cultivate a better mindset, more gratitude and overall greater happiness and calm.

So how does journaling offer all of those benefits?

In this presentation, that�s exactly what we�ll be looking at.

It Helps You Reflect on Your Day Firstly, journaling will help you to reflect on your day, and gives you the opportunity to think deeply about what went well and what went wrong.

This kind of �black box� thinking is perfect for making positive changes in your life, as it helps you to see where things could be going better.

It Provides a Record Another great reason to journal is that it allows you to remember things that you would otherwise have forgotten.

The simple act of writing things down helps to cement them in the memory, and to thereby ensure they have more lasting impact.

At the same time though, this also give you the option to read those things back and to relive days and weeks from your history.

Not only does this give you a better sense of perspective and context for your life, but it also means your memories become fuller.

That in turn makes your life seem longer and richer, which helps to make you a more contented and well-developed individual.

Gratitude Journaling doesn�t just mean writing down what happened during the day.

It can also mean taking part in various different exercises.

One such exercise is gratitude.

Take some time each day to write down three things that you are grateful for.

This practice will help you to remember that you already have so much, and to not simply focus on the things you don�t have.

Guess which makes you happier?

Self-Love Another similar exercise is to write down three more things, this time things that you like about yourself.

Alternatively, you could write down nice complements that others have paid you.

This helps us to focus more on our positive traits, rather than negative ones � as we so often do.

Simply taking the time to bask in these feelings of self-love can transform the way you feel on a daily basis.

And it�s all thanks to journaling!