SELF HARM RESOURCES

Gratitude Journal

 

This journal does not often help in a moment of crisis, but it can be a helpful part of a long-term recovery plan.  For most struggling with self-harm, negative thoughts abound in our lives.  It is easy to be overwhelmed with negativity and struggle to think positively about anything.  Our typical mundane thoughts are often tinged with unintended negativity we don't always even notice.  Like the metaphorical black cloud, negativity follows us everywhere.

 

What a Gratitude Journal seeks to do is help you re-train your mind to notice some more of the positive things that exist around you.  It's certainly not a quick-fix, but by taking a little time out of every day (no matter how terrible a day), eventually we can start to change the type of thoughts that float around our minds all the time, replacing some of the heaps of negativity with spots of realism or optimism.

 

There are MANY ways to write a Gratitude Journal.  Here is one way:

1. Get a new Journal of some form. 

2. Decide how many things you want to be grateful of each day.  (3-5 is a good range)

3. Begin in the morning.  See if you can list all 5 things you feel grateful for.

4. If you still have a few more to think of, leave your list alone for a while.  Perhaps put it in a purse/backpack and take it with you.

5. Jot down whatever else you realize you are grateful for today.

6. Later that afternoon/evening/night finish your list.

7. Be gentle with yourself if it takes time.  It's okay if this is really hard.

 

TIP:

• Try not to repeat yourself too often.

• Avoid big statements like: I'm grateful for my food, water, and house.

• Instead, try to pin point moments, specific actions, and small details that you are grateful for.  This not only means you'll be more likely to think of something new tomorrow, but it also means you're more likely to have some emotional attachment to each item on the list.  In short, your list will mean more to you.

 

A Gratitude list might look like this:

• I am grateful that Mike thought of me today and sent me a morning text.  That was very kind of him.

• I am grateful that I didn't kill the rose bushes last fall because they are really pretty outside.

• I am grateful my bed is warm because as miserable as I feel today, at least I can be miserable under soft covers.

• I am grateful she let me borrow her sweatshirt because it's absolutely freezing tonight.

• I am grateful that my rabbit doesn't mind me holding him so much, because it's very comforting to just sit and pet him.

• I am grateful that my textbooks shipped on time.  I was really worried they would be late, and so it's a big relief.

• I am grateful no one else goes to office hours, because I really enjoyed talking to my professor this morning.

• I am grateful that counselors are trained about self-harm because I don't know what I would've done if she thought I was a freak or crazy for it.  Instead she is really chill. And that's really really nice.

 

Here are some articles discussing other ways of using a Gratitude Journal as well as their advice and tips

• http://tinybuddha.com/blog/turn-pain-to-joy-11-tips-for-a-powerful-gratitude-journal/

• http://stress.about.com/od/positiveattitude/ht/gratitude_journ.htm