I’m no expert on happiness, but I do know a thing or two about self-care and how even the smallest habits can improve your mental and emotional wellbeing. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours buried in self-help books, absorbing advice from the world’s most influential people on how to improve the quality of my life. “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Outlive” by Peter Attia and Bill Gifford, and “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron remain some of my all-time favorites.
The common theme throughout many of my most-read (and reread!) self-help guides is about the art of mindfulness – knowing not only when to slow down and take stock of all the good around you, but also how being more mindful can positively transform your life, beyond just your attitude. Journaling is one such way to incorporate more mindfulness into your everyday life, and this Season Journals Everyday Positive Journal ($35) has been a personal game-changer in helping me make a regular habit of it.
Ahead, I detail what sets this product apart from other gratitude journals – including how I use it in my daily routine, what it includes, and who would most benefit from investing in this self-care essential.
What Is a Daily Gratitude Journal?
As indicated by the name, a daily gratitude journal is a tool you can use (spoiler!) every day to log your thoughts, manifestations, and prayers, with guided prompts that invite you to be more mindful. While gratitude journals vary in format, they’re all designed to help you develop a more consistent journaling habit, while also providing space to practice positivity and gratitude each day.
A 2020 research study promoted by UCLA Health found that practicing gratitude for 15 minutes per day, five days a week for six weeks improved participants’ mental wellbeing, and one of PS’s own contributors previously detailed the benefits of using a gratitude journal for anxiety.
What I Like About This Everyday Positive Journal
You’d think that someone who writes for a living would be better about journaling on the regular, but alas, it’s actually quite the opposite. Beyond filling in my daily planner, I’ve always struggled to implement a journaling routine that sticks. But unlike other guided journals, this log doesn’t require a huge time commitment; each day, it takes me no longer than two to three minutes to fill in the provided journal prompt, which usually focuses on self-reflection and self-love. With how hectic my daily schedule can get, I like that this diary offers a quick way for me to write out my thoughts, without requiring a huge chunk of time in my morning routine.
I also like that this gratitude journal has changed the way I think about and approach situations. I have a tendency to overanalyze things and make my problems seem bigger than they actually are; chronic main-character syndrome, if you will. While I don’t deny the validity of my emotions, it does help to put some of my reactions into perspective and remember that the world is actually much bigger than whatever is going on in my day-to-day life. It’s easy to take my blessings for granted or forget how fortunate I am.
With this daily gratitude journal, I’ve gotten much better about recognizing the positives in my life, and as a result, I can approach obstacles with a more measured, optimistic perspective. Since incorporating this gratitude diary into my everyday routine, my friends – ever the sources of earnest, tough love – have also acknowledged that I seem more hopeful (even noting that it’s a “refreshing” departure from my usual cynical state). What else are friends for, right?
How to Use the Everyday Positive Journal
In theory, there’s no right or wrong way to use this gratitude journal – it’s more about incorporating it into your routine in a way that’s functional for your lifestyle. I personally like to use it first thing in the morning when I wake up and then again before I go to bed. Instead of reaching for my phone for a doom-scroll that’s bound to upset me, I pull out my gratitude journal. Over time, this has trained my brain to think more positively at the start and end of my days.
The posed questions often vary: “How will I show myself love?” “What will guide my day?” “What happened today?” “What am I grateful for?” They’re simple questions that have conditioned me to acknowledge even the littlest blessings: the comfort of ice-cold water, a soft pillow to lay my head on each night, friends that text me to check in, healthy parents that live only a few minutes away.
What’s Worth Noting?
While this journal is designed for everyday use, it only includes enough pages for four months (120 days). Unlike a 12-month planner that you can use for the entirety of the year, this journal only has enough daily prompts for a third of it, so you’ll need to purchase additional journals to get you through the entire year, or consider finding a gratitude journal with enough prompts for the whole of 2025.
Who Is the Everyday Positive Journal Best For?
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your mental wellbeing and dedicate more time to positive thinking, this daily journal is a great tool to help you kick-start that habit. It’s modern-looking (and looks great perched on a nightstand or bookshelf), easy to fill in, and requires only two to three minutes of your day, so it’s something that even the busiest individuals can fit into their schedules.
Additional Details:
- The Season Journals Everyday Positive Journal has 120 days of daily journaling, equal to four months.
- It’s a hardcover book, and comes with a linen cloth cover and two ribbon markers.
- This journal is designed for everyday use, but the Season Journals brand also offers milestone diaries that are designed to support people in different seasons of their lives, including a marriage journal and a pregnancy journal.
Where Is the Everyday Positive Journal Available?
This everyday journal is available to shop at Season Journals and Amazon.
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Kyley Warren (she/her) is an award-winning writer, editor, and affiliate strategist with more than four years of experience in the publishing space. She currently works as an assistant editor on PS Shopping and is an expert on all things related to shopping and fashion. She previously worked with Entertainment Tonight as a style commerce writer, and her byline has appeared in publications globally.
