Gratitude Diary: Why Say Thank You to Yourself

Is it selfish to thank yourself for a new job or a bold haircut? No, this is a working technique that coaches and psychologists give credit to. “I thank myself" is the new mantra we need to memorize.

Motivational coaches and psychologists are increasingly talking about keeping a gratitude journal. But the history of this tradition is deeply rooted in the history of mankind. 

Who Invented the Gratitude Diary

The creator of the idea of ​​the benefits of gratitude was humanity itself. In any world religion, you can find principles that reveal the importance of praise and appreciation. Orthodoxy and Islam state that "thanksgiving is the essence of life." The Buddha attained Enlightenment because he knew how to be grateful. This is the case when religious teachings call for practices that will be good for mental health. 

Professor Robert Emmons from the University of California conducted an experiment to find out how gratitude affects a person. It turned out that those people who write in the diary the situations and the names of those who make them feel this feeling behave like optimists. The diary increases the level of satisfaction with life by 25%. Those who fill it out rarely suffer from anxiety and easily build social connections. Robert's colleagues at the University of Central Florida immediately recommended this practice to office workers as a way to get rid of stress and conflict with colleagues. 

Why thank yourself 

So, the feeling of gratitude should be present in our lives all the time – this is how we improve our well-being, make friends more easily and achieve our goals faster. It can be trained – just like the muscles of the abdomen or buttocks. The diary will teach us to appreciate every moment of life and pay less attention to the negative. 

They say that after the first 100 "thank you" written in the diary, you will feel calm and satisfied. Psychologists recommend writing down at least 10 thanks every day. Say them out loud and write them down in your diary. Thank your parents for the spontaneous call, your boss for sharing your experience, and the consultant for helping you choose the right perfume.

This feeling is like meditation. Therefore, if you get carried away and exceed the “limit”, then this will only benefit. Express gratitude even for the bad things that you managed to avoid. Or failed, but you gained useful experience. 

Thanking yourself is the easiest thing to do. And it also motivates you to eat right, exercise and build good relationships with others. After all, the list of reasons for gratitude to yourself becomes even longer! 

Every “thank you” you say to yourself boosts your self-esteem, teaches you not to be afraid to ask for help, and helps you work through trauma. And even if you don't like this practice, say "thank you for trying."