11 thoughtful journal prompts to deepen your gratitude practice
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. (Ok every day is the perfect time for this… but this can be such a busy time of year as we get closer to the holidays, and it’s easy to lose sight of the little joys that surround us every day.)
Even though I’m Canadian, so I celebrated Thanksgiving in October, seeing everyone post about their Thanksgiving gatherings on social media reminds me to take a minute to be thankful. To pause, slow down and focus on the abundance in my life—from the big things like family, friends and health, to little things like a warm cup of coffee in the morning or a beautiful sunset.
One of the best ways to slow down is to incorporate a gratitude practice through journaling. Journaling gives you a space to reflect on what’s going well, reframe challenges, and deepen your appreciation for life’s simple joys.
Below are 11 thoughtful journal prompts to help you cultivate gratitude, that you can come back to any time, not just on Thanksgiving. Find a little time to sit in reflection with one, a few, or all of them and see how gratitude can shift your perspective.
11 journal prompts to cultivate gratitude
- What are three things you’re grateful for today, and why?
- What’s something you see or use everyday but often take for granted?
- Who has made a positive impact on your life recently? How can you show your appreciation?
- What small, everyday moments bring you the most joy?
- Reflect on a place you love—what makes it special to you?
- What’s something you have now that you once wished for?
- List five things in your current environment that you’re thankful for.
- Write about a challenge you faced and how it led to something you’re now thankful for.
- Write about a lesson you’ve learned that has shaped you in a positive way.
- How does practicing gratitude make you feel, and how can you make it a habit?
- What is one memory that always makes you smile, and why does it mean so much?
I hope you found these prompts helpful! For more prompts or to learn more about journaling, check out this page.
