160 Awesome Gratitude Journal Prompts for a New Outlook on Life

One of the BEST ways to change your life and improve your attitude is journaling on a regular basis. Most people want to journal about topics that will help with personal growth and creating a happier life. One of the BEST ways to create a happier life and enhance your personal growth is to develop GRATITUDE for all that is wonderful around you. For this, you should begin with gratitude journal prompts (alternatively called gratitude writing prompts) that help you develop and maintain a positive mindset of gratitude.

There are an infinite number of personal growth journal prompts to help you improve your life in various areas — but gratitude journaling is one of the very best ways to begin! So let’s move on!

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Related Article: 30 Self Reflection Journal Prompts for Personal Growth

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Why Use Gratitude Journal Prompts?

Are you looking for a new outlook on life? Are you seeking to find more happiness in your world? Then you’re in the right place. This article will help you 1) understand the meaning of gratitude; 2) and shift your mindset to one of appreciation and gratitude.

Gratitude is an amazingly powerful word — and a positive outlook on life. If you learn to be grateful for all that is good around you, you will learn how to cultivate happiness through a heart of gratitude.

There are a lot of definitions for gratitude but they all mean about the same thing: a state or mindset of being grateful, appreciative, thankful, pleased, blessed, or satisfied. Gratitude applies to those things in your life that can make your life better, happier, or even healthier. Gratitude can apply to big things or little things in life!

According to Mindful.org — the voice of the emerging mindfulness community — gratitude has incredible effects, from improving our mental health to boosting our relationships with others.

Gratitude is a significant component of mindfulness and it isn’t difficult to develop — it just takes practice. The more you can build your capacity for gratitude, the more you will notice things to be grateful for and things to be unbothered by.  Then the happier you will become.

This is where journaling can change your life! The consistent practice of journaling can help you develop a habit — and when you focus on daily gratitude journal prompts, you will learn to naturally practice gratitude every day. Stephanie, from My Saltwater Skyline, has a great article about how to use a gratitude journal to change your mindset if you need more inspiration!

By the way, you can use a simple spiral notebook for your daily journaling, or you can buy a pretty journal and cool colored pens (or pencils) to get fancy with your journaling — it’s the thought-process that matters most!

160 Awesome Gratitude Journal Prompts

Use these 160 awesome gratitude journal prompts in your Daily Gratitude Journal to help you develop a new outlook on LIFE! That’s more than five months of gratitude journal prompts! You’ll note some of these gratitude journal prompts are written as “think about” statements and some are written as gratitude journal questions — they serve the same purpose.

Gratitude Journal Prompts #1-40

1. Think and write about a person who always makes you laugh.  
2. Write about an event in your life that changed it for the better. 
3. Who has loved you unconditionally and how did you know? 
4. What guilty pleasure are you secretly grateful for? 
5. Think and write about a person in your life that you are grateful for, but sometimes take for granted. How can you fix this?
6. Who or what made you smile today?
7. What was the most delicious meal you’ve eaten recently and who did you enjoy it with? 
8. What is something great about your community?
9. Write about something that always makes you smile, no matter what. 
10. What part of your living space do you enjoy the most and why?  
11. Write down one good thing that happened to you today.
12. Write about someone who served as a mentor to you in life (whether they knew it or not)? 
13. Write about three special skills or talents you have that serve you well.
14. What do you really appreciate about your life?  
15. Write about your favorite mundane moment of today. Why was it your favorite?
16. How have you made a difference in someone’s life recently? 
17. Write about a positive interaction you had with a stranger. 
18. List 5 positive characteristics of the first person you talked to this morning.
19. What was your best day ever and why?
20. List 5 things that spark your curiosity and inspire your interest.
21. What friend are you most grateful for? What makes that person special? 
22. What or who makes you laugh so hard you get tears in your eyes? 
23. Where is your “happy place” and why do you love it so much?
24. What positive impact did you have on the world this week?
25. What have you done recently express gratitude? 
26. Write about one thing you own that makes every day a little bit easier and why.
27. Which of your character traits are you most grateful for and why? 
28. What are your favorite things in the natural world and why? 
29. What are you most grateful for about your daily routine and why?
30. What do you genuinely enjoy doing alone and why? 
31. Write about a time a stranger did a favor for you?
32. Write about something you think is adorable. 
33. What 5 songs are you grateful for? Why? 
34. Write about what makes your pet so special.
35. What freedoms are you grateful for and why? 
36. How have you grown in the past year and what benefits do you see from this growth?
37. What book or movie are you grateful for? How did it impact you? 
38. Write about a favorite memory from your childhood.
39. Write about the most memorable conversation you’ve had recently.
40. Who helps you achieve your goals? 

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Related Article: 31 Powerful Journaling Prompts for Healing and Recovery

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Gratitude Journal Prompts #41-80

41. List 10 frivolous things that bring you joy.
42. What is something you could NOT live without and why?
43. Write about a random act of kindness you’ve experienced recently.
44. What does unconditional love mean to you?
45. Who taught you about unconditional love? 
46. What about your upbringing are you most grateful for?
47. Who made you feel good this week and how?     
48. Make a list of three attributes that you are grateful for in your closest friend.
49. Make a list of five reasons you feel fortunate today.
50. Do you think you are doing enough to feel grateful? How can you feel more thankful?
51. Make a list of three physical features that make you feel blessed.
52. Describe three occasions when you felt you were incredibly lucky.
53. Describe a time when you went out of your way to help someone.
54. Describe an occasion when someone went out of their way to help you.
55. Describe an event that evoked a wonderful warm feeling in you.
56. Describe an incident that made you laugh out loud.
57. How do you think you can improve your mindfulness?
58. Write about what you like the best about your family.
59. What do you like most about your home and why?
60. What do you like the most about your neighborhood and why?
61. What do you like the most about your country and why?
62. Write about someone who made a huge impact on your life.
63. Write about reasons it would be great to spend more time close to nature.
64. Write about a past struggle in your life that you managed to overcome.
65. Write about someone in your life who helped you overcome a major obstacle in your life.
66. Describe an incident in life that strengthened your character. 
67. Describe some gadgets that make your life easier.
68. Write about the people who make your life easier.
69. What were some of your achievements today?
70. Describe something good that happened to you today.
71. Do you feel happy about how the day turned out to be today? Why or why not?
72. What are your plans for improving tomorrow?
73. What needs to happen in your life to make it great right now? How are you going to make that happen?
74. Describe a nice thing that you did for someone today. What prompted you to do that and how did it make you feel?
75. Describe something nice another person did for you today. How did you show your appreciation? 
76. Make a list of the people in your life you are the most thankful for. What makes them special?
77. How do you express your gratitude to others?
78. Think and write about three ways you can feel more grateful by giving back to society.
79. What are your biggest accomplishments in your life so far?
80. Who is your go-to person when you are feeling low and why?

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Related Article: A Year of 28 Day Challenges for Personal Growth

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Gratitude Journal Prompts #81-120

81. How can you be kinder and more compassionate?
82. Make a list of friends you are blessed to have in your life. Give reasons.
83. Who is your 3 a.m. friend? What makes that person special?
84. Make a list of people you admire. Give reasons.
85. Think and write about the worst irritants in your life.
86. How can you change your perspective to make irritants in your life more manageable?
87. Describe the worst phase in your life.
88. Write about how you manage to keep your cool during difficult times?
89. Describe five things that raise your stress levels.
90. What are 5 things you can do to reduce your stress levels?
91. Describe an unintentional mistake you made and how you handled the situation.
92. What three people annoy you the most? Make a list of three good attributes for each one of them.
93. Describe some happy memories you have of times spent with your parents.
94. Describe some happy memories you have of times spent with your siblings/friends.
95. Make a list of your favorite hobbies. Why do they bring you so much joy?
96. Describe your best vacation. What makes it better than others?
97. What is your favorite vacation destination? Why? 
98. How can you help people who are less fortunate than you?
99. Do you consider yourself a likable person? What makes you likable? Or, how could you be more likeable?
100. Describe two unique skills you possess and how you use these skills for good.
101. What is your favorite part of the day and why?
102. What is your favorite food and why?
103. What do you love about today’s weather?
104. What is the hardest thing you had to do? How did you manage that?
105. Describe a perfect day you enjoyed recently. 
106. Make a list of five things you have now but did not have five years back. How does it make you feel?
107. What are some positive takeaways from your negative traits?
108. How has modern technology changed your life?
109. Describe something you are very good at and you are appreciated for.
110. Describe the last time you felt insanely happy.
111. Describe the last time you felt completely peaceful.
112. What is your favorite saying or quote that you like to share with others? Explain. 
113. Describe your emotions when cheering for your favorite sports team.
114. Make a list of five things you cannot do without every day.
115. Describe yourself in one word. Why do you think it describes you?
116. Describe your favorite season. Why?
117. What makes you feel beautiful and why?
118. What do you eagerly look forward to each week and why?
119. What is your favorite activity to do with other people? Why?
120. Describe your oldest friendship. Why do you think it has lasted so long?

Gratitude Journal Prompts #121-160

121. Who did you want to be when you were a child and why?
122. Describe the most challenging person you have ever had to deal with and how you managed.
123. How do you perk yourself up when you are sad?
124. Describe a gift you enjoyed the most recently.
125. What is the goal you are pursuing now? How close are you to achieving it?
126. Describe your favorite emotion. Why do you like it?
127. What makes you feel the happiest and why?
128. Describe the one moment in life that you will cherish forever.
129. What do you love the most about your life?
130. When was the last time you looked at the petals of a flower and how did you feel?
131. Write about the last time you saw a butterfly and how it made you feel.
132. What are your favorite animals and why?
133. What’s a simple pleasure that you’re grateful for?
134. What’s something about your body or health that you’re grateful for?
135. Open the door or window and look outside. What’s something you’re grateful for outside?
136. Open your phone or photo album and find a photo that you like. Why are you grateful for this photo? What are you grateful for in the photo?
137. What do you like about your job and why?
138. What’s a family tradition that you’re grateful for?
139. What is something from each of your senses you are grateful for today? (sight, smell, taste, touch, sound)
140. What do you love about your morning routine, or how could you change it to make it better?
141. What do you love about your bedtime routine, or how could you change it to make it better?
142. What necessities in life are you most grateful for in your daily life?
143. What do you love most about life and why?
144. What is your favorite smell? How can you bring more of it to your life?
145. List 10 things you’ve learned in the last month.
146. What is one positive thing you’ve SAID to yourself today? 
147. What is your favorite thing about animals?
148. What do you enjoy most about children?
149. Describe your day yesterday and tell at least 3 great things about it.
150. What has been the best thing about being the age that you are now?
151. What is the most important piece of wisdom you have learned over time?
152. What is your favorite holiday? Why?
153. What is your current favorite television show and why?
154. What do you cherish most about your children and why?
155. What do you cherish most about your partner and why?
156. Make a list 5 things you will stop to notice and appreciate in the next 24 hours.
157. Think and write about the last self-care act you did for yourself. How did it make you feel?
158. Write a thank you speech for your life.
159. Write a thank you letter to a friend.
160. Write an essay about how gratitude positively impacts your life.

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If you are seeking additional motivation and support for your personal growth and development, you may be interested in the Sassy Sister Stuff 12-Month Personal Growth Planner that focuses on a different aspect of personal growth every month. It was designed to help you find real purpose and happiness in life.

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Final Thoughts: Gratitude Journal Prompts

Gratitude journal prompts are only the beginning as you seek a new outlook on life. As you practice writing about gratitude every day, you will discover a mind shift that allows you to start recognizing ALL the wonderful things around you. You won’t need to write about gratitude every day — you will start living a life of gratitude.

Another great area for self-reflection can be found in mindfulness journal prompts. These prompts tend to be very similar to gratitude journal prompts because they help you focus on what’s good in your life, or how to improve things through mindfulness.

You will develop a mindset that is focused on positivity rather than negativity. Your gratitude journal prompts will help your brain focus on all the positive things around you that can bring you joy.

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Those same gratitude journal prompts will impact the people around you, also. They will begin to notice your new attitude and gratitude for the little things — the birds, the flowers, the sunshine. They will see you living a life of gratitude and happiness. They may even be inspired by the new YOU!

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Related Article: 10 Important Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself at the End of the Year

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Good luck on your journey toward a new outlook on life with a healthy mindset of gratitude! You’ll find that it’s an incredible way to live your life!

Love to All! ~ Susan

How Are You Using Gratitude Journal Prompts to Improve Your Outlook on Life?

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