53 Gratitude Journal Prompts to Cultivate Joy Within

Below, check out 53 inspiring gratitude journal prompts designed to raise your vibrations, bring positivity to every situation, and cultivate true joy within! To make these journal prompts easily accessible, I’ve created a free printable with all 53 journal prompts in one easy-to-find spot. Scroll to the bottom of this post to get yours today!

Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces in this world.

I know that might seem like a bit of an overstatement, but from personal experience, adding a true gratitude practice to my daily routine has 100% changed my life for the better. Not only has it made me generally just a happier person, but it’s allowed me to become better at finding the good within seemingly bad situations.

This, in turn, has made me become more resilient and less susceptible to negative emotions.

And not only that, but I truly believe that the more I feel grateful for what I have, the more wonderful things flow into my life to feel grateful for.

Gratitude can be practiced in an infinite amount of ways. One of my favorite gratitude practices is to simply think about three things I’m grateful for when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night. I also find it helpful to write down three things I’m grateful for each day in a notebook or journal along with a reason why I’m grateful for each item on my list.

I know a few people who like to write down one to three things they’re grateful for every day on a slip of paper. Then, they put that slip of paper in some kind of container or box. And at the end of the year, they empty out all of the slips and read through them all. This is a powerful practice to not only cultivate daily gratitude but also to end the past year and start the new one with authentic joy and a positive perspective.

Gratitude journals are a profound gratitude practice because it allows you to truly sit and be present with your gratitude for an extended amount of time.

Below are 53 gratitude journal prompts you can use to cultivate a true sense of gratitude in your daily life. These prompts center around nurturing joyful feelings as well as recognizing the positive people, moments, memories, and things in your life.

Take as much or as little time you need each day as you work through these prompts. What I love about gratitude journal prompts is that it isn’t a one-and-done kind of thing. For most of these, you can use the same prompts over and over to continue your gratitude practice for months (and years) to come.

Gratitude Quotes

Before we get started on the prompts, here are a few of my favorite gratitude quotes that show how powerful a gratitude practice can truly be.

“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” – Rumi

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” – Tony Robbins

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus

“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” – Germany Kent

“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now.” – Oprah Winfrey

Want more Journal Prompts? Check out these posts!

Gratitude Journal Prompts

Describe a person you’re grateful to have in your life. List the reasons why you’re especially grateful for this person.
List all the awesome things your body is capable of and why you’re grateful for the body you have right now, exactly as it is.
What are the three best things that happened yesterday? (Or, if you’re journaling in the evening, what are the three best things that happened today?)
What are three reasons you’re excited about tomorrow?
What are some obstacles and challenges you’ve experienced that you now feel grateful for, even if it was hard to appreciate it at the time?
What aspects of your current job do you appreciate the most?
What positive qualities do you possess that you especially love about yourself?
Describe one of your favorite memories and what you appreciate most about that moment in time.
What aspects of your childhood are you most grateful for?
What do you love most about your home? What about this space makes you feel happy, grateful, and content?
What profound life lessons did a parent or important adult in your life teach you growing up that you still hold in your heart today?
What about this time of year makes you feel most grateful?
What are ten positive things that fill your heart with gratitude every morning when you wake up?
Describe a scent that you associate with warm and happy memories. Describe one or more of the positive memories that you associate with this scent and how it makes you feel.
Describe a moment in your life when you pushed past your fear and succeeded in something you weren’t sure you could do. How did it make you feel?
Describe an accomplishment that you feel really proud of. What qualities do you possess that helped you to reach that achievement?
What risks have you taken that you feel really grateful you took?
What are some of your favorite self-care activities? What does self-care mean to you? What positive feelings do you associate with self-care?
How have you changed in the past ten years? What positive changes are you most grateful for?
Think about someone you may not see eye-to-eye with or get along with (either in your past or present). What lessons has this person taught you, and why are you grateful to have them in your life?
What’s your favorite way to spread cheer to others? What talents and qualities do you have that make you an awesome friend and cheerleader to others?
What’s a funny story from your past that makes you laugh every time you think about it? What other positive emotions do you feel when you think of this memory?
Describe a time when somebody gave you a sincere compliment that made you feel really good. What makes that compliment stand out the most to you?
Who were your best high school friends? Even if you don’t keep in touch anymore, what makes you most grateful for having them during that period of your life?
Who are your best friends now? Why are you grateful for these friendships?
List 20 things you’re grateful for in your life right now, and give a one-word sentence on why you’re grateful for each of these things.
List all the things you love most about your partner. If you don’t have a partner, choose someone who has a substantial positive impact on your current life.
What talents do you have that you feel especially grateful for?
What’s a luxury in your life that you’re grateful to have?
Describe your favorite time of day (morning, afternoon, night) and what you love most about it.
Look around the room you’re in right now. Describe all the things in this room that you feel grateful for.
What’s a really small thing that’s happened recently that you feel thankful for?
What’s one (or more) negative habits you’ve quit that you’re grateful for?
What’s one (or more) positive habits you’ve started that you’re grateful for?
Write about a difficult life lesson you had to learn the hard way and why you’re grateful to have had that experience.
List all the people in your life who make you feel loved. What types of things do they do and say that make you feel loved and appreciated?
Write about the hardest day you’ve had recently and why you’re grateful to have had such a day.
Name one person you don’t know personally who inspires you. Why do they inspire you? Why are you grateful for this person’s presence?
Name one person you do know personally who inspires you. Why do they inspire you? Why are you grateful for this person’s presence?
What people, experiences, or things in your life do you sometimes take for granted? Take this time now to write down your appreciation for these things.
List everything that makes you feel happy right now.
What awesome superpower do you possess that you feel extra grateful to have?
What challenges are you currently experiencing? How can you bring more gratitude to the situation when approaching these challenges?
What seemingly boring household items do you possess that you feel grateful for? What would your life be like without these items?
What’s your least favorite household chore to do? In what ways are you grateful to get to do this chore? Bonus: Are there any ways you can bring more fun to doing this chore?
Write about your favorite place that brings you peace and tranquility within. What about this place makes you feel most grateful?
Write about a time when exactly what you needed came to you at exactly the right time.
Think of someone in your life whose personality traits are the complete opposite of yours (maybe even frustratingly so). What has this person taught you, and why are you grateful they’re in your life?
What’s one thing you have today that you didn’t have a year ago? This can be a person, a physical object, or an awesome opportunity like a new job. Why are you grateful to have this person or thing in your life today?
Describe a positive internal shift that you’ve experienced in the past year. What led you to experiencing this shift within? Why are you grateful for this shift?
Describe a movie or book that altered your perception or changed your life in a positive way. In what ways did this movie or book change you for the better? Why are you glad to have had watched this movie or read this book?
What does gratitude mean to you?
How does practicing gratitude make you feel? How can you bring more gratitude into your daily life?

For more inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, where I have boards for Journal Prompts, Daily Affirmations, Gratitude, Manifestation, Mindfulness, and more!

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Zanna Keithley

Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.