Gratitude journal
A gratitude journal is a small exercise: you regularly write down what you are grateful for – and consciously turn your attention to the good.
What is a gratitude journal?
A gratitude journal is a notebook in which you regularly write down what you are grateful for: a kind word, a good meal, a day that went well. The exercise is simple and comes from the world of mindfulness and well-being. Many people find it helpful for noticing the good more consciously. How strong the effect is differs from person to person; for mental strain it is no substitute for professional help.
How to get started
Short and concrete beats long and general: one to three sentences, ideally at a fixed time such as the evening. Instead of “family” you write what exactly was nice that day. Some also note their mood. There is no right or wrong, and nobody grades your entries.
What to keep in mind
A journal is personal. With digital offerings it is therefore worth checking where the entries are kept: only on your device or on the provider's server? Are they encrypted? Who can read them, for example for moderation? Only write what you are happy to store there, and back up anything important yourself as well.
On Friendstime
On Friendstime you find the gratitude journal in the browser on the “Well-being” page, in the app under “Gratitude”. To the question “What are you grateful for today?” you write up to 1,000 characters and can optionally pick a mood from one to five. Entries appear with the newest on top; you can delete your own entries. They are stored on the Friendstime server so that browser and app show the same state; the app also keeps a cache for viewing without a connection and a local draft. Friendstime does not show your entries to other users. They are not end-to-end encrypted, are stored as plain text on the server, and authorised team members can view them for moderation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to write every day?
No. On Friendstime you can add and delete entries at any time; there is no obligation to write daily.
Who can read my entries?
Other users do not see them on Friendstime. The entries are, however, not end-to-end encrypted and are stored as plain text on the server; authorised team members can view them for moderation. Do not put anything in that you would not want to store there.
Are the entries the same on my phone and in the browser?
Yes. They are stored on the server and are the same state in browser and app. The app shows the most recently loaded state even without a connection.
Related terms
Related topics
Try Friendstime
Signing up takes a minute and is free.