Tomorrow, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day and on that theme I want to share with you the one thing that has helped me over the years:
Be Grateful.
Gareth Snelson
It sounds almost too simple, yet it works.
I used to keep a grateful log which, annoyingly, I can’t find anywhere now. It was so easy to fill in, taking maybe 4-5 minutes daily, and it looked pretty too. It would be close to a year before I realised that I no longer needed it as I would be saying ‘thank you’ throughout out the day.
For example: I’m out on a run. My breathing is relaxed, I’m feeling comfortable, I give thanks to my body for taking me out, and not suffering with my asthma. Any rain on my face I will thank as it helps me feel cool. The sun on my back will be thanked for reminding me seasons do change, and warmth will return. I will say hello to everyone, smile, and be grateful that we are alive. I say hello to the birds too, why not? How do you know they aren’t listening?
That works for me, but I needed a grateful log to get me started.
I mentioned my log in a post last month (or July, as it turns out!) and Catherine very kindly shared me hers, which you can see below. There are plenty out there. Mine was called The Five Minute Journal. Personally I much prefer paper and pen, but you will find plenty of apps if they are your preference and I have listed my favourites further down the page.
The 6 Minute Diary 
daily log
You do not need to have them, You can get a notebook and just write from these headings every day:
Morning
I am grateful for –
1
2
3
This is how I will make today awesome –
Positive affirmation – “I am…
Evening
My good deed today –
How I will improve –
Great things I experienced today
1
2
3
It is that simple. And it works! Subconsciously we are always looking for things to support our point of view. This can be good, as in this example, or bad, which you will hear more on in the future. Remember when you last bought a car? You were not that aware of the car until you chose a particular model. But once you had it, or had made the final decision, they were everywhere. Your brain was now hard-wired to see them. In the same way, as you write down three things you are grateful for every morning, you will start to see more and more things that fill you with gratitude. Try it. You have nothing to lose
My three top gratitude apps
I have tried all of these, but for me paper and pen will always rule
Day One.
Only worth it, i feel, if you have an iPhone and iMac. So much more than a simple journal. You can use it as a diary, a travelog, as a photo store, an organiser and reminder. You can even do audio instead of typing. Like most of these style of app it is a freemium but the basic has little functionality. Currently 32.99 a year. The Android version is nowhere near as good.
5 Minute Journal (iOS, Android)
This is the app version of my journal. great value at 4.99 one off cost
Custom Journal (iOS, Android)
Super simple to use, yet it also has loads of editable options, to create the perfect journal for you. £14.97 a year
