Gratitude Writing

I have always enjoyed writing. Growing up I watched my Mum and Aunt writing in journals and so I was also encouraged to write about my feelings and everyday doings. I have many journals from over the years and now as an adult, I still journal and expanded into blogging as well. Having suffered with on/off depression growing up, which I now realise was the precursor to Bipolar 2, writing has always helped me to express what's going on inside. I am quite an open and honest person so writing a blog was naturally the next step for me I guess. 

Over the last few months, I came across the women at Awesome Inc. who make gratitude journals. I believe in appreciating every little thing in life so this was something that I was drawn to straight away. I purchased one for myself and later on, one for my sister and another for a friend. 

I have written in mine fairly regularly however recently I fell into a bit of a mood slump. Although I am medicated for my Bipolar and for the most part it is managed and stable, I still have minor highs and lows. Much like everyone else, I am just more probe to these swings and can predict certain mood changes with feelings that I will experience before a high or a low. 

Anyway, my mood had dropped and it becomes a lot harder to think of things you feel grateful for when your mind is a blank or you generally just cant be bothered. I noticed that I had not been writing in my gratitude journal. I was feel frustrated, agitated and most of my comments were negative so I pushed myself to sit with my journal and find a few things that I felt grateful for during the day. Even if it was only one thing and I found that this helped me focus on the positives therefore helping lift my mood. It doesn't work miracles but it certainly improved my disgusting mood slightly, which is better for me and ultimately those around me haha.