Journaling to Process Difficult Situations & Emotions
Gratitude is one of the most common and powerful journaling practices. At first glance, it’s simple: write down what you’re grateful for. But done intentionally, it can shift the way we see the world, and ourselves.
WHY THIS EXERCISE
Because of something called hedonic adaptation. It’s an inner wiring that we all share as humans: we quickly get used to good things.
Studies show, for example, that lottery winners return to their baseline level of happiness within two years. Our minds are wired to focus on the next thing, often forgetting what we already have.
Practicing gratitude is a way to pause that mental treadmill. It helps us focus less on what’s missing and more on what’s already here. Even more powerfully, it gives us back a sense of control, by showing us we can’t always change circumstances, but we can change how we see them.
EXERCISE FLOW
This practice unfolds in two main parts. The first invites you to connect with moments of everyday gratitude; the second supports you in bringing gratitude into more challenging experiences. Each section includes reflection prompts to guide your process.
Grateful in the Everyday: Tune into the often overlooked, small details that bring comfort or joy.
Gratitude in Difficult Times: Explore how even challenges can hold hidden meaning or growth.
Feel free to adapt this to your own pace and needs.
There’s no right or wrong way to reflect.
DETAILED PROMPTS
1. The Light Version – Grateful in the Everyday
List as many things as you’re grateful for right now. Don’t just stick to the big stuff—like your health, your job, or your people. Try including small, specific moments:
A flower you noticed this morning
A kind smile from a stranger in the lift
That one moment of calm in a hectic day If you do this daily, it starts to shift how you see the world. You begin to look for good things—because you know you’ll write about them later. It rewires your attention, gently.
2. The Deeper Version – Gratitude in Difficult Times
This one’s for when you’re going through something hard, or longing for something that hasn’t arrived yet.
It could be a job you don’t have, a relationship you want, or just a general feeling of struggle.
It unfolds in three steps:
Step 1: Look Back
Think of a time, whether last year or five years ago, when something didn’t work out, or life felt especially hard.
Remember what it was like at the time:
What were you going through? How did it feel? How did you try to cope?How do you look at this same situation, years on?
Are you glad certain things didn’t work out?
What did you learn?
What came out of that experience that you’re grateful for now?
Sometimes, you’ll be surprised. That thing you really wanted? You might be thankful it didn’t happen, or happened differently. Or at the very least, you’ll see how you grew and evolved.
Step 2: Look at the Present from the Future
Now zoom into the present, choosing a situation you're struggling with, or something you long for but don’t have.
Flesh it out:
What are you going through now?
What emotions, thoughts, or habits are showing up?If you were five years in the future, in 2030, looking back at this moment, how would you look at it?
What might you feel thankful for?
What good could possibly come out of this time? Take inspiration from Step 1 to help you further.
This last part isn’t easy—but it’s powerful. It helps reframe the narrative while you’re still living it.
Step 3: Take an Action
What’s one small thing you could do this week that reflects your shifted perspective?
For example, if you’re struggling with not having enough work, you might say: “Instead of stressing, I’ll take advantage of the free time now—I’ll go to the park in the morning.”
Even something tiny can help you reclaim the moment.
Why This Works
This exercise is rooted in narrative psychology. The idea that the way we tell the story of our life shapes our future.
For instance, when recovering alcoholics are asked to describe their “last drink,” those who frame it as a turning point (“That was my lowest moment, and then things got better”) are much more likely to stay sober than those who frame it as a loss (“That was the best drink I ever had…”).
Try using that same muscle. Begin telling the story of your life in a way that leaves room for hope, even when things are hard.