Maintaining a gratitude journal is an easy way to practice gratitude. Below are 14 free printable gratitude coloring pages.
The benefits of practicing gratitude
It doesn’t matter what you are grateful for – that feeling of gratitude makes you happy. And while feeling grateful now and again is advantageous, the continuous daily practice of thankfulness can have a significant effect on your life and the way you see the world. And this is not hyperbole. Neuroscientists say that…
Neurons that fire together wire together.
This means that the more we run a neural circuit in our brain, the stronger that circuit gets. So if you start the practice of thankfulness, and you stick to it, that neural circuit becomes stronger.
And why is this a big deal? Because gratitude brings joy and happiness, and those are the neural pathways you’ll be fortifying in your brain. With repetition, thankfulness becomes your default setting.
The same is true of the opposite. For example, if you are constantly trying to find fault with things, you will form neural circuits in your brain that have you continually looking for the negative in life. Continually looking for negativity obviously does not bring joy, so these are not neural circuits you’d want as default settings in your brain.
But changing our mindsets in this way does not happen quickly. It takes time, but once those “thankful” neural pathways are set, we see the world through “thankful eyes”.
The practice of thankfulness and gratitude is also linked to our mental, emotional, and physical health. When we practice daily thankfulness (with a gratitude journal template, for example), we are better able to control our thoughts and feelings. Our lives are likely to be more peaceful because we are less stressed and anxious.
How to practice gratitude – 8 easy-to-implement methods.
Gratitude Journal Templates
These free printables and downloads can be used daily as a gratitude journal template. Print as many as you like, as often as you like. To print or download, simply click the link below your preferred free printable gratitude journal template.
If you prefer to write your own journal entries, instead of coloring general gratitude quotes, we also have free printable I Am Thankful journal coloring pages.
Free Printable “I Am Thankful” Journal Coloring Pages for Adults
