Gratitude Journaling - Pairing Prompts with Affirmations

Hello, friends,

Welcome to another edition of Unbound Gratitudes gratitude journaling.

Last week, in Prompts with a Punch, we explored specificity in prompts and how powerful they can be. We then looked into intermediate and advanced prompts, which we hope you enjoyed exploring.

This week, we will explore creating prompts and pairing them with affirmations. We do this because affirmations are more powerful when specific to you and your prompts.

A step-by-step guide on Pairing Prompts with Affirmations

1. Start with a Focused Prompt:

   Choose a prompt that resonates with your current emotional or personal needs. For example, if you're working on self-compassion, your prompt might be, "What is one mistake I made today, and how can I forgive myself?"

2. Reflect Deeply:

   In this section, we write a journal entry about our prompt by thinking deeply about it. Write freely, without censorship and let your thoughts flow. This section will be the basis for crafting your affirmation.

   (My trigger words for reflecting and thinking deeply are ‘Drop in’. This phrase gives my brain the necessary instruction to quiet down and then allow it to fall into a place of focused thought.)

3. Craft Your Affirmation:

   Based on your above responses, create an affirmation that reinforces a positive perspective or action. Following our example, an affirmation could be, "I am human, and imperfection is part of my journey. Forgiving myself is an act of self-love. I choose to treat myself with kindness and understanding."

4. Integrate Personal Relevance:

   Ensure that your affirmation speaks directly to your feelings and aspirations. It should be meaningful and personally motivating, framed in a positive, present tense.

5. Repeat and Reinforce:

   Use the affirmation daily. You might want to write it at the top of your journal page, say it aloud during your morning routine, or even post it where you'll see it throughout the day.

   (I have a whiteboard on my desk with my affirmation written on it. Every day, when I sit at my desk or walk past it, the affirmation hits me front and centre. This practice alone has brought my negative protective brain out of its fog and moved me back to the meaningful present.)

Examples to Get You Started

Gratitude Prompt: "What healthy meal did you enjoy today that made you feel good?"

1. Affirmation Suggestion: "Cooking a nutritious stir-fry for dinner made me feel energised and proud of my healthy choices. I'll plan another healthy meal for tomorrow to keep feeling great."

2. Affirmation Suggestion: "Savouring a fresh, colourful salad for lunch left me feeling refreshed and satisfied. I'll make it a point to include more fresh vegetables in my meals, enhancing my diet with vibrant nutrients."

3. Affirmation Suggestion: "Starting my day with a smoothie packed with fruits and seeds boosted my energy levels. I'll prep my ingredients the night before to maintain this wholesome habit each morning."

Gratitude Prompt: "How did you nurture your creativity today?"

1. Affirmation Suggestion: “I dedicated time to sketching, allowing my ideas to flow freely. I'll set aside regular creative sessions to keep this spark alive."

2. Affirmation Suggestion: "Experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen ignited my culinary creativity. I'll challenge myself to try new dishes weekly."

3. Affirmation Suggestion: "Writing in my journal from a different perspective unleashed new insights. I'll continue to explore various writing styles to expand my creative expression."

Conclusion:

Pairing prompts with affirmations is more than just a writing exercise; it's a self-empowerment ritual. This practice not only deepens your gratitude but also reinforces your journey towards personal fulfilment and happiness.

Gratitude Gem

Conversation Corner

'Hey Jill, I noticed this week's theme is about pairing prompts with affirmations,’ Jack said. ‘What's that all about?'

'It’s pretty exciting!’ Jill said, closing her journal and smiling. It’s about combining a journaling prompt with a personal affirmation to enhance the impact of both. The idea is to deepen our self-awareness and reinforce positive changes.'

'Sounds interesting! How does it work exactly?' Jack said.

'Well, you start with a focused prompt that really resonates with what you need at the moment,' Jill said. ‘So, for example, if you’ve been feeling unsure about decisions, your prompt might be, "What decision did I make today that I feel good about?"'

‘Right, so you start with a prompt that resonates with you,’ Jack said, nodding.

‘Precisely,’ Jill said. ‘And then you journal about your prompt to create an affirmation based on your reflection of that prompt. So, continuing with the decision-making theme, you might say, "Choosing to prioritise my health by going for a walk instead of skipping exercise makes me proud of my commitment to well-being.” This helps to cement the positive experience and belief in yourself.'

'That’s pretty clever! It turns a moment of reflection into a longer-lasting mindset shift,' Jack said, nodding eagerly.

'Exactly, Jack! And the beauty of it is that you can tailor it to suit whatever you're going through. It’s a tool for personal empowerment,' Jill said, giving a thumbs-up.

'Can you give me another example?' Jack said.

'Sure!' Jill said. 'Say you’re working on gratitude. Your prompt could be, "What simple pleasure did I enjoy today?" Then, after writing about that fresh morning coffee or the quiet moment before the world wakes up, you’d say, "Savouring my morning coffee in silence gave me a peaceful start to the day. I cherish these quiet moments and will make them a daily ritual." It’s crucial to be specific with both the prompts and affirmations to truly connect with and reinforce the gratitude.'

'I love how that works. It’s like building a bridge between recognising a positive moment and turning it into a lasting appreciation,' Jack said.

'Right, and doing this regularly can really change how you view your life. It shifts from passive observation to active participation in your own well-being,' Jill said.

'This is going to make our journaling even more impactful. I’m going to start tonight. Thanks for explaining it, Jill!' Jack said, closing his eyes deep in thought.

'You’re welcome, Jack! I can’t wait to hear how this approach helps you grow. It’s all about layering those insights with affirmations to really anchor the positive changes,' Jill said.

Daily Prompts and Affirmations

A quick note: From May, we will change our prompts and affirmations to include three affirmations per prompt. We hope this gives you further inspiration to create your own affirmations as you move through your gratitude journaling journey.

Here is a link to this week’s journaling prompts and affirmations.

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