30 Gratitude Journal Examples You Can Copy

Gratitude journal examples are short, specific entries about something good that happened, like “Maya texted to ask how my first day went” or “The bus came right as I got to the stop.” A good entry names one real moment in a sentence or two. Below are 30 examples grouped by kind of day, a few with the reason why and a full weekly list you can copy and change to fit your life.

What a gratitude journal entry looks like

A gratitude journal entry is one or more short notes about things you’re thankful for, written in your own words. There’s no required format.

In the first study by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, students wrote down up to five things they were grateful for once a week. The paper lists some of their real entries, including “waking up this morning,” “the generosity of friends,” “for wonderful parents” and “to the Rolling Stones.” Entries this short count, and they don’t have to be serious.

The examples below are a little more specific, with names, places and times.

One-line gratitude journal examples for ordinary days

These take a few seconds to write and work on days when nothing special happened.

1. The first coffee of the morning, drunk while it was still hot.
2. Found a parking spot right in front of the pharmacy.
3. Clean sheets tonight.
4. My neighbor brought my package inside before it rained.
5. A song I hadn’t heard in years came on in the store.
6. Leftover pasta, so I didn’t have to cook.
7. Ten quiet minutes on the porch before everyone woke up.
8. The sky turned orange on the drive home.

Gratitude journal examples with the reason why

Adding why something good happened turns a list into a short explanation. That’s the “three good things” exercise tested by Martin Seligman and colleagues in 2005: for one week, people wrote down three things that went well each day and why each one happened. They reported more happiness and fewer depressive symptoms for up to six months.

The Greater Good Science Center’s version also suggests giving each event a title, describing what happened and noting how it made you feel.

9. Caught the early train. I packed my bag the night before, so I left five minutes sooner.
10. Finished the report on time. Jordan sent me last month’s numbers without my having to ask twice.
11. Had a good talk with Dad. I called on my lunch break instead of waiting for the weekend, and he had time to chat.
12. Slept well. I left my phone in the kitchen and read until I got tired.

Gratitude journal examples for bad days

A bad day doesn’t need a cheerful entry. These examples look for one small thing that was still okay.

13. The day is over and tomorrow is Saturday.
14. A hot shower after a long day of bad news.
15. Sam didn’t ask questions, just brought soup.
16. I cried in the car and felt a little lighter afterward.
17. The test results aren’t back yet, but the nurse was kind.

If hard days keep stacking up, a journal isn’t enough on its own. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Gratitude journal examples about the people in your life

18. Maya remembered my interview and texted “good luck” at 8 a.m.
19. Grandma told the story about her first job again, and this time I recorded it.
20. My partner made tea without asking because I looked tired.
21. A stranger held the elevator when my hands were full.
22. My son said I make the best pancakes, even though they were burned.

Gratitude journal examples for work or school

23. The meeting ended fifteen minutes early.
24. My manager said my email made the plan easier to understand.
25. A classmate shared her notes from the lecture I missed.
26. Lunch outside with Priya instead of at my desk.

Gratitude journal examples about yourself

These can be the hardest to write, so keep them factual.

27. I said no to an extra shift and didn’t feel guilty about it.
28. I went for a walk even though I didn’t feel like it.
29. I fixed the leaky faucet by myself with a video and one trip to the hardware store.
30. I asked for help sooner than I would have last year.

A weekly gratitude journal example

If you write once a week, as in the first Emmons and McCullough study, you can list up to five things from the past seven days. Here’s a full week in one entry:

Sunday night

1. Dinner at Mom’s on Wednesday. She made the chicken soup she used to make when I was little.
2. The project I was worried about got approved on Thursday.
3. Long walk with Alex on Saturday morning, before it got hot.
4. My knee didn’t hurt at all at the gym.
5. The library had the book I’d been waiting for.

In a weekly entry, you pick the moments you still remember a few days later.

How to write your own gratitude journal entry from these examples

1. Pick the example closest to your day. If none fits, start with the one-line examples.
2. Swap in your own details. Change the names, places and times so the entry describes what really happened to you.
3. Add why, if you have time. One extra clause is enough: “because I left early,” “because she remembered.”

If you haven’t started a journal yet, our guide on how to start a gratitude journal explains where to write and how to keep going. When you’re stuck on what to write, try one of our gratitude journal prompts or look through the list of things to be grateful for. For what studies say about the habit, read about the benefits of gratitude journaling.

We built Graceup for entries like these: one good thing a day, written in about 30 seconds. The app asks you a different question each day, and at the end of the month you open the Gratitude Jar with every entry you wrote.

Photo: Hannah Olinger on Unsplash