Gratitude journal: 9 prompts and exercises
9 morning and evening prompts · a 7-day plan · print it or save it as a PDF
Gratitude journal prompts taken from three classic thinkers: Seneca, who wrote a whole book on giving and thanks; Marcus Aurelius, who opened his Meditations with a list of the people he was grateful to; and Epictetus, who called life a festival we are invited to. Each idea has a morning prompt, an evening prompt and one small thing to try, with a 7-day plan and a printable version.
How to use this journal
- MorningRead one idea and answer its morning prompt before the day starts. Two or three lines are enough.
- EveningBefore bed, answer the evening prompt: what happened, what you did, and what you will do next time.
- Try todayOne small exercise that puts the idea to work during the day.
A 7-day plan
Name who made you
Write your own first page of Meditations: one person per line and the one quality you received from them.
Day 2Thank the goodwill, not just the gift
Thank someone today for what they meant to do for you, not only for what they gave.
Day 3See the help that goes unnoticed
Thank one person whose work usually goes unnoticed: a driver, a cleaner, a nurse, a cashier.
Day 4Treat the day as a festival
Before sleep, write down three things from today you would miss if they were gone.
Day 5Notice ordinary good things
Eat one meal slowly today and name three things you like about it.
Day 6Remember old kindnesses
Write a short message to someone who helped you years ago and tell them what it changed.
Day 7Love what is lent to you
Tell one person you love, in plain words, what you value in them.
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9 ideas, each with prompts
1. Name who made you
From Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius opens his Meditations not with a theory but with thanks: his grandfather for gentleness, his mother for generosity, his teachers for honesty. Each line names a person and the one thing they gave him.
- Morning
- Who helped make me the person I am, and what exactly did they give me?
- Evening
- Whose example did I lean on today, even without thinking of them?
- Try today
- Write your own first page of Meditations: one person per line and the one quality you received from them.
2. Thank the goodwill, not just the gift
Seneca says a gift is only the outward sign of a kindness; the real benefit is the goodwill behind it. A small favour given with care can mean more than a large one given carelessly.
- Morning
- Whose goodwill am I living on today, seen or unseen?
- Evening
- What small kindness did I receive today that I almost missed?
- Try today
- Thank someone today for what they meant to do for you, not only for what they gave.
3. Receive gladly
For Seneca, receiving well is already a way of giving back: the person who helped you hoped to make you glad. Brushing a kindness aside takes that from them.
- Morning
- Will I let other people help me today, or will I insist on doing everything alone?
- Evening
- When someone was kind to me today, did I accept it gladly or wave it away?
- Try today
- The next time someone offers you something, answer with a full thank-you instead of 'you shouldn't have'.
4. See the help that goes unnoticed
Seneca argues that kindness does not depend on rank: a servant who goes beyond duty out of goodwill gives a real gift. Much of what makes a day work comes from people we hardly see.
- Morning
- Whose work will make my day possible, though I will probably never meet them?
- Evening
- Who went beyond their job for me today?
- Try today
- Thank one person whose work usually goes unnoticed: a driver, a cleaner, a nurse, a cashier.
5. Remember old kindnesses
Seneca warns against rushing to repay a favour just to be free of it. Gratitude is a long memory of goodwill, not a debt to clear as fast as possible.
- Morning
- Which old kindness have I never properly thanked?
- Evening
- Did I thank anyone today only to feel even with them?
- Try today
- Write a short message to someone who helped you years ago and tell them what it changed.
6. Treat the day as a festival
From The Golden Sayings of Epictetus
Epictetus pictures life as a festival you were invited to: you watch, take part for a while, and leave with thanks so that others can come in. Gratitude is his way of meeting the day, not only its end.
- Morning
- What am I glad to be part of today?
- Evening
- What three good things did I see, hear or share today?
- Try today
- Before sleep, write down three things from today you would miss if they were gone.
7. Love what is lent to you
From The Enchiridion by Epictetus
Epictetus reminds us that the people and things we love are not ours forever, like a room at an inn. Remembering this is not gloomy: it makes the time we have with them feel like a gift.
- Morning
- Whom do I love that I may be taking for granted?
- Evening
- Did I treat someone today as if they would always be there?
- Try today
- Tell one person you love, in plain words, what you value in them.
8. Enjoy what you have while you have it
From The Teaching of Epictetus
Epictetus compares life to a voyage: you may gather shells on the shore, but be ready when the ship calls. Enjoy them now, without clutching.
- Morning
- What do I have today that I would be sad to lose?
- Evening
- Did I enjoy what I had today, or only worry about losing it?
- Try today
- Spend ten minutes fully with someone or something you love, with no phone and no worry about tomorrow.
9. Notice ordinary good things
From Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius admired the cracks in a loaf of bread and the ripeness of figs, because they follow nature. Gratitude can start with what is plain and close at hand.
- Morning
- Which ordinary thing will I take time to notice today?
- Evening
- What plain, everyday thing was good about today?
- Try today
- Eat one meal slowly today and name three things you like about it.
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
More journals and guides: Stoic journal: 10 prompts and exercises · Meditations journal: 9 prompts and exercises · The Enchiridion journal: 9 prompts and exercises · The Teaching of Epictetus journal: 9 prompts and exercises · The Golden Sayings of Epictetus journal: 9 prompts and exercises · On Benefits journal: 9 prompts and exercises · All study guides
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