Why You Need A Gratitude Jar In Your Life + How To Make One

Sometimes I wake up and my first thought is "I didn’t get enough sleep." Then, I look at my to-do list and realize I don’t have enough time to get even half way through it. I get in my car and discover that I don’t have enough gas to get to the yoga studio. Later, I come home to a letter from my bank manager telling me I don’t earn enough for a mortgage.

You get the picture: It's easy to go through days feeling like you're never wealthy enough, thin enough, successful enough. When we compare what we have to what everyone else has (or seems to have on Instagram), it becomes a draining cycle that always ends in the same conclusion: "I'm not good enough."

Similar to a gratitude journal, it's a jar or box filled with reminders of what you're grateful for. The opposite of those crushing "I don't" statements, gratitude reminds us of what we do have. It's what makes the glass half full, and research shows that staying grateful can improve our mental health.

Since I started writing down what I'm grateful for, my outlook has ever-so-slightly shifted. I no longer feel like I am inadequate and lacking from the moment I wake up or berate myself for not getting through my to-do list. I can better appreciate the food that I have, the time that I have, the people that I have.