Gratitude Journaling to Heal a Broken Heart

When you’re going through a break-up, it can be hard to view life in perspective. It takes time and perseverance to heal a broken heart. Drawing your mind away from negative thoughts to take a balanced look at your life and relationships is the first step forward. Here’s how to use gratitude journaling to heal a broken heart.

Grounding Yourself Through Gratitude Journaling

One of the hardest experiences in life is a relationship breakdown. When you lose a long-term relationship, it can be hard to view your life in perspective. The break-up is magnified in your mind, overshadowing your life and identity. Gratitude journaling to heal a broken heart means regaining a sense of self and learning through the relationship.

Start by grounding yourself in the present moment. Give thanks for the sounds around you - from cars on the road or birds chirping in the trees. Give thanks for the sights outside your window - whether wild flowers or people walking to work. Grounding yourself in the senses of the moment draws your mind away from racing thoughts to appreciate the smaller moments. This gives you a clearer perspective to examine your relationship with. 

Gratitude Journaling in a Self-Love Journal to Heal a Broken Heart 

Learning to love yourself after a break up is a major step to healing, and gratitude journaling in a self-love journal is the perfect way to start. Write down five qualities about yourself that you appreciate. Maybe it’s your resilience or your calm way of approaching conflict. Give thanks for these sides of yourself. Remind yourself that even as relationships change and go, you are still grounded within yourself.

Another way to use gratitude journaling to heal a broken heart is to learn to work through the relationship break-up itself. What have you learned about yourself? How would you move forward with future relationships? What would you do differently? Give thanks to the relationship for these opportunities to learn and progress, then symbolically let the relationship go.

Prompts for Gratitude Journaling to Heal a Broken Heart

Sometimes, especially when you’re trying to use gratitude journaling to heal a broken heart, it can be hard to put pen to paper. How can you give thanks when your heart is hurting? Here are some restorative prompts for gratitude journaling to heal a broken heart.

“I am grateful for my emotional strength.” - It takes inner strength and power to come through the emotional turmoil of a break-up. Give thanks to yourself for having the strength to come through to the other side.

“I give thanks for everything my relationships have taught me.” - Break-ups are horrible, but we are ultimately the sum of our relationships, both good and bad. Give your thanks for all the relationship has taught you, and consider ways to take this forward into your future relationships.

“I am thankful for myself.” - When a relationship comes to an end, it’s easy to doubt yourself. Give thanks for all you are - both the strengths and weaknesses.

Using these gratitude journal prompts, you can turn a painful relationship break-up into an opportunity to transform your life. Nothing can truly take the pain away, except time and self-care - but gratitude journaling to heal a broken heart is a big part of continuous self-love. Practicing gratitude journaling helps you to 'grow through what you go through', and move forward to a happier time of your life.