Practising gratitude has become a bit of a buzzword lately.
Successful entrepreneurs swear by it, and wellness influencers vlog about it.
And although I’m not a fan of viral fads, practising gratitude is actually a trend I stand by and hope sticks around. Because inviting this simple ritual into your daily life can seriously change your outlook on life and make you happier in the process.
So what better way to kickstart your gratitude practice and become your best self than with these guided journals?
What are the best gratitude journals?
Learning to practice daily gratitude is pretty straightforward.
There are no rules to it.
You can either use a blank notebook and write thoroughly or create a bullet-point list of everything you are grateful for. You can even specify what you’re grateful for in two or three sentences.
But if you prefer structure and support during your journaling practice over freehand writing, then I highly recommend using a guided gratitude journal to make this ritual easier for you to get into the habit of doing.
There are plenty of gratitude journals available, so it can be hard to know where to start. So to make your purchasing decision less stressful, I have limited this list to just 5 options.
Here are the 5 best guided journals to help kickstart your gratitude practice:
- The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change
- The 6-Minute Diary by Ur BestSelf
- iAmEvolving™ Journal
- Gratitude Journal by Papier
- A Day of Gratitude by Mål Paper
1 | The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change
The Five Minute Journal is a simple, structured, curated guide that is suitable for everyone.
With this journal, you can enjoy the mindful ritual of practising gratitude in just 5 minutes, so it can easily fit into your daily routine.
This notebook has space for you to write down 3 things you are grateful for every morning and what would make today great. It also promotes self-love and positive self-talk by guiding you to write down a daily affirmation.
And not only that, but The Five Minute Journal also allows daily reflection by prompting you to write down 3 highlights from the day and a lesson learnt before you doze off.
Highlights
- Follows a structured format
- Includes guided exercises as well as quotes to inspire you
- Pages for morning gratitude and evening reflection
- Space to write down a daily affirmation
- 100% linen hardback cover and cotton ribbon
- Available in 6 different colours
- Lasts for 6 months of daily journaling (undated)
- Backed by science, loved by Tim Ferriss
- 100% biodegradable and plastic-free
- Recyclable, FSC-certified paper
→ Price: £30 or get 10% off with code NBT10
My thoughts
I’m a huge supporter of The Five Minute Journal as it allows me to really connect with myself and change my perspective on things.
Whenever I wake up feeling anxious or annoyed, I give myself a mindful 5 minutes to focus on all the good things going on in my life and appreciate the smaller things.
This instantly lifts my mood and sets me up for a more positive and meaningful day.
2 | The 6 Minute Diary by Ur BestSelf
This guided journal by Ur BestSelf is exactly what you need to train your brain to focus on progress and the good things in life. With just 3 minutes in the morning and 3 minutes in the evening, you can discover what really makes you happy.
This diary is designed to help you develop a positive mindset so that you can feel good about yourself and your life. Each day, you’ll reflect on three things that went well, no matter how small they may seem. Over time, you’ll start to see a pattern of positive thinking emerge, and this will help you attract more positivity into your life!
Highlights
- Gratitude journal suitable for both men and women
- Includes guided exercises, prompts and questions
- Practice lasts 6 minutes daily; 3 mins in the morning, 3 mins in the evening
- Designed to last between 5-8 months
- Recommended by psychologists & therapists
- Uses proven principles of positive psychology
- 10 lovely colours to choose from
- Undated, start whenever you want
- Over 1.5 million copies sold
- CO2-neutral and with vegan materials, covered with the finest French linen
→ Price: £22.99 with free delivery from Amazon
My thoughts
The 6-Minute Diary is more than just a journal – it’s a tool to help you create a happier, more fulfilled life. I love how this journal doesn’t just focus on gratitude but also prioritises weekly reflection, healthy habits and self-care.
Plus, it is a perfect mix of freedom and structure. Not only does it have questions and prompts for you to consider, but there is also plenty of space for you to make notes, brain dump, and freestyle your wellness practice.
3 | iAmEvolving™ Journal
The iAmEvolving™ Journal is a beautifully designed daily ritual for anyone who wants their gratitude practice to feel more intentional, grounding, and actually supportive of real life — not just another thing on the to-do list.
Each day only takes a few minutes, but it gives you a surprisingly deep sense of clarity. You set one clear goal for the day, write one or two things you’re grateful for, track the small habits that move you closer to that goal, and then pause to check in with how you’re actually feeling.
Highlights
- Combines gratitude, goals, habits, and emotional check-ins in one practice
- Takes just a few minutes a day
- 6-month guided journal
- Includes daily pages plus regular reflection spreads
- Premium A5 hardcover
- Printed on FSC®-certified paper
- Ribbon bookmark to track your progress
- Digital guidebook included
- Loved by 6000+ journalers
- Available in black, white, lavender, and misty rose
→ Price = $32.95 with a 30-day happiness guarantee
My thoughts
What I love most about this journal is that it doesn’t isolate gratitude from the rest of your personal development. Instead, it gently weaves it together with goal-setting, habit tracking, and emotional check-ins, so everything you’re working on mentally and emotionally feels connected.
4 | Gratitude Journal by Papier
The Gratitude Journal by Papier is the perfect way to cultivate an ongoing practice of appreciation.
With daily gratitude prompts and monthly check-ins, you’ll develop a newfound appreciation for the simple things in no time. The uplifting affirmations, mindful activities and mottos throughout will also help you to find joy on good days and bad days.
And if you’re still feeling stuck, see Papier’s list of gratitude tips for a little inspiration.
Highlights
- Five months’ worth of entries to fill at your own pace
- Morning and evening prompts to use whenever you need a mindful moment
- 30-day reflections to record thoughts, feelings, moments and lessons from the past month
- Affirmations and inspiring mottos shine a light on the positives
- Activities to help you find gratitude on good days and bad
- Over 140 colourful designs to choose from
- The hardback cover is 3mm thick with a 150gsm silk paper finish
- Paperweight is 85gsm and the size is 153mm x 215mm
- FSC-certified paper, plastic-free packaging
- For every gratitude journal sold, Papier donates 50p to YoungMinds
→ Price = £26 and get £15 off your first order by quoting Thalia Tourikis
My thoughts
I absolutely love Papier. Whenever I buy a new notebook, it’s always a Papier one because I’m besotted by their punchy cover designs and colourful prints. And this Gratitude Journal is no exception.
I’ve been eyeing up Stay Grounded for a while now, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
So, which design currently has you salivating over?
5 | A Day of Gratitude by Mål Paper
The Day of Gratitude journal by Mål Paper is a simple and effective way to become more fulfilled, happier and mindful. Start each morning by listing 3 things you feel grateful for, taking time to appreciate the full emotions linked to each one, and finish each day by reflecting on the positive moments that occurred.
A Day of Gratitude is just what you need to create a “clutter-free canvas” for reflecting on the positive aspects of your life.
Highlights
- Includes gratitude prompts, affirmations and daily quotes
- Features detailed instructions to help you get started
- Diary entry to last a maximum of 5 minutes
- Available in 2 colours: cotton or black
- Designed to last 6 months (undated)
- As seen in GQ, Refinery29 and Forbes
- Cotton hardback cover
- Ribbon divider
- 100 gsm ivory paper
→ Price: £24 with free delivery from Amazon
My thoughts
You know I’m a sucker for minimalism and simple design and this journal by Mål Paper is just that!
This journal is super quick and easy to use. All you need to do is dedicate 5 minutes a day to filling it out, and you are well on your way to becoming a happier, calmer and more fulfilled version of yourself.
Bonus | The Five Minute Journal for Kids by Intelligent Change
The best-selling Five Minute Journal for adults is now available for kids!
This illustrated and colourful edition is designed to encourage young minds to focus on the good things in their lives, fostering gratitude and preserving positive memories for years to come.
Each page of the journal features fun and colourful illustrations, making it a creative way for children to express themselves. There is space for them to write down daily something they are grateful for, a memory that made them happy and a lesson learnt.
This journal helps children understand the concepts of mindfulness and develop an attitude of gratitude in just 5 minutes a day.
Highlights
- An illustrated edition of the best-selling Five Minute Journal
- Suitable for young minds from 5-12 years of age
- Features weekly challenges and new vocabulary
- Fun and colourful polka-dot cover
- Includes engaging stories and illustrations on gratitude
- Hardback cover with matte lamination
- Lasts for 6 months of daily journaling (undated)
- Backed by science
→ Price: £25 or get 10% off with code NBT10
My thoughts
I’ve spoken before about how I was an ungrateful child. I hadn’t yet developed the self-awareness I have now and was too involved in what my friends and the other girls who went to my school had, and naturally wanted the same.
And although I have come to terms with this, as I believe that what we experience and feel as children is a learning curve, there is no harm in teaching kids early the art of gratitude to help them shape their young minds.
This is such a cute version of the Five Minute Journal, it’s already on the Christmas list for my best friend’s little one!
How to use a guided gratitude journal
As I mentioned earlier, there are no rules when it comes to practising gratitude. But the most important thing to do is to stay consistent.
So incorporate this ritual into your morning routine so you don’t forget about it.
And if you’re feeling a bit stuck, a guided journal can help jumpstart your gratitude practice.
Gratitude journals are created to best guide you through this daily ritual. They provide structure and keep you accountable by providing prompts and questions for you to answer. For example, a guided gratitude journal like The Five Minute Journal might prompt you to list three things you’re grateful for each day or to write about a specific experience in detail.
So, why not give it a try?
Pick up a guided gratitude journal from the above list and start writing down all the things that make you happy.
Final thoughts
Gratitude promotes self-care.
When you practice gratitude, you are building a deeper connection with yourself.
You are committing to self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-compassion, and these are essential tools for supporting your personal growth, mental health and overall well-being.
So, get started today and become your best self with these gratitude journals:
- The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change
- The 6 Minute Diary by Ur BestSelf
- iAmEvolving™ Journal
- Gratitude Journal by Papier
- A Day of Gratitude by Mål Paper
- The Five Minute Journal For Kids by Intelligent Change
I can’t wait to hear which one you go for and how it supports and benefits you.
Until next week,
Thalia xx
Just a heads up — This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using the links above, then I will be rewarded at no extra cost to you. Thank you, as always, for your support.
