The Gift of Gratitude: Why Fall Is The Perfect Time to Start a Gratitude Journal
The Gift of Gratitude: Why Fall Is the Perfect Time to Start a Gratitude Journal
There is something about fall that naturally invites us to slow down.
The days become shorter. The mornings are cooler. The leaves begin to change colour, and before long, they gently let go of the trees.
Fall reminds us that there is beauty in transition.
It reminds us that we don’t have to hold onto everything.
And perhaps most importantly, it gives us an opportunity to pause and notice what is already here.
That is why I love the idea of starting a gratitude journal in the fall.
Gratitude Is More Than Saying “Thank You” or “I Am Grateful”
When we think about gratitude, we often think about being thankful for the big things in life—a new home, a relationship, a vacation, good health, or a special accomplishment.
But gratitude doesn’t have to be about something extraordinary.
Sometimes it is the first warm cup of tea in the morning.
The sunlight coming through the window.
A conversation with someone you love.
Your dog greeting you at the door.
The smell of the leaves after a cool autumn rain.
A cozy blanket.
A good night’s sleep.
A hot bath.
Or simply having a quiet moment where you can breathe.
Gratitude is the practice of noticing.
And in a world that constantly asks us to focus on what needs fixing, improving, buying, achieving, or worrying about what will happen next, deliberately noticing what is good can be a powerful shift in perspective.
Research on gratitude practices has found associations with improved emotional well-being, positive mood, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. A large meta-analysis of 64 randomized trials found that gratitude interventions were associated with better mental health and greater feelings of gratitude.
More recent research looking across 145 studies and nearly 25,000 participants found that gratitude interventions produced small but meaningful improvements in well-being.
It isn’t magic.
It isn’t about pretending that everything is wonderful when it isn’t.
It is about training ourselves to notice that even during difficult seasons, there can still be moments worth appreciating.
Why Fall Is the Perfect Season for Gratitude
I think there is something particularly beautiful about practicing gratitude in the fall.
Nature is giving us a lesson.
The trees don’t fight the changing season.
They don’t desperately try to hold onto every leaf.
They let go.
And perhaps we can do the same.
Fall can be a wonderful time to ask ourselves:
What can I let go of?
What am I grateful for?
What do I want to carry with me into the next season of my life?
What no longer serves me?
What deserves more of my attention?
A gratitude journal can become a quiet place to explore these questions.
How Gratitude Can Change What You Notice
Our brains are constantly filtering the enormous amount of information coming at us.
When we repeatedly focus our attention on problems, worries, frustrations, and things that are missing, those things can begin to dominate our awareness.
Gratitude gives us another place to direct our attention.
Instead of asking:
“What’s wrong?”
we can sometimes ask:
“What’s right?”
Instead of:
“What didn’t happen today?”
we can ask:
“What was good about today?”
And instead of ending the day replaying everything that went wrong, we can create a small ritual of remembering what went right.
That doesn’t mean ignoring difficult emotions.
In fact, I think authentic gratitude requires us to make room for both.
You can be worried and grateful.
You can be grieving and grateful.
You can be exhausted and grateful.
You can be going through a difficult season and still find one beautiful moment in your day.
Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard things.
It simply reminds us that the hard things aren’t necessarily the whole story.
Creating Your Own Gratitude Journal Ritual
You don’t need to spend an hour writing every night.
Start with five minutes.
Find a quiet place and choose a journal that you genuinely enjoy picking up. There is something lovely about having a physical journal that feels special rather than simply opening another app on your phone.
If you’re looking for one to begin with, I came across this Gratitude Journal from The Onyx Crown and thought it would make a beautiful addition to a fall gratitude ritual.
Explore the Gratitude Journal from The Onyx Crown
Keep your journal somewhere you will see it—beside your bed, on your nightstand, beside your favourite chair, or wherever you naturally slow down at the end of the day.
Then simply begin.
Try writing down three things:
1. Something that made you smile.
It could be something tiny.
2. Something your body or mind allowed you to experience.
Maybe you had the energy for a walk. Maybe you took a deep breath. Maybe you slept a little better.
3. Something or someone you appreciate.
And don’t forget yourself.
You can write:
“I am grateful that I kept going today.”
“I am grateful that I listened to my body.”
“I am grateful that I gave myself permission to rest.”
These count, too.
Go Beyond the List
One of my favourite ways to deepen a gratitude practice is to go beyond simply writing:
“I am grateful for my family.”
Instead, ask:
Why?
“I am grateful for my family because they made me laugh today.”
Or:
“I am grateful for my morning walk because the crisp air helped me feel present.”
Or:
“I am grateful for the changing leaves because they reminded me that change can be beautiful.”
That extra layer helps you connect with the feeling behind the words.
And that is really the heart of gratitude.
It isn’t just making a list.
It’s feeling the appreciation.
A Fall Gratitude Challenge
If you’re not sure where to begin, try this simple seven-day fall gratitude challenge.
Day 1: Something in nature you’re grateful for.
Day 2: Someone you’re grateful to have in your life.
Day 3: Something your body has allowed you to do.
Day 4: A difficult experience that taught you something.
Day 5: Something simple that brought you joy.
Day 6: Something about your home that makes you feel safe or comfortable.
Day 7: Something about yourself that you appreciate.
And then, on the seventh day, read back through what you wrote.
You may be surprised by what you notice.
Gratitude Before Bed
If you struggle with racing thoughts at night, you can also make gratitude part of your evening routine.
Rather than getting into bed and immediately thinking about tomorrow’s responsibilities, spend a few quiet minutes reflecting on the day.
Put the phone down.
Take a few slow breaths.
Open your journal.
And ask:
What was good about today?
What am I grateful for?
What can I release before I go to sleep?
This isn’t a guarantee that gratitude will cure insomnia or make difficult emotions disappear. Sleep is influenced by many biological, behavioural, and environmental factors, including light and total darkness which many of us never encounter.
But creating a calming, consistent evening ritual can give your mind a different transition into nighttime—and gratitude can be one meaningful part of that ritual. I love to put on my red toned blue blocking glasses by VivaRays, grab my gratitude journal and jot down a few grateful things from my day.
Let Fall Teach You to Let Go
Perhaps the greatest lesson of autumn isn’t actually about gratitude.
Maybe it’s about letting go.
The trees don’t hold onto what has finished its season.
They release it.
And every year, they remind us that letting go isn’t necessarily an ending.
Sometimes it is preparation for what comes next.
So this fall, consider giving yourself permission to slow down.
To notice.
To appreciate.
To release what you no longer need to carry.
And to begin each day—or end each evening—with one simple question:
“What am I grateful for today?”
You might be surprised at how much is already there.
Start Your Gratitude Practice
If you’d like a beautiful journal to begin your practice this fall, you can take a look at the Gratitude Journal from The Onyx Crown here:
Sometimes creating change doesn’t require doing more.
Sometimes it begins with simply noticing what is already good.
Feel free to share below in the comments what you are grateful for.
About Shirley
I'm Shirley Plant, nutritionist and cookbook author. My passion is helping you figure out which foods fuel your body and which ones deplete it.
Shirley's Cookbooks
Finally... Food I Can Eat!
A dietary guide and cookbook featuring tasty non vegetarian and vegetarian recipes for people with food allergies and intolerances. Recipes free of gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, wheat, nightshades, sugar and yeast.
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Finally... Paleo Food I Can Eat!
Paleo recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, and dessert. Recipes free of grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, eggs and almonds. Plus, chapters on the mind body connection by Dr. Eva Selhub M.D and healing your body from chronic illness with Dr. Terry Wahls. M.D.
