Happiness journals are all the rage right now and can be an amazing way to focus on the positive things in your life. Do you find yourself weighed down by stress and anxiety? We all do at some points. Happiness journals give you the opportunity to think about the blessings in your life. And if you are a list maker like me, they are extremely satisfying to do!

The purpose of Happiness Journals or Happiness Planners is to help you to focus on gratitude, inspire you to give meaning to your life, and lead you in a positive direction. Most of all, they motivate you to recognize the importance of self-love. The journals not only encourage you to think of the things to be thankful for in your life, they also challenge you to find new ways to bring happiness into your life. It is so important to really consider the ways in which we can find happiness in our lives.

Too often life is drowned in the negative, something that can overshadow the good things that actually happen to us. These journals offer reflections such as "List the things you prioritize before doing what really makes you happy," "List the things about yourself that you don't need to change," and "List the ways in which someone who loves you would describe you." Writing and reflecting on these questions can lead us in a more positive and healthy direction. The reflection exercises can be a wonderful way to begin or end your day since they generally only take around 10 minutes to complete.

Many happiness journals are designed to be completed once a week for all 52 weeks of the year, so this is something that would be excellent to start at the beginning of the new year. Some even suggest additional work outside of journaling to increase your positivity and happiness. These actions usually build upon the reflection exercise to further challenge you. For the reflection "List the ways in which someone who loves you would describe you" the journal suggests you take action to go and ask your loved ones what they like best about you. This exercise really speaks to positive thinking and even provides you with needed verbal affirmations from your closest friends and family. Everyone needs some praise from time to time!

Happiness journals can be found at many popular stores such as Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, but they can also be ordered online through Amazon. There are several options and varieties so search around till you find the best one for you! As a New Year's Resolution for 2018, bring more happiness and positivity to your life with this fun and easy activity!