Finding Life Satisfaction Through a Week of Gratitude
Type of Presentation
Poster Session
Location
University Library
Start Date
4-10-2026 11:30 AM
End Date
4-10-2026 12:45 PM
Abstract
Although many people dedicate time to achieving their goals, a deep sense of life satisfaction often remains elusive even after success. Gratitude journaling, the practice of noting things you are thankful for each day, is a simple and effective way one can try to enhance their well-being. Focusing on gratitude may help gently shift one’s perspective, ease emotional burdens, and help life feel more fulfilling. The purpose of this proposed study is to examine the impact of daily gratitude journaling on life satisfaction. Research has found that practicing gratitude promotes a positive outlook on life, further improving one’s well-being (Chauhan, Mathur, Gulati, & Sharma, 2025). Therefore, we expect that practicing gratitude, even for just a week, can improve one’s outlook on life and in turn, their perceived life satisfaction. To test this, participants will complete the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener et al., 1985) to measure their baseline of life satisfaction. Then, over a seven-day period, participants will practice gratitude journaling, writing down three things they are grateful for each day, and will conclude by completing the SWLS again to assess any changes in life satisfaction. In this study, the independent variable will be daily gratitude journaling, while the dependent variable will be life satisfaction as measured by the SWLS. It is hypothesized that participants will perceive higher life satisfaction after the gratitude journaling period than at baseline. These findings would be consistent with previous research showing that gratitude journaling can help reduce stress and negative emotions (Fekete & Deichert, 2022), and that practicing gratitude can elevate one’s well-being by supporting better mental health (Chauhan et al., 2025). The proposed study aims to add to the growing evidence that gratitude journaling can help improve perceived life satisfaction. This could be especially beneficial for individuals looking to improve their life satisfaction through mindfulness-based practices like gratitude, as well as for those hoping to improve their well-being over a short period of time.
Finding Life Satisfaction Through a Week of Gratitude
University Library
Although many people dedicate time to achieving their goals, a deep sense of life satisfaction often remains elusive even after success. Gratitude journaling, the practice of noting things you are thankful for each day, is a simple and effective way one can try to enhance their well-being. Focusing on gratitude may help gently shift one’s perspective, ease emotional burdens, and help life feel more fulfilling. The purpose of this proposed study is to examine the impact of daily gratitude journaling on life satisfaction. Research has found that practicing gratitude promotes a positive outlook on life, further improving one’s well-being (Chauhan, Mathur, Gulati, & Sharma, 2025). Therefore, we expect that practicing gratitude, even for just a week, can improve one’s outlook on life and in turn, their perceived life satisfaction. To test this, participants will complete the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener et al., 1985) to measure their baseline of life satisfaction. Then, over a seven-day period, participants will practice gratitude journaling, writing down three things they are grateful for each day, and will conclude by completing the SWLS again to assess any changes in life satisfaction. In this study, the independent variable will be daily gratitude journaling, while the dependent variable will be life satisfaction as measured by the SWLS. It is hypothesized that participants will perceive higher life satisfaction after the gratitude journaling period than at baseline. These findings would be consistent with previous research showing that gratitude journaling can help reduce stress and negative emotions (Fekete & Deichert, 2022), and that practicing gratitude can elevate one’s well-being by supporting better mental health (Chauhan et al., 2025). The proposed study aims to add to the growing evidence that gratitude journaling can help improve perceived life satisfaction. This could be especially beneficial for individuals looking to improve their life satisfaction through mindfulness-based practices like gratitude, as well as for those hoping to improve their well-being over a short period of time.