My March 2025 Challenge: The Gratitude Experiment
Why gratitude journaling became my favorite daily ritual
Hi, I’m Diana, the founder of Healthy Seniors—and wow, I can’t believe it’s already April! That means I’ve now completed three monthly challenges, and I’ve got to say, I’m pretty proud of myself for sticking with it. After February’s meal-planning win, I decided it was time to shift gears in March and focus on emotional wellness by building a daily gratitude habit.
Quick Recap: How January and February Went
January’s challenge—walking 10,000 steps per day—felt incredible, and initially, I was committed to continuing it. However, in the third week of February, I got sick and needed to rest for a couple of days. After recovering, I unintentionally let the habit slip. It wasn't until mid-March that I noticed something was missing—beyond the physical benefits, walking had genuinely helped calm my mind. So, I restarted during the last week of March, and it feels amazing again. Breaking the 10,000-step goal into smaller milestones—2,500 steps by 10 am and 6,000 steps by 2 pm—made this habit much more manageable.
February’s meal planning challenge continued smoothly and effortlessly. I invested in glass containers perfectly sized for individual portions, which I keep stocked in the freezer. While I don't meal plan every single week, whenever I notice my supply running low, I simply batch-cook two different meals and alternate them to avoid boredom.
March Challenge: Daily Gratitude
For March, I challenged myself to write down one reason to be grateful every single day. So… how did it go? Let’s dive in.
Week 1: Starting with the Obvious
When I began, my entries felt predictable—family, health, a roof over my head. These things genuinely matter, but at first, I worried it might feel repetitive. Yet, just acknowledging these basics felt comforting and grounding. It was like building a solid foundation for more profound gratitude.
However, by day three, I found myself naturally seeking new ideas. There was more out there, and I just had to notice it.
Week 2: Discovering the Little Joys
As March warmed, gratitude blossomed right alongside nature. One afternoon, sitting outside, I felt genuine appreciation for something simple—the warm spring sun on my skin. On another day, my attention drifted to how beautifully the world wakes up from winter: trees bursting into bloom, birds returning with cheerful songs. I realized gratitude doesn’t have to be grand; it can be found in the everyday moments we often overlook.
This subtle shift made a significant difference in my mindset. Life suddenly felt fuller, richer, even in its most minor details.
Week 3: Embracing Challenges
Gratitude journaling isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Mid-month, I hit a particularly tough day. It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong, did. Honestly, at first, gratitude felt impossible.
Instead of fighting that negativity or forcing positivity, I decided to stay with the discomfort. I just sat there with the notebook, feeling stuck. Eventually, a simple but powerful thought emerged: "I’m grateful this day is over, and tomorrow is a fresh start." And that was enough. Gratitude, I realized, can even be found in the relief of closure and new beginnings.
Week 4: Upgrading My Gratitude Practice
I initially kept my gratitude notes in a notebook every night. But by week four, it became clear this wasn't my ideal format. Journaling felt clunky, inconvenient, and, honestly, a bit boring. To stay consistent, I needed a change.
After some online research, I stumbled upon a gratitude journaling app. It felt perfect for my needs: convenient, always accessible, and beautifully designed. The best part? It lets me add a picture every day. Suddenly, gratitude journaling became vibrant, creative, and fun. A sunset, a delicious meal, my dog sleeping peacefully—I loved capturing visual snapshots of moments that mattered.
Something magical also happened around this time. Probably because I knew that every night I'd be writing down something I'm grateful for, I began actively seeking those positive moments throughout the day. They had always been there, but previously, my mind was fixated on negatives and endless to-do lists. Now, it's like my eyes opened wider, noticing and appreciating the good parts all around me. I'm definitely keeping this habit going, and I'm even considering upgrading to the paid version of the app, as it allows adding multiple pictures and even videos every day.
Final Thoughts: Lessons Learned
✅ What Worked:
Noticing small joys throughout the day.
Allowing myself to find gratitude even in difficult times.
Switching to an app format that better suited my lifestyle and creative side.
❌ What Didn’t Work:
Relying on pen-and-paper journaling every night. Digital journaling ended up suiting me better.
Will I continue gratitude journaling? Absolutely. Maybe not every day, forever, but regularly enough to keep gratitude front and center in my life. After all, this practice taught me that gratitude isn’t a checklist—it's a mindset, a lens to see life differently.
What's Next?
For April, I'm excited to try another simple yet impactful challenge—dedicating 15 minutes each day to stretching and gentle movement. After gratitude helped nourish my mind, I feel ready to nourish my body again in a gentle, consistent way. I hope you join me in continuing to build healthier, happier habits!
Your Turn: Try the Challenge!
If you want to try the same challenge in April, I strongly encourage you to do so. Movement and exercise are some of the best things you can do for your body, and the benefits go way beyond the physical—they'll improve how you feel, too. You can go for a walk, or if you prefer seated options, you can try our product on Amazon - chair exercises using resistance bands (you can order it HERE). It includes two resistance bands (light and medium), a pair of handles for easy grip, and a printed exercise booklet with detailed instructions. Plus, you can access video tutorials on YouTube for every move. Whatever you do, move—your body will be grateful!
Choose any form of movement that feels good to you—whether it’s walking, stretching, dancing, or gentle chair exercises- commit to it for a month, and enjoy the positive ripple effect it creates.
I’d love to hear about your journey. What habit will you adopt next month? Let me know in the comments! 😊
I have taken my gratitude practice a different way, just recently. I've loved writing down (and feeling!) the gratitude for 10 things every night, for about two years now. Gradually I have noticed how much more abundant my life has become over this time. This week, I started stating in the mornings that amazing wonderful things were going to happen that day. And they have! (eg book orders, a free week's holiday, an offer to write a chapter for a colleagues' book. It feels wonderful :)