The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal: 90 Days to Rewire Your Brain

by Randy E. Kamen

Engage the science of positivity for greater health and happiness.

Gratitude is a powerful emotion that conveys appreciation for a moment that has touched you in some way and moves you to express thankfulness. When you experience gratitude, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, resulting in a host of tangible benefits associated with positive thinking and emotions. Practiced regularly, gratitude literally rewires your brain to be more optimistic, flexible, and joyful, while simultaneously reducing stress and anxiety, building resilience to adversity, and strengthening your immune system, cardiac health, sleep hygiene, and more. These many positive changes to your health and well-being are “the gratitude effect,” and because these effects are cumulative, the more you practice gratitude, the greater its impact over time.

With The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal, you’ll engage your brain’s neuroplasticity to reshape your worldview—and retrain your brain for greater joy, resiliency, and personal empowerment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

144 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[BiblioPeeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it can be hard to focus on the positive things in life and this journal offers some great tips on how to "cultivate a gratitude habit". Why practice DAILY gratitude? Regularly practicing gratitude can create LASTING changes in the BRAIN that promote positive thinking which in turn provide health benefits such as reducing stress, building resilience to adversity and improved sleep hygiene, to name just a few. 

Within this journal are practical strategies such as the following:

*Overcoming negativity bias
*Overcoming pessimism
*Reframing negative thoughts
*Advice on setting meaningful intentions
*Gratitude practices to supplement the journaling (such as being kind to others)
*50 Gratitude prompts to get you thinking (in case nothing is coming to you)

While this seems like a lot, it's really not. Within just a few pages these methods are presented in a succinct precise manner that's easy to understand AND apply!


Along with the helpful information I mentioned above, there are lovely daily quotes on each page of the journal to promote positivity. Here are a few I appreciated.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.: ~Rick Warren

"This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.: ~Maya Angelou

"Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change." ~Bob Kerrey


This is the perfect journal to zero in on moments of joy that happen daily which we may take for granted or not notice. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to refocus their energy in a positive way.
____

Thank you to Zeitgeist Publishing for my free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.

[Majmaupin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal by Randy E. Kamen, EdD is a journal for listing things you're grateful for. The book gives you prompts to help and sayings that will help you cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It is beneficial in listing things one is grateful for and helping you make this a habit. Kamen also discusses the reasons why this is so important for your happiness and general well-being. I liked that the author discusses the science behind this practice. Anyone looking to begin a gratitude journal will find this helpful.
Thank you @Zeitgeist and @NetGalley for this ebook review copy.
#The GratitudeEffectPositivityJournal
#NetGalley

[Cassie Donnelly]

Thank you to Zeitgeist for the gifted copy! This is more than just a blank journal. The author does a great job of informing the reader of the research behind gratitude journaling and its positive effects. She also touches on setting daily intentions, reframing negative thoughts, and gratitude meditation, which, alongside daily journaling, can promote a healthier mindset. If you are someone like myself who doesn’t believe they could come up with 90 days worth of things they’re grateful for, the author also offers 50 prompts to inspire you to begin. Overall, I find this very informative and useful!

[Sirrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book for coming into the new year with a new positive outlook of what you currently have while working on what you want in life. this is a great books don to be honest i already recommenced it for my next book club book. Mainly because like most of us it’s the start of the new year and we all want to go in with the proper mindset. this book is perfect for that

[Haley Szymanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am only just starting this 90 day journey of gratitude but this journal is an excellent way to dive right in. As someone who does carry a large negativity bias from childhood trauma and is looking for ways to combat it - this journal is a huge help. I really enjoyed the intro pages. In order to change the negativity bias you have to become aware it's what you're doing/that is what you carry/is your baseline - which it is for me lol. This book offers a great reminder that once you become aware of your negativity, you can use intention and remember to CHOOSE different. That choice is how you begin rewiring your brain to something other than the negativity/trauma you've faced.

Sometimes it's hard to remember I have choice and I don't have to keep walking down the negativity path and living in the past or keep expecting bad things to happen. For me it's time to choose and create differently. I'm happy to have this journal on my side for the next 90 days where I actively am going to choose gratitude over negativity. I love that for each day this journal offers space to write about a moment to savor and what I'm grateful for. Two things to focus on over the usual negativity. There's also a nice quote for each of the 90 days to get you into gratitude mode. I also loved the reminder to look out on your horizon for something good. This book is a great and gentle reminder to look out on your horizon and life for the good things because they are out there if you are willing to shift and "see" them! For anyone else out there that needs to hear it: negativity doesn't have to rule your life. Remember you can always choose a better feeling & find something to be grateful for instead (even if that feels really hard sometimes)!

[Isabel R · Rating 5 out of 5]

In today’s fast-paced and often stressful society, gratitude is something we rarely take the time to think about, yet it’s so essential for our mental and emotional well-being. As someone who wanted to practice gratitude but often found it challenging to incorporate into my daily life, "The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal" by Randy E. Kamen, EdD, has made a difference.

This book provides a wonderful introduction to the concept of gratitude and its transformative power. The journal format allows you to not only reflect on gratitude but also to set intentions, acknowledge moments of sacrifice, and draw inspiration from uplifting quotes. It’s a holistic approach that encourages mindfulness and positivity in a structured yet flexible way.

I appreciated the suggested reading list included in the book. It’s a great resource for those who want to dive deeper into the topic of gratitude and personal growth. The journal prompts are thoughtful and help guide you through the process of cultivating gratitude, even on days when it feels difficult.

Practicing gratitude is something I know I need to work on, and this book has provided the guidance and tools to make it a consistent part of my life. It’s not just a journal; it’s a companion for personal growth and a reminder to focus on the positive aspects of life, even during challenging times.

I highly recommend "The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal" to anyone looking to incorporate more gratitude and mindfulness into their daily routine. Whether you’re new to the concept or already familiar with its benefits, this book offers a meaningful and actionable way to embrace the power of gratitude.

I received an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

[Amy Navarre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Zeitgeist Publishing and Penguin Random House, for this free book, The Gratitude Effect: Positivity Journal by Randy E. Kamen, EdD.

This is a practical and accessible guide to starting a gratitude practice. The first section includes educational information about the benefits of a gratitude practice, along with tips and prompts. The book's introduction on the neuroscience of gratitude was particularly fascinating. The language is clear and easy to follow, and the exercises are simple enough to fit into a busy schedule, most taking only about five minutes to complete.

The second section is journal pages to record the gratitude practice for 90 days. The journaling pages are a bit plain. The 90-day journal section makes it easy to stay consistent. This journal is well-structured and is user-friendly.

Its compact size is great for a purse or backpack, small enough to be carried easily.

This is the perfect book for anyone new to journaling, new to gratitude practice, or who wants to improve their mental wellness.

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an age beset by mental health problems, and at a stage where this has almost reached epidemic proportions globally, we need all the help we can get with regard to staying positive and remaining ( reasonably) sane.

In this context a practice of gratitude, where people learn to recognise the blessings that they enjoy on a daily basis - both big and small, with the latter being very important - can be enormously beneficial.

Such a practice, as outlined in this book, may help people fend off anxiety, alienation, depression, and a general of exhaustion in our lives, when stress has become a constant, and many are struggling to cope.

This can be a very useful tool for people seeking to be happier and mentally healthier - both of those factors often ensuring better physical health as well. Definitely worth reading.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Erin Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal is a beautifully designed guided journal that makes practicing gratitude feel approachable and uplifting. The prompts are simple but thoughtful, encouraging reflection without being overwhelming—perfect for both journaling beginners and anyone looking to make gratitude a daily habit. I especially appreciated the balance of structure and flexibility; there’s enough guidance to keep you engaged, but plenty of space to make it personal.

The design is clean and calming, which makes the writing experience enjoyable. While I wished for a bit more variety in the prompts over time, the overall format makes it easy to use consistently without feeling like a chore.

A wonderful tool for anyone hoping to bring more positivity and mindfulness into their daily routine. Thank you to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for the review copy.

[Megan Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom got this book to encourage me to develop more positive thinking. While in the beginning, I struggled with coming up with the "assigned" 1-3 items I was grateful for, I started to increase the total up to 7 or 8 near the end of the journal's 90 days.

I like the straightforward format of the journal and the section before the daily pages that introduces you to the thinking it seeks to craft. The gratitude prompts as well as examples of intentions were both helpful. I found it hard to set intentions because they either didn't relate to what I was up to that day or sounded wrong.

There is more to "feeling" gratitude than listing & recognizing things you are grateful for - so I am only 50% of the way to expressing true gratitude. But this journal was a great place to start.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about how gratitude can help change your outlook and well-being. The first section talked about some of the science behind this and how daily gratitude practices (finding things you're grateful for) can actually change how you view life. Most of the book was the journal, with an area for you to write your daily gratitude list and a quote about gratitude for each day. The author provided some prompts in the first section that help you think of things you're grateful for. It was an interesting, short book. I'd recommend it (especially the print version) for those who like to journal.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from Penguin Random House. I enjoyed learning about the benefits of practicing gratitude in this book. However, I was expecting a little more guidance with the journaling aspect. The book does include 50 prompts to get you started, but by and large it's up to you to set your intentions and brainstorm what you are thankful for. Overall, I think it's a wonderful practice and leaves lots of room for creativity and exploration.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

decided to read this because I figured I could use it, I am usually pretty pessimistic. and so i went into it thinking it'd be fluffy and not helpful / practical and i would get nothing out of it. after reading part 1, I admit I did screenshot some pages to refer to in my day to day life, and now I'm actually going to give the 90 days a shot.

[Kasia Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short in length, but not in quality. I love how there are prompts as well as quotes on gratitude, to help you get in the mindset of thinking of ways to be grateful. Highly recommend it!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

[Slatteryjm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read we should all be grateful every day all the time