You don’t have to go to the store. You don’t have to order anything on Amazon. A notebook or a pad of paper is enough, and you can start tonight. What is simple, we can sustain.

Why I recommend a paper journal

There’s something about holding a journal in your hands. It’s tangible. You have a place to write down your symptoms, keep track of possible triggers, and record what you’re grateful for.

I recommend paper because, for most of us, actually writing gives us more brain benefits than using an electronic journal.

That doesn’t mean apps and electronic journals aren’t useful. They are. If you have dysgraphia or something else that makes writing difficult, a paper journal might create more stress. An electronic option can be useful in that situation.

The goal is to have something you can keep using.

Prefer to Listen?

Subscribe:

Health with Hashimoto’s is your free weekly podcast that sorts this autoimmune condition into thyroid or immune. Each episode is for informational and educational purposes. Please discuss any questions or concerns with your trusted healthcare professional. Some links may be affiliate links, marked as such, at no extra cost to you.

Use daily journaling to track your symptoms

Start with the symptoms that bother you most. Maybe that’s fatigue. Maybe it’s brain fog or joint pain. Write those symptoms down each day.

Keeping track helps you notice patterns. You may start to see what affects how you feel instead of trying to figure it all out at once.

For example, when I teach about gut health, I ask you to spend at least 72 hours writing down what you eat. You’re looking at how those foods make you feel and how they affect you.

You can do the same with your other symptoms. You might notice, “When I do this, this happens.” Once you see a pattern, you have something you can act on.

That is empowerment. You’re figuring out how to advocate for your own health.

Write down three things you’re grateful for

They can be big or small. Write down at least three things you’re grateful for each day.

Doing this shifts your focus. Your brain starts looking for more good things in the day, more things to be grateful for, instead of only looking at what’s stressful or hard.

The hard things are still there. Keeping a gratitude journal isn’t going to change the environment or the people around you. It changes how you interact with those things and how your brain observes life.

That shift can lower your cortisol levels and chronic stress. Stress is one of the root causes and biggest triggers of Hashimoto’s, which is why this simple practice matters.

For more about the RAS and training your brain, see episode 141, “How to Train Your Brain to Fight Hashimoto’s.”

Choose a time and place you’ll use it

You could take out your journal each evening and write down your symptoms, what you’re tracking, or your gratitudes.

But maybe evenings aren’t going to happen for you. That’s fine.

Keep it on the counter next to your coffee maker or teapot. While you’re waiting for your morning brew, write down what you’re grateful for. Or do it right before breakfast.

Choose a consistent time and keep your notebook where you’ll use it. Make it easy to reach.

Keep your journal simple

You don’t have to track symptoms and write gratitudes all at once. You could choose just gratitude for this month and build from there.

You can find prompts online or use AI to get ideas, such as “What went well today?” or “What felt challenging?” But I encourage you to start with three things you’re grateful for. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.

You don’t need a fancy journal, either. A plain notebook or a pad of paper works.

I prefer a nice, smooth pen. I’m always finding a new favorite. I’ve enjoyed the Sharpie S-Gel because it writes so smoothly, but sometimes I prefer a ballpoint, different colors, or a nice sharpened pencil.

Whatever helps you do this on a regular basis, use that. There’s no right or wrong pen or notebook. What is simple is sustainable.

What are three things that you are grateful for? Write them down in your own notebook. For fun and community, snap a photo of your page and post about it in the Health with Hashimoto’s Skool community.