Gratitude Stream app review: start focusing on the positives

Introduction

It's easy to find things to complain about in a day, things that make you frustrated or angry, and just negative thoughts in general. But where does all the negativity get you? That is exactly why people are turning to the latest trend which is gratitude journals and gratitude tools. The Gratitude Stream app for your iPod touch, iPad, and iPhone provides users with a way to focus on all the positives in their life. It features a built in social network of others showing gratitude, which can really re-shape the way you look at your day and life in general.

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Granted gratitude journals aren’t a new concept, but its popularity is really hitting an all-time high. It certainly helps when you’ve got celebrities with massive star-power such as Oprah Winfrey claiming to having one herself and attesting to how much of a difference it makes in her life.

How it Impacts You

A gratitude journal is a journal in which you chronicle all the things you feel grateful for in your life. It forces you to think about the positives in your life and put the focus on them, rather than the negatives. A gratitude journal has far-reaching effects when it comes to your psychological and physical well-being.

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“The idea of a gratitude journal isn’t new,” said the app's developer, Andrew Lombard. “I wanted a way to allow a community to form around this idea and for it to snowball. Like everyone else - I’ve grown accustomed to a lot of negativity on social networks.”

This app gives users a new type of community to be part of, one that is meant to uplift their spirits, motivate, and inspire them rather than fill them with frustration and negative thoughts. It seems like half the posts, if not more, on your social media feed lately are just negative. Why not put an end to the cycle? “Facebook, and to some extent Twitter, seemed to be prime examples of this and I wanted to take the concept of a social network in a positive direction,” said Lombard.

The developer has taken great pains to ensure the app stays positive, so each of your posts must always begin with the words “Today I’m grateful for…,” which forces users to see the positives right from the get-go.

“With this simple change we’re hoping to create community which positively self-reinforces the values and benefits of living life with more gratitude.”

What sets this apart from using a notebook and jotting down what you’re grateful for is that this is in fact a community so other people will see your thoughts, and you’ll be able to see theirs. It creates inspiration and really opens people’s eyes to what others are facing in life. “The app allows you to open a small window into the lives of others and lets you see what they appreciate on a daily basis.”

Lombard has five other apps currently available and they cover a variety of genres. You can also check out Pebbler, Meet Me Here, Glypher, iRun Safe, and Bangstache. Lombard also has another one that is currently under development.

It's Time to Point Out Gratitude

So if you're ready to start changing your life, it's time to download this five star-rated app. Sure, this one isn’t free, but if you were going to by a journal to start chronicling your gratitude you’d spend at least this if not more. When you launch the app for the first time, you’ll need to sign in through your Facebook account. From there you will be taken to the main screen of all the posts from those in the community. Just pull down the screen to refresh the posts. Go ahead and create your own post, just be sure to stay within the maximum character count. If you like, you can also add a photo to your post.

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Those in the community have the ability to read your posts, like them, share a post, mark it as a favorite, or view other posts. There is also a list under the post that will show who else has liked it. It’s just that simple and there are no other tools and features to worry about.

The app is ideal when you are feeling a little down during the day; maybe you need to be energized and have a pick me up, or you're just looking to start the day off with a smile. Browsing through the posts from others is both enlightening and enjoyable.

The user interface is very basic and clean, allowing all the focus to be on the posts themselves. This really works in the favor of the app, as users will be able to navigate smoothly right from the start. There aren’t many tools and features here it mimics the feel of a notebook, yet a public one that others can view.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The user interface is basic and clean
• There are no confusing tools or menus to navigate
• Post what you are grateful for and add photos
• Scroll through the posts of others in the community
• Like and share posts that others have created
• Draw inspiration from the app
• Create as many posts as you like through the day

Cons

• The app is basic and simple and doesn’t contain added tools and features

The Final Verdict

The Gratitude Stream app for your iPod touch, iPad, and iPhone provides users with a way to start looking at their lives in a positive way. The app is multi-purpose in that you can create your posts and read what others are posting. The overall effect is smooth, inspirational, and enjoyable. I found myself going back to the app throughout the day to see what people were posting and providing me with that pick-me-up whenever I felt stressed. If you’ve never tried a gratitude journal before, this is a great way to experience its joys.