You’ll never know unless you try
I recently decided to give running another try. I decided I should probably do a few things to get myself ready for running: build up my fitness so I could make it past the end of my road, decide which trainers to wear, I even downloaded a running plan for beginners and read a few blogs. A week passed and I realised I was simply delaying going for a run (can you relate?). So I put my trainers on and went out the front door. I don’t know how far I ran or if I was doing it ‘right’ but I ran and I’m planning to run again tomorrow.
It’s easy to put off starting a new habit by making it overcomplicated. I’ve been having a lot of conversations recently about journaling and people often ask me what it is or how to do it. Journalling is simply writing about your day. There is no set formula, some people prefer to write freely while others like the structure of some questions to reflect on, some people journal in the morning, some in the evening or both. The most important thing to know is that you can’t get it wrong, you just need some paper and a pen.
There is a lot of talk about the value of journalling and I’ve certainly found it incredibly beneficial myself. Many of us are desperate for life to slow down a little and journalling helps us step off the fast paced treadmill of our lives and pause for a few moments. How else might it help?
Journalling gives us space to reflect on what is happening in our lives and how we feel about it. Life is incredibly busy and there is very little time for us to take a step back and process what happens each day. The mere act of writing something down clears our mind and allows us to consider our thoughts and feelings, rather than feeling consumed or overwhelmed by them.
Journalling provides an opportunity to be more intentional about the way we live. That might be through looking back and seeing patterns in our lives that have helped or hindered us. Many people use their journal to set goals or simple intentions for the day. Taking time to write about who you want to be and what you want to do reminds us of our power to choose. We are not hamsters on a wheel.
Our brains have a natural tendency to focus on the negative and taking time each day to write down what we’re grateful for has been shown to have huge benefits for our mental health. It’s a daily decision to focus on and celebrate what was good. Writing it down is very different to thinking or saying it, there is power in translating thoughts into words.
How does it work?
Many people find it helpful to have some structure when they journal and you might find it helpful to have a few questions that shape your journaling. Below are some questions that you could use, why not pick 2 or 3 that stand out to you and start there.
What happened today?
What was good today?
Where did I feel hurt or disappointed?
What am I grateful for today?
What can I learn from today?
What do I want to try and do differently tomorrow?
How do I feel today?
What really matters?
What is my intention for the day ahead?
What is my most important task today?
You could start with just 5 minutes at the start or end of your day. Don’t worry about the right journal or pen, or the right ‘format’ to follow. Just put pen to paper and see what happens. And who knows, you might just do it every day for the rest of your life. I might become a runner. But we’ll never know unless we try.