Journaling to support wellbeing
https://www.aarpethel.com/fulfillment/why-you-should-add-writing-to-your-self-care-routine
For many of us the first year after we stop working full-time is an opportunity to refresh, reflect and redirect our lives. It’s a time to make ourselves a priority, establish new routines and a new pace to life. This article on the health benefits of journaling caught my eye as a way to do just that…plus, it’s also a great way to capture any ideas you might have about how you want to be and what you want to do during this next phase of your life even if you haven’t retired yet.
Before you say “journaling is not for me”, remember the benefits are well documented and happily there is no right way to journal. I invite you to give it a try in a way that is simple and authentically you. Here are some tips that might make it easier to get started….
It does not have to look “pretty”.
You can journal with bullet points, incomplete sentences or stream of conscious notes. You can add drawings or pictures, use colored pencils, make up poems, songs…
This exercise is for you. No one will see your thoughts unless you choose to share them.
Use a medium that fits you.
You can journal by hand in a notebook or type on a computer or tablet, and you can also capture your thoughts with an audio or video journal. Choose the method that feels most easy and intuitive for you…or use them all depending on your mood!
Tap into your natural energy cycle.
When do you have the most creative energy - is it in the morning or at the end of the day? Choose the time of day that optimizes your unique energy flow.
Give it a good shot.
Make a commitment to journal for a minimum of 21 days, everyday for at least 5 minutes to ingrain the habit.
Tie your new practice to something you are already doing - with your morning coffee, after you’ve walked and fed the dog, waiting in a carpool line, before going to sleep, etc. There’s research to support that it’s easier to start and keep a new habit when it’s tied to something you are already doing.
Get inspiration from others.
Learn more about journaling at Lynda Monk’s International Association for Journal Writing (iajw.org) or from Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages (juliacameronlive.com).