Why it is so helpful to keep a journal
Your well-being is our priority. That's why at Holmes Place we offer you a place that's more than a health club. Here you can not only do something for your fitness and health, we will also help you to calm down and become more relaxed. Because in our offer you will find many group courses in the area of Body & Mind. Whatever your goal, we'll help you achieve it.
Ever heard of journaling? It's been very trendy for a while. And rightly so, because journaling helps the writer to calm down, promotes concentration and brings more mindfulness into life. And a lot more.
What is journaling?
It would be too easy to just translate it as "diary writing". Because there is much more behind journaling. While you mainly enter what you have experienced in the diary, journaling is about recording your feelings in relation to what you have experienced. In this way, you can learn a lot about your goals and values along the way. It is known as a great help to be in the moment, here and now.
It is a lesson in mindfulness. Because if you write down your thoughts about the day in the evening, you pay more attention to what you experience during the day and deal more with your feelings and thoughts. If you have experienced something stressful, it helps to write down your thoughts about it. This brings clarity and a new perspective on the situation.
Different journaling methods
There are many options for journaling. Find the one that suits you best.
One that is very well known: success diary. This is about writing down everything that you did particularly well: goals that you have achieved, nice experiences and positive results. You decide for yourself in which form you write it down and which events you choose. Professional ones count as well as private ones. Make sure you write something down every day. After a while you will find out how often you have small or big successes. That reduces self-doubt.
Another one, that works in a similar way: gratitude diary. So much happens in our life that we can sometimes forget something. And the same goes for positive things. It's often the little moments that we forget. Yet they are often very valuable. Those are the moments you write in your gratitude journal. But there is also room in it for great things for which you are grateful: you are healthy, have a great partnership and healthy children. There are friends who are there for you. You can afford good food and a nice apartment... If you think a little, you'll find many more things to be thankful for. Add to that those little moments: a stranger gave you a smile, the boss complimented you... Gratitude can change your life. It makes you happy, optimistic and healthy, it improves relationships and: it makes you more resistant to stress.
It's well known and popular: bullet journal. This is a book that can help you become more organized. The name "bullet" stands for the outline points ("bullet points") that are in it. You can use a regular notebook and then either set bullet points yourself or work with different colors. You can use it to sort tasks or appointments, for example, or to highlight ideas or successes. If you like, you can also draw or stick stickers in it - just as you like it. You can buy bullet journals with prepared pages. This also applies to journaling in general. For example, the 6-minute diary, which is available in bookstores, is very well known.
Generally less known, but a classic of journaling is the so-called
"Stream of Consciousness". The name comes from literary studies and describes the unbridled writing down of things that one thinks. Just start writing. This can be complete sentences, but also keywords. Everything is allowed – there is no wrong and no right here. It's not easy at first, but if you don't put yourself under pressure, after a while the words will start to flow out of you. Try it!
Other journaling methods
The weekly review is also effective – here you take stock once a week and write down what good and less good experiences you had, what you are grateful for and what you did well. How to keep track of your goals: Which goal am I getting closer to? You will also learn to live more and more in the moment and to perceive situations intensively. At first you may not have many ideas, but that changes after a few weeks.
If you're short on time, the 5-minute journal can also serve you well. You answer three questions in the morning and two in the evening. It is also about gratitude and about things that you want to achieve or that you have done well or not so well. In addition, there is a daily affirmation for the beginning of the day, which you should write down. For example: "I'm good the way I am."
Morning Pages: They're perfect for anyone looking to flex their "creativity muscle." It's about spending a few minutes each morning writing down whatever's on your mind. It's not that easy, because some people feel reluctant to fill in blank pages. But if you get involved and have a bit of patience, you will be amazed at what “flows” out of you!
Journaling with ready-made books
You can buy beautifully designed journaling books in bookstores, but you can also design them yourself. Because it is your journal that accompanies you on your way and will soon be of great importance to you. Doing this will help you become more mindful and self-care.
If you want to do even more for yourself, you can book a meditation class at Holmes Place. Here you will learn to concentrate on the breath and to let go of stress. Our trainers will guide you through the entire process. It is very worthwhile to get involved, because meditation is really helpful! Yoga is also an effective way to learn how to switch off better. It doesn't matter whether you choose classic Hatha Yoga or the flowing Yoga Flow.