I am a big fan of journaling. Every morning, like clockwork, I do my morning pages to start the day. (and having a beautiful Smythson notebook as a journal doesn’t hurt- they are on sale right this minute!) I try to come away with some insight from every journaling session. But let’s be honest, creativity doesn’t strike on an average Tuesday morning. So I’ve always got a list of good journaling prompts to get the creative juices flowing.
I love my family, I really do. But the past two years of COVID times has seen us spend more time together than we usually do. That has been lovely, in many ways, but it also means that I really look forward to my annual ritual of spending a few day alone. This is the third or fourth time that I’ve done this, and I’ve figured out a few tips for maximizing the time when spending a few days alone.
Hard to believe, but we have started the last third of this weird year 2021. (Remember when we all thought 2021 was going to be “back to normal”? Uh, not quite) And with September comes the beginning of “planner season”- a time when organized types like me start thinking about 2022 planners and doing things better in the next year. And I want to share a few reasons why I think that even if you don’t consider yourself a planner, you may want a 5 or 10 year journal for 2022.
I may be going overboard on the journaling. I’ve got journals for productivity and for capturing my media consumption and major takeaways. I have a commonplace book, and a “dear diary” that I use every evening. I was skeptical about the value of yet another journal. But hear me out, because writing morning pages for creativity each morning has been truly excellent. I look forward to doing it each and every morning.
Y’all, I am taking a mental health day next week. I don’t care that you absolutely must meet on Monday to discuss 2021 objectives or see where I am on a particular project. I have some PTO that’s about to expire, and I’m using it! 🙂
And if you are anything like me, you’ve taken a mental health day and ended up squandering it. Perhaps you filled the day with chores, or you frittered it away with aimless puttering. I’ve done both- and I’m determined to prepare and execute on a great mental health day. I want to go to bed on Monday evening, rested, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle those 2021 objectives!
Continue reading “Preparing for a great mental health day”If you read this blog even occasionally, you will know that I have been trying a lot of new things during this COVID period. From getting seriously into typewriters to exploring the world of cool stationery, I’ve gone deep (and spent some money along the way!) I guess given my love of paper and pens, journaling is a natural fit for me. And I want to share how to get started with journaling in an easy way. No huge commitments required!
The benefits of journaling seem to be getting a lot of press these days. I guess it’s no surprise, since there seem to be a lot of people struggling financially, mentally and health-wise. And along with meditation, all the cool people seem to be journaling. I’ve kept a journal off and on since high school… and it’s been a little more “off” than “on” recently.
But in my recent efforts to keep my sanity and work on being a better person, journaling seemed to something to consider re-adding to my tool kit. So a few months ago, I picked it up again. And I’ve got some tips for dipping your toes into it, without a huge financial or time commitment.
Continue reading “How to start journaling- easy and low commitment”