To grow your best self and wellness in all areas of your life, you must first identify your patterns and roadblocks that separate you from being and acting aligned with your goals. Awareness is key. Journaling gives you a place to communicate trends with yourself freely. It is proven that people who track their wellness are more successful at achieving their goals and creating new habits that allow for success!
Most experts suggest that you set time aside daily and begin with 10 -20 minutes a day, I don’t necessarily agree with this. Who has time for that? No one has ever asked me personally or professionally “Megan, I have an extra 20 minutes every single day how should I spend them?”. In contrary, I am frequently working to carve time out where we can with clients, and myself. I journal during a commute on the train, while I wait for the water to boil or dinner to cook, I have even been known to scribble something down while brushing my teeth. I keep a journal with me almost everywhere. This has two major benefits. 1. If I don’t write it down immediately, it is probably gone forever, so it gets written down. 2. If I have it with me, I can review the contents.
The real benefit of journaling doesn’t happen right away; it comes when you go back to it. When you review all the “data” you have collected in the pages and look at the fantastic progress you have made. If it isn’t a positive trend, you can see it there in black (or blue, pink, green, crayon, finger paint – whatever works!!) and white. Then you pick up your preferred writing utensil and plan the recovery. Because there is so much reward from reviewing, just getting daily entries is what is important. If all you have time for is “I’m tired today, didn’t sleep, busy day at work, the dog ate my favorite book” or “Good day, so busy! Love vacation, and the food!” that is GREAT. Over time you will learn what works for you.
Journal Guide
Here is an idea of how you might decide to do a daily wellness journal. Make it yours! Track what you need to track, and remember to come back and learn from it!
Date: January 1, 2018
Notes:
Slept 7 hours. Woke up tired. Had to drink large coffee to get moving. Energy ok after. Started getting tired around 3pm, had another coffee. Got a slight headache at 5pm. Started getting cranky. Had some negative thoughts and self talk. Did cardio on the rower for 20 minutes. Noticed energy increase after. Went to bed at 11pm. Read and tried to meditate but only made it a few minutes.
Today’s Intention: Set an intention for the day: Ex To focus on the positive things in my life and be grateful.
Action Steps: (Set these ahead of your day)
Ex:
Stay on point with Nutrition, make it to the gym.
Do something nice for Taylor
Organize the officeToday’s Victories & Challenges:
Ex: Struggled with negative thoughts. The victory was that I didn’t get totally caught up in them and let them ruin my day.
Nutrition/Drinks/Exercise:
If you set out a meal plan ahead of time, make sure to note where you deviated.
1st meal: 7am — apple and ½ cup oatmeal
2nd meal: 9 am — coffee w/almond milk, egg white omelette (5 egg whites) with spinach and tomatoes
3rd meal: 11 am — banana, protein shake and a handful of almonds
4th meal: 1pm – 4 oz grilled chicken, 4 cups mixed salad with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette dressing and a medium sweet potato
Drank 1/2 gallon of water, three coffees and exercised for a total of 40 minutes Treadmill/Rower.
