This week, I wanted to think back to a past habit that I chose to implement in my life through this process and reflect on how I can use what I have learned to enact other healthy habits in the future. One of my first posts was about creating a better sleep schedule. I elaborated on this idea in my next post by entering how I was feeling into a chart that I made, to discover the negatives and positives behind waking up and going to bed at the same time every night and the impact it has on my well being.
By focusing on this habit for quite some time it stuck really well for me and I now have a consistent sleep schedule that contributes to me having better moods throughout the week, which makes it a healthy habit for my mental and physical health. One of the things that I think helped me see this habit’s true benefits and helped me understand how important it was to keep in my life was journaling my mood and feelings towards it as a guide to its benefits and helping me stay motivated. I am now wondering If documenting progress aides in creating a habit? or if just journaling throughout the day on your thoughts and emotions can be a healthy habit that supports other healthy habits?!
To test out these questions I have journaled about my week so far each night while keeping in mind the other habits that I have focused on in past weeks, such as drinking more water, calling my family, spending time outside and baking more. Journaling this week seemed necessary because I am super overwhelmed about all the stuff coming up before the end of the semester.
Getting out all my thoughts onto paper helped me to rationalize them while also giving me space to organize what makes me feel better and what makes me feel worse and how to mitigate my problems throughout the day. I believe that journaling is both a way to keep healthy habits and also a healthy habit in itself. It gave me space away from any other distractions in the day where it was just me and my thoughts.
I have always liked writing and allowing myself to write without the pressures of a classroom setting and the rules and restrictions that come with that felt very liberating. I wasn’t focusing on how to follow guidelines, I was just allowing myself to reflect in a really honest way. Seeing my thoughts on paper, I noticed that I can be really negative towards myself which gave me a new goal of positive self talk to focus on. Realizing this, I tried to add one positive comment to myself at the end of my writing so that I left it on a good note. I could also see how my previous habits were influencing my mood for the better when they were enacted throughout the week, which gave me reassurance that I was progressing through my free inquiry journey. I am glad to have focused on this habit this week and I am excited to continue this habit.
November 17, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Hey Lexi!
I just explored journaling for the first time in a long time, a few weeks ago! I found it hard to motivate myself to write in a journal after having to do a bunch of other writing for school. I was scared it was going to feel like more “work” rather than something to benefit my mental health. I quickly found however that it didn’t feel like an extra thing to do. There wasn’t any criteria I had to follow I could just write whatever I felt like and reflect on my day. It also helped me track what habits positively affected me and what things I still needed to work on.
I’m glad you also had a positive experience with journaling. It’s so awesome that you’ve been able to keep track of your process and own personal growth within your inquiry through journaling. Thanks for sharing!
November 19, 2022 at 2:17 pm
Lexi! I have been an avid journaler all my life so I can attest to the fact that it’s so much fun and really beneficial for my mental well being. I think I’ve been journaling since I was in grade 1 and although it hasn’t always been consistent, I have been able to complete a total of 3 full journals so far and I’ll keep going. I recently just finished one that I started back in the beginning of the pandemic. I love going back and reading through my journals too. I find it really therapeutic to see what great things and bad things had been consuming my mind during a certain time in my life. It’s a great way to reflect and honestly just laugh at old memories.
In school, when we journaled in our notebooks, we also had to draw a picture. I brought this into my own journaling from a young age and I still continue to do it. I find this to be one of my favourite parts of my journals because now I have llustrations of my biggest life moments that I can look back on. I’m so glad you’re getting back into journaling and have fun with it!!