Week 1 of the 21-Day Splendid Reset is complete! How are you feeling? Today we’re going to reflect on the week behind us, and look forward to continuing to accomplish the goals we have ahead of us! What better way to reflect than journaling?
Here are 5 mental - and physical - benefits of taking the time to journal.
1. Identify Thoughts and Feelings
Simply writing about your day can help identify thoughts and feelings that you may have otherwise overlooked. Journaling is shown to increase a sense of both self-awareness and gratitude, increasing optimism and overall well being.
2. Helps Prioritize Problems
We all feel stressed, but getting to the root of the problem is not always easy. Journaling is a great way to figure out what problems yo8 are facing, and find the cause of any fear or concerns.
3. Provides an Opportunity to Identify Negative Thoughts, and Reframe Them
Writing out your thoughts helps you identify common cognitive thinking traps, such as all or nothing thinking, “should” statements, or overgeneralization. Recognizing these traps helps you reframe them in a more realistic and positive way. For example: “I didn’t finish my to-do list, so I am a failure” becomes “I didn’t finish my to-do list, but I did accomplish a lot today. I will give myself grace and continue tomorrow.”
4. Reduces Stress
Journaling not only affects your mental health, but studies have shown that relieving stress through journaling can also have physical effects as well, such as strengthening immune cells and decreasing the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Increases Self-Esteem
Take the time to celebrate positive things while journaling, like wins or things you are grateful for. Writing about not only your struggles, but also your successes, can improve your mood and confidence, and increase overall happiness.
Where Do I Start?
Figuring how to begin journaling can be overwhelming. Remember, there is no structure you need to follow – this is a private space to write, draw, or express yourself however feels right. Try starting with gratitude, describing your experiences from the day, or self-affirmations. Just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference.
To help us get started, here are some prompts from our holistic health expert partners at Parsley Health:
This week I am grateful for…
How am I going to be present and move my body today?
What were my biggest wins this past week?
What intentions do I want to bring into next week?
Download our printable journaling prompts here!
Questions? Learn more about the 21-Day Splendid Reset here, or email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow along with our 21 days of content on Instagram @splendid.spoon! Interested in getting started? Sign up for a plan today to start reaching your goals!