I set my alarm in the morning a little bit earlier as the time I expect my family to wake up so I can write 3 pages. There are no rules: I open my notebook, I write the date at the top of the page and write 3 pages. When I started it felt really painful and I started every page with "I don't know what to write" or "I'm tired". After a few days I realised that I don't want to start my day with moaning so I forced myself to come up with something I could write about.
You don't have to do the morning pages but I encourage you to write as much as you can with a pen. Handwriting has a huge impact for my thinking: I slow down, I think through my day or questions / challenges I face, I become more focused and it helps me to set an intention for the day.
General benefits of handwriting and journaling:
- it improves your memory
- it helps to set an intention
- it helps to release stress or anxiety
- writing about your feelings and thoughts will make you more resilient
- it helps to be more creative
- it helps to clear your mind
- journaling prompts will help you to find answers you've been looking for
- reflecting on your life will help you feel more grateful
If it all sounds too much at once, try to write a little every day. Get a notebook and find a few minutes every day to write a few sentences. After a few days try to increase the time you set for yourself or the number of sentences / pages.
A few ideas you could write a bit about every day:
- Today I'm grateful for...
- Today is the day when I will ....
- For my own self-care I will do this today: ......
- These are the activities that make me feel alive: .... How do I feel after these activities?
- I have never thought I would have.... / I'd achieve.... / this would happen.....
- These people give me energy and lift me up: ..... How do I feel when they are around?
- Things I'm good at....
- My favourite song these days is.... and why....
- I'll make time for this today....
- How do I feel in my body today? What part of my body do I love the most?
- What incredible things does my body do for me?
- In my dreams I feel like.....
- This is what really makes me happy.....
- If I could choose to do anything, I'd do....
- What are me feelings around change? Do they scare me in any way? Which changes scare me the most?
- This is what bothering me at the moment....
- I feel frustrated because....
- These are the things I regret: ....
- This is what I'm overthinking at the moment: .....
- The favourite part of my day is ..... because ...
- What boundaries can I put in place to protect my energy every day?
- I feel most confident when I....
- I do courageous things like ....
- What things are worth fighting for?
- I can do a small adjustment to my day to make a little bit more space and time for myself. This will be: ......
- I wish I had more time for this: ...... Ideas how I can make more time for that.
- This is what helps me to relax and switch off: ..... How does that make me feel? How can I make that more often?
Do you feel inspired? Do you journal on a regular basis? What are your thoughts of handwriting?
I'd love to hear from you!
Lots of Love,
Viki xxx