Recently whilst asking for ideas about workshops a lady contacted me to see if journaling would be a possibility. I had not really heard much about about journaling, i just thought it was an american hobby, so i started to research it.
I found that it has a lot of benefits : Manages anxiety
: Reduces Stress
: Helps to cope with Depression
Journaling helps control symptoms and improve your mood by:
* Helping prioritize problems, fears and concerns.
* Tracking any symptoms day by day so that you can recognise triggers and learn ways to better control them.
*Providing an opportunity for positive self talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors .
When you have a problem and are stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify whats causing that stress and anxiety. Once you have identified your stressors you can work to resolve the problems, and in turn reduce stress.
How to Journal
* Try to write everyday even if its just for a few minutes.
* Make it easy, keep a pen and some paper handy at all times so that when you want to jot down your thoughts, you can.
* Write what feels right, your journal doesn't need to follow any particular structure, its your own private area to discuss whatever you want.
* Use your journal as you see fit, you don't have to share it with anyone.
* Keeping a journal helps you establish order when your world feels like its in chaos. It helps you get to know yourself be revealing your innermost fears, thoughts and feelings.
* Look at your writing time as personal relaxation time, a time when to de-stress and wind down.
* write in a place that is soothing.
* Look forward to your journaling time, know that you're doing something good for your mind and body.
Bullet Journal
Bullet Journals are different, It starts with a blank journal and a pen which is deceptively simple and almost boring, but it's also the lazy genius organizer you've been waiting for.
The Index Page
It doesn't have to be fancy; it's what you'd expect - a list of page descriptions and their corresponding page numbers so you can find what you need when you need it. You'll fill it up over time, but for now, simply title that first page "Index," write the appropriate page numbers at the bottom (presumably 1 and 2), and add those pages to your actual Index.
The Future Log
The Bullet Journal takes a focused look at one month at a time which is great for the month but tricky when recording things that will happen down the road.
The versions of set-up are infinite, but trial and error have taught me to keep my Bullet Journal as mind-numbingly simple as possible. If an appointment or lunch date or food truck festival is coming my way, I simply write a box, the date, and the event. Done. We'll talk more about the execution later, so just write "Future Log" at the top of the page, number the page, and add it to your Index. You'll want it near the front of your Bullet Journal, so best to do it now.
The Monthly Log
I love that you don't have to start your Bullet Journal in January for it to be effective. Simply begin where you are. If you're reading this in May, your first Monthly Log will be May.
Write the month at the top of the next blank page, and write the days of the month down the side. It's also helpful to write the first letter of the corresponding day of the week so you know when the actual date falls. You can do this on the left or right of the number.
Now take your current calendar (your phone, or your planner) and transfer this month's appointments and events into your Monthly Log. Keep it simple, and limit your words.
The Monthly Task List
The original way people set up their month is to have the calendar page you just made on the left and a giant task list on the right. Make each month what you need it to be. If you sometimes need a monthly task list, make one. If not, skip it.
The Daily Log
The actual definition of log is "an official record of events during the voyage of a ship or aircraft." No, life isn't a boat, but it's totally a voyage. We move through life, change, make memories, forget most of them, and wonder why we feel so listless on a regular basis.
The Daily Log is the knife and fork to your Bullet Journal potato. It's the tool you use to take out the important bits of your day and give them permanence. Those bits will be practical, like tasks and appointments, but also personal, like things you want to remember, books you finished reading, conversations you had with an old friend.
personal logs don,t need to be long, In fact, it's better if they're not. When you're writing entries for the day, write them as they come to mind. You might write "go to post office" and immediately follow it with "Sam rode his bike for the first time." It all gets logged in unbiased order, just as our brains naturally bend. The brain doesn't automatically categorise things within itself; that's why we make lists! That's why we crave order. Our brains are amazing, but we have to sift through the information and find out what matters. The Daily Log lets those thoughts out in a stream of consciousness way without feeling jumbled and crazy.
There is loads more to write but think this is enough, may be too much for now, but its safe to say i have started my own journal and its helping my fuzzy brain already lol