Putting Pen to Paper: How Journaling Can Help You Cope with Stressful Situations

When we’re faced with adversity, our bodies and minds may respond by tensing up, which is normal but can be destructive if left unchecked. Keeping a journal is a straightforward yet powerful method for dealing with stress and finding ways to deal with the pressures of daily life. In this piece, We’ll discuss how you can use journaling to reduce your stress levels and offer suggestions for getting started with the practice.

The Stress-Relieving major power of Writing in a Journal

The practice of keeping a journal is a great way to express yourself creatively and discover new perspectives. When you keep a journal, you give yourself permission to open up about your feelings without worrying about what other people will think. When dealing with stress, this can be extremely useful because it helps you to:

Write about your stressors: helps you process your feelings and gain a better understanding of what’s triggering your stress. Having a better understanding of your habits and triggers might help you develop better coping mechanisms.

Minimize your rumination: rumination is when you keep thinking about something terrible, over and over again. Keeping a journal can be a useful tool for breaking this pattern by giving you a safe place to express your feelings and help you work through them in a healthy way.

Get some distance from the problem: it can be difficult to see the big picture when you’re in the thick of things.  Keeping a journal can provide some distance from your problems, allowing you to better analyze them and come up with strategies for overcoming them.

Boost your mood: Writing about good things can make you feel better and help you remember the good things in life. In times of stress, when it’s easy to let negative emotions take over, this can be extremely helpful.

Strategies for Making Journaling Part of Your undefined Life

Now that you know how journaling might help you relax, let’s look at some concrete ways to start using it.

1. Dedicate a specific time every day to writing in a journal.
When it comes to keeping a journal, it’s important to be consistent. Make writing a daily habit by giving yourself dedicated writing time. Do this whenever it is most convenient for you: in the morning, at noon, or right before bed. Ten to fifteen minutes of writing time daily is good, but don’t beat yourself up if you can only manage a few minutes at first. Making this a habit is more significant than anything else.

2. Choose a peaceful and inviting environment in which to write.
Choose a peaceful, undisturbed spot where you can focus on writing. The scene could be a coffee shop, a park, or a special corner in your house. Gather your stuff (notebook, pen, ideas, etc.) and have them ready to go.

3. Don’t censor yourself while you write.
You should write whatever comes to mind, without worrying about what other people may think, and yet alone yourself. Just let your thoughts flow onto the page without worrying about correct grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Keep in mind that you can feel free to share your thoughts and opinions here without worrying about being judged or punished.

4. Get started with the help of prompts
Prompts are great for when you just can’t come up with something to write about. The purpose of a prompt is to spark your imagination through the use of a question, phrase or quote. Start with these ideas:

What is it that’s causing me so much anxiety at the moment?
What was a good thing that happened today?
Can I name one obstacle that I successfully navigated this past week?
What is it that I have today that makes me thankful?

5. Try out a variety of journaling formats
There are various techniques for keeping a journal, so don’t be hesitant to try out different methods until you discover one that suits you. Here are a few popular options:

Stream-of-consciousness: this involves writing whatever comes to mind without worrying about structure or coherence. Simply let your thoughts flow onto the page.

Gratitude journaling: this forces you to focus on the positive things in your life and to write about things you’re grateful for. This can be especially helpful for reducing stress and boosting mood.

Bullet journaling: the use of bullet points and symbols to organize your thoughts and tasks. It can be helpful for managing stress by breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.

Reflective journaling: as the name eludes, you reflect on your experiences and emotions and explore them in more depth. It can be helpful for gaining insight into your patterns of thinking and behavior.

6. Tell others about your journaling journey
Keeping a journal is an inherently private practice, but it can be beneficial to have others witness your progress in order to provide motivation and hold you accountable. Try sharing your writing with someone you trust, like a friend or family member, or in a journaling group. As well as keeping you motivated and devoted to your writing practice, sharing your experiences with others can help you obtain fresh ideas and views.

Summing up, journaling can be a really effective method for managing stress and improving mental health. By providing a secure outlet to explore emotions and gain perspective on life’s challenges, journaling can facilitate coping with daily stressors and developing resilience in the face of adversity. To get started with journaling, establish a daily routine, find a comfortable and distraction-free environment, write without judgment, use prompts, try various styles, and share your writing with others for feedback and support. With consistent effort, journaling can be a valuable addition to your stress management tool kit.

Do you journal? If yes, how has it helped you with managing your stress? If no, what’s holding you back?

How to Stay Motivated to Exercise When You’re Not Feeling It.

In the beginning of your fitness journey, it is normal to feel a lack of motivation. Starting a new regimen can be intimidating, and sticking to it can be even more so. Consistency, however, is the single most important factor in realizing your health and fitness goals. That’s why we’re here: to keep you inspired and on track while you work to improve your health and fitness. The right mentality and approach can help even the most inexperienced person achieve success. Let’s dive in and find some ways to keep exercising even when you don’t feel like it.

  1. Set Realistic Goals

One of the keys to staying motivated to exercise is to set realistic goals. It’s important to remember that fitness is a journey, and progress takes time. Set specific, achievable goals that align with your fitness level and lifestyle. Whether it’s running a 5k or doing ten push-ups in a row, setting small, measurable goals will help you track your progress and stay motivated.

  1. Find a Workout Buddy

Exercising with a friend can be a great way to stay motivated and accountable. Not only will you have someone to talk to and laugh with, but you’ll also have someone to hold you accountable. Studies show that working out with a partner can increase motivation and sticking to exercise routines (1). So, grab a friend and hit the gym together!

  1. Try Something New

If you’re feeling bored or unmotivated with your current workout routine, try mixing it up. Trying a new workout class or activity can be a fun way to challenge yourself and keep things interesting. Plus, trying new things can help you discover new fitness passions that you may not have known existed.

  1. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential for good health, and it plays a crucial role in exercise performance and motivation. Getting enough sleep can help you feel energized and ready to tackle your workout routine. Studies show that sleep deprivation can negatively impact exercise performance and motivation (2). So, make sure you’re getting enough rest to fuel your workouts.

  1. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for reaching fitness milestones can be a great way to stay motivated. Whether it’s treating yourself to a massage or buying a new workout outfit, giving yourself a small reward can help you feel accomplished and motivated to keep going. Just make sure the reward aligns with your fitness goals and doesn’t sabotage your progress.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn.

  1. Remember Why You Started

When you’re feeling unmotivated, it can be helpful to remind yourself why you started your fitness journey in the first place. Whether it’s to feel more confident or to improve your health, focusing on your reasons for starting can help you stay motivated and committed to your goals.

Staying motivated to exercise isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the effort. By setting realistic goals, finding a workout buddy, trying new things, getting enough sleep, rewarding yourself, and remembering why you started, you can stay on track and reach your fitness goals. Don’t let a lack of motivation get in the way of your health and fitness journey. Remember, every workout counts!

References:

  1. Williams DM, Dunsiger S, Ciccolo JT, Lewis BA, Albrecht AE, Marcus BH. Acute Affective Response to a Moderate-intensity Exercise Stimulus Predicts Physical Activity Participation 6 and 12 Months Later. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2008;9(3):231-245. doi:10.101

The Simple Things Add Up… There Is So Much To Be Grateful For!

It’s real easy to become one of those people who love to complain (the woe is me people). They tend to complain all the time about everything under the sun. As a youth and young adult, I was innocent enough to believe what people were saying. I really thought there were plenty of valid reasons to complain: about the weather (most often), lack of money (runner-up), “white” folk, “black” folk, neighbors, friends, coworkers, the heavy set person taking up two seats on the subway, bad health, etc. I assumed the world just turned out to be like this and there was nothing much I could do about it. Being in that environment it’s really easy to get infected by that way of being.

Fortunately for me something clicked though, especially as I started traveling outside of the U.S., and reflecting on the culture and society I was born into. One of the great benefits of being born and spending time outside of the United States is having a different view of the world. Even though I was born and raised in the central city of Georgetown, Guyana, and we had indoor plumbing; I knew of and were friends with other kids who weren’t as fortunate. I saw poverty of a kind not comparable to that in the U.S. Yet these folks often had nothing but big smiles on their faces, while we had everything and were still complaining! How could this be?

It became crystal clear to me that the complaints had nothing to do with the outer circumstances. It was an attitude, a habit formed over time.

As I matured, and through countless interactions in the world, I learned that inner loneliness, clinging to expectations of how “we” think things should be, instead of appreciating what is, was among the reasons why we complain so much.

I realized further that the people, who seemed to complain very little, were those who connected to something “greater” than themselves.

Here’s what shifted for me. I began to express sincere gratitude for all the love and “hate” I had received and will keep receiving throughout your life. I became grateful for the clean water coming out of the tap, with just a simple gesture of my hand. Take into consideration that there are many people in other parts of the world spending upwards of six hours every day to get a little bit of water, and an unfortunate number die of thirst.

I became grateful for the lights that came on when I would flip the switch in my apartment. Large parts of the world have to do without electrical power! Say “thank you” for the variety of food that is available to you every day, around the globe there are countless numbers who get by on one scarce meal a day, or are simply starving.

How To Create With Your Feelings

Imagine finally taking off seven coats you’ve been wearing on top of each other for years and years. You’ve forgotten that some people consciously choose to live without seven layers of coats on even though most people are living that way.

You remember the possibilities you imagined your life would be when you were a child. You decide to take off the coats and start running joyfully through the spring fields you forgot about. You move into the light where you finally begin to laugh and live feeling inspired every day instead of simply walking around reacting to life, complaining, counting down the days to the next weekend or vacation until you finally die. (more…)