Looking for a healthy New years resolution? What about journaling?
In 2012, Oprah wrote: “For years, I’ve been advocating the power and pleasure of being grateful. I kept a gratitude journal for a full decade without fail—and urged you all to do the same. Then life got busy. My schedule overwhelmed me. I still opened my journal some nights, but my ritual of writing down five things I was grateful for every day started slipping away.”
After picking up one of her old journals, she said, “I wondered why I no longer felt the joy of simple moments…Since 1996 I had accumulated more wealth, more responsibility, and more possessions; everything, it seemed, had grown exponentially—except my happiness…I wasn’t feeling much of anything. Too busy doing.”
Then, she continues: “But the truth is, I was busy in 1996, too. I just made gratitude a daily priority. I went through the day looking for things to be grateful for, and something always showed up.”
And she finishes: “My life is still crazy busy. Today, though, I’m continuously grateful for having the stamina to keep going at this pace…The difference is I’m back to journaling. I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you’re aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.”¹
It comes down to making it a priority and putting the benefits of journaling at the forefront whenever you feel too busy or tired. And what’s the easiest way to start so it doesn’t feel like a chore and you can stick to it?
It comes down to making it a priority and putting the benefits of journaling at the forefront whenever you feel too busy or tired. And what’s the easiest way to start so it doesn’t feel like a chore and you can stick to it?
Make journaling simple with these five prompts:
The wonderful thing about journaling is that there is no right way to do it. You can start by writing a sentence or two every day when you feel grateful for something, or do a small recap at night of the events that stood out the most during your day. Do it whenever you want. Write on a piece of paper, a beautiful notebook, or on your phone’s notes app.
The important thing here is not to aim for the perfect journal or to try to use complicated words to fill several pages at once. Start with one sentence at the same time every day and take it from there.
To make it easier, let me finish by sharing some prompts you may find helpful when you feel like you have nothing to say. With time, journaling will feel like any other muscle, the more you do it, the stronger you will get at it, and the more benefits you will be able to reap. Just try! You have nothing to lose, and there is so much to gain from this simple practice.
- What am I proud of today?
- What am I grateful for today?
- What surprised me today?
- What caused me stress or anxiety today?
- What did I learn today?
In time, you will realize you don’t need any prompts because your gratitude and curiosity will take over, and you will explore every single moment of your day with kindness and an open mind.
In time, you will realize you don’t need any prompts because your gratitude and curiosity will take over, and you will explore every single moment of your day with kindness and an open mind. Remember, don’t be too hard on yourself, don’t over thinking, and happy writing!
If you want to learn more about mental health, space exploration, sexual education, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and much more, make sure to open a free account today on StudentLAB or TeacherLAB, where we recently included the option to start journaling as a part of your learning experience.
¹Oprah’s Gratitude Journal; Oprah Winfrey; Oprah.com
