by Debbie Rodrigues | May 7, 2018 | Challenge, Health and Wellness
Everyone should learn how to worry less with daily journaling. Discover how simple it is and its benefits for mental health and success.
As you sit down to your morning coffee, you already notice your jaw is clenched. Your shoulders are tense. Worries about the future have gone from background noise to a physical burden you can’t shake. Your heart rate is higher. You’re less patient with loved ones. Each day isn’t a fresh start. Instead, it is marked my compounded anxiety.
Whether it’s financial, relationship, or job-related stress, if we aren’t careful, it can overpower us.
The truth is everybody worries
It’s pretty much impossible not to worry.
We’re concerned not only about the things that happen to those close to us but also in the world.
Even today’s children are worried about issues such as:
- global warming,
- school safety, and
- their futures.
Despite how overwhelming stress can be, it makes no sense to try to eliminate concerns from our existence.
Still, just like we do with stress, fear, and anxiety, we can and should, understand and manage our worries.
How to worry less with journaling
There’s a journal for everything.
This is because YOU get choose how to use yours.
Recently, even though I’m not an artist, I decided to add art journaling to my routine.
Because of my personality, I tend to be very logical. Therefore, as a means of assuring balance, I started drawing and teaching myself watercolor painting.
It’s my way to develop creativity.
But I also have a Stress Management Journal.
I’ve been keeping it for years already.
I use it to record not only the things that are pressuring me, but also my worries, blocks, and struggles.
So, in a way, it can also be considered my Worry Journal.
How to use journaling to minimize worrying
The best and most efficient way to use journals for personal development is by building the habit of using it daily.
Write
Even if it’s just for a couple of sentences, or for five minutes or so, write.
If you have never done it before, you may feel uncomfortable at first.
If that’s the case, commit to at least ONE word every single day.
Yes, just a single word.
But write it down.
It’s a start.
You don’t have to stop there if you’re inspired, but don’t skip it.
In fact, before moving forward reading this post, grab your journal and get it done for today.
Make it personal
Remember you don’t need to share your writing with anyone.
Let all your troubles out.
Only stop when you are done.
Instead of keeping grudges and concerns in your head, put them on paper.
Save your mind for positive and encouraging thoughts.
You deserve it!
Read and reflect
The main difference between journaling for fun and mental health is the reflection step.
We may even look back at our drawings and paintings to compare our progress.
But when it comes to a Worry Journal, for example, the exercise is more intense.
There’s little to no value in observing:
- handwriting,
- colors used, and
- finishing touches.
What matters is:
- what happened,
- how we reacted, and
- the results.
Making time to go through past records to review events and feeling is an effective way to grow.
Find your journal
While I mentioned art journals as something separate from a Worry Journal, you can still combine them.
Words aren’t always the best way to express feelings even if you’re an avid writer.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
That’s why you should focus on the content, not the format.
You aren’t doing it for someone else or social media.
Your journal is your means of letting go of worries that are holding you back.
Time is a precious asset. And so are your energy levels and (mental) health.
Learn how to use them wisely.
Discover how to worry less with daily journaling.
And if you want to create space in your schedule to grow and become a better version of yourself, come to the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You.
Work on different productivity blocks one day at a time throughout the year to:
- boost your confidence,
- free time for the things that truly matter, and
- achieve meaningful and fulfilling goals.
I’ll be there for you all along the way!
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
Do you journal for mental health?
by Debbie Rodrigues | Apr 30, 2018 | Challenge, Health and Wellness
Discover the benefits of figuring out your emotions better with journaling. Learn how to you can get the most of it too.
I find it easier to express myself through writing.
Whether it’s a blog post or a letter, I enjoy sharing my feelings, experiences, and thoughts through written words.
It works both when I’m excited and happy, but also when I need a little push.
Either way, I became a major advocate of using journaling to understand and manage my emotions.
How it works
I keep one journal for my business and another one for myself.
Even though the application is different, the method is the same: just write.
There’s no minimum or maximum number of pages. I push aside any preconceived notion of what I should capture.
Instead, I sit down and write absolutely anything that comes to mind.
It doesn’t matter if I jump back and forth, interrupt myself, or make mistakes.
There’s no judgment, only writing.
One of the excellent benefits of this exercise is that it allows ideas to flow.
In the busYness of life, we tend to shut ourselves down.
We think:
- “I don’t have time for it now.”
- “I’ll make time for myself after I’ve crossed off more of my to-do list.”
- “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
When we get caught up in these excuses, we delay the benefits of journaling.
And we go from task to task without reflection, purpose, or a sense of presence.
When we journal, we have the opportunity to brainstorm. As a result, we unveil hidden thoughts and solutions.
Word by word, we:
- Find solutions to old struggles
- Discover our priorities
- Acknowledge our feelings
For example, when I have an idea for a blog post, unless I can write down my initial thoughts, I won’t go further than the first paragraph.
But when I can sit behind my laptop, it all comes out very easily.
The same goes for emotions.
Journaling for feelings
Whether it’s an old grudge or something that has just happened to me, it’s harder to resolve it by analyzing it superficially. And that’s what we do when we simply mull it over in our heads.
It’s necessary that I:
- Review the event
- Reflect on what happened
- Put myself in the shoes of all parties involved
- Come up with a better approach that’s realistic
- Try to solve the situation as-is
It isn’t something that can be done in a minute or two.
It takes at least a couple of meditation sessions and a lot of brainstorming thanks to journaling.
The time I invest saves me from ruminating on negative events and harboring resentment and anger for years.
It’s such a simple approach that people can take it for granted, but I’m here to tell you that it works.
Getting started
First of all, don’t let that the Instagram account of your favorite planner or Pinterest get to you.
The people who appear to be experts at journaling are only that way because they:
- Have been doing it for ages
- Have established a rhythm
- Might have the appearance of success, but aren’t actually executing.
But it’s their experience, not yours.
I’m on vacation right now and using an Erin Condren notebook for journaling.
The paper is excellent for fountain pens which are a newly-found passion.
But using an old notebook works just fine.
And if you need help to come up with ideas, stay consistent and motivated, join the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You today.
Learn one day at a time how you can benefit from journaling and other tools to:
- Boost your confidence
- Create space in your schedule
- Define your priorities
- Accomplish your Goals
- Live the lifestyle of your Dreams
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
Do you journal on a daily basis?
*Some links are affiliates. If you choose to buy anything from them, I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read full disclaimer here. Thank you for your support!
by Debbie Rodrigues | Apr 23, 2018 | Challenge
Find out to use journaling to help you forgive and let go of old grudges. Become a better version of yourself one day at a time to feel happier and fulfilled.
Whether it’s a family member who has disapproved of us one too many times, a boss who belittled us, or a friend who was disloyal one time too many, we all have memories that hurt.
These memories can be:
- Events,
- People, and/ or
- Experiences.
For different reasons, we can get stuck holding on to the pain and other feelings associated with them. Despite the suffering these memories cause, we struggle to let go of them.
When we fester on these hurtful experiences, these feelings can turn into grudges. It can be consuming and impede our ability to become the best versions of ourselves.
Create space to let go
Not all grudges are the same.
While we might be aware of many them, there can be others, smaller ones; we don’t acknowledge.
Sometimes, it has to do with how recent they are or their results.
Either way, we should try to forgive.
My two favorite methods to unveil and let go are meditation and journaling.
Meditation
While I don’t attach any goals to my meditation practice, it has already happened more than once that hurtful events and people have come to the forefront during that time.
A couple of times, the memories associated were of pain and anger.
Even though they had happened many years before, I realized I wasn’t able to let them go.
They weren’t big enough to influence my actions or performance. Yet, they were extra weight I was carrying inside.
And needless to say, they became burdens I should have gotten rid of a long time ago.
For these cases, the simple act of sitting and allowing the memories, thoughts, and emotions to flow, was enough to let them go.
When I had the chance, I also contacted the people involved and talked to them about the experience.
The relief we both felt was freeing.
Journaling
Unfortunately, not all grudges are the same.
Sometimes, they are related to:
- Bullying,
- physical harm,
- humiliation,
- Lies, and
- Injustice.
In some cases, our reputation, career, and relationships pay the price for situations caused by others.
These tend to be harder to let go. Mainly if we still suffer the consequences of those acts.
We should ALWAYS fight for our rights.
Wrong is wrong and shouldn’t be left unpunished.
But revenge and grudges can’t be our drive for justice.
That’s when letting go can help us out.
For such cases, I find journaling more helpful.
I write down everything about the situation:
- What happened,
- My feelings,
- People involved,
- When I felt triggered,
- The results,
- How I think it should have been solved, and
- Why I find it hard to let go.
Focus on one event at a time and don’t force yourself to solve the grudge all at once.
In my experience, I always learn something new about myself each time I work on painful memories.
This way, even if I apparently don’t achieve my objective, I take significant steps towards becoming a better version of myself.
That alone is a victory!
And it leads me to heal later when the time is right.
Use journaling to help you forgive
Start slow.
Journaling means something different for everyone.
Don’t get attached to a specific format or concept.
Just let it flow.
The more spontaneous it goes, the better the results. Also for forgiveness.
And, as you progress, you’ll notice improvements in your:
- Stress management skills,
- Mental and physical health, and
- Productivity
To get started, join other planners and high-achievers for motivation, accountability, and support.
Come to the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You today.
Learn how you can overcome grudges and other efficiency killers one day at a time with journaling.
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
How do you deal with things hard to forgive?
by Debbie Rodrigues | Apr 16, 2018 | Challenge, Health and Wellness
Discover 30 more affirmations to build confidence and learn how to use them to find the motivation to become a better version of yourself one day at a time.
The day I was diagnosed with a brain tumor was the day I started to analyze how I was living my life.
Unfortunately, it took the scare of a lifetime to snap me out of a rut and see that I was spinning my wheels but not living the life I set out to live.
Because of my perfectionism, I spent so much of my life saying:
- I suck.
- Man, I’m weak.
- I’ll never be able to do that.
- I can’t do anything right.
- I’m not good enough.
I used to say these phrases to myself often. And when I did, they would snowball to the point where they could prevent me from achieving my goals.
It’s eye-opening when we realize we convince ourselves negative self-talk is true and that positive affirmations and encouragement are egocentric.
The transformation
When I took a step back and reflected on my life, I realized that, when I judged myself and others, I was clouding my ability to be all that I could be.
I had always read inspiring books and had the intention of doing much better. However, self-doubt prevented me from pushing myself beyond what was comfortable and safe.
With the diagnosis of my tumor, my feet were to the fire. I needed to look at what I wanted to achieve and get it done.
Affirmations To Build Confidence
Last year, I created Affirmations To Build Confidence.
They’re a collection of affirmations I had written for myself and used on a daily basis.
They’re download images I bring with me everywhere I go.
While I still love books, the affirmations are more effective. They are simpler to use and easier to be consistent with.
You can use them by:
- saying them out loud,
- repeating them in silence,
- writing them on paper,
- setting reminders on your phone, and
- using them as background or screen savers.
You can pick one favorite method or combine all the above according to your needs.
The more accessible they are, the better.
So the next time you go through a challenging experience, you’re feeling lost, or need more clarity before making decisions, practice positive affirmation.
Here’s another list of 30 Affirmations To Build Confidence you can use to overcome your fears and become a better version of yourself one day at a time:
1. I am healthy and successful.
2. I love my body.
3. Gratitude enlightens my day.
4. I know my worth.
5. I make the most out of my time.
6. I am surrounded by loving and caring people.
7. Kindness is always present in my life.
8. I deserve all my gifts and blessings.
9. I am loved.
10. I am destined to great things.
11. I am kind, gentle, friendly, and warm.
12. I assume responsibility for my future.
13. I create awesome days.
14. There are no obstacles I cannot overcome.
15. I deserve to achieve all my dreams.
16. Life is beautiful.
17. Today is a perfect day.
18. Money flows to me in abundance.
19. My body is healthy and strong.
20. I live a purposeful life.
21. I manifest prosperity every day.
22. I am happy.
23. I can make all my dreams come true.
24. I am thriving.
25. Life is good because I dare to make it so.
26. I am becoming the person I am meant to be.
27. I am the master of my own reality.
28. My heart is pure, and my intentions are good.
29. I have a gift, and I am responsible for sharing it with the world.
30. My time is now.
Since my health scare, I have more clarity of thought. When the words of self-doubt creep into my thought process, I use these affirmations to gain peace of mind and to keep myself focused on the intentions I have for my life.
Join a group of like-minded people
Because there’s so much negativity around us, you may find it hard to keep up with your efforts, mainly in the beginning.
But you don’t have to be on your own.
Come to the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You.
Become a member of a community of planners and find all the motivation, support, and accountability you need to overcome struggles such as low self-esteem and procrastination to be more successful.
I’ll be there with you all the way!
Before you go
Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?
From the list above, what’s your favorite affirmation?
