070: Journaling the Good Stuff

When I talk about journaling, how do you envision yourself doing it?

Hopefully it’s not writing down what you did that day.

If you’ve been with me very long on this podcast, I hope you know that’s not what I mean by journaling.

So, if you know that, what do you see yourself writing when you journal?

Getting out all the gunk in your head that you can’t say out loud to anyone else?

Working through a major life dilemma?

Figuring out what to do with childhood trauma?

While that may be some powerful ways to journal, and things I’ve done myself, and do often, but maybe there’s more to it than that.

Today, I’d like to share with you another way that journaling can do powerful things for you.

Journaling is basically writing down your thoughts and feelings so you can understand them more clearly.

While some of our more difficult feelings are what we usually think about when we journal, there are other things we can write about too.

Not that I want to tell you what to journal about, but I would like to make a suggestion that may open up some new ideas.

Today, I’d like to talk about positive journaling.

Writing about the good things that are happening or exciting and happy things that you’d like to have happen.

That sounds nice doesn’t it.

Maybe it’s another way to daydream.

Perhaps we could call it, Gratitude Journaling.

Gratitude journaling is used in psychotherapy.

It’s capturing situations, events and interactions that you’re grateful for.

It can draw attention to aspects of your life that make you feel blessed and increase your positivity. These increase your positive outlook on life.  You won’t be able to help yourself by feeling more positive about your life!

When we feel gratitude, sometimes it can be described as “awe”. 

Like, looking at a sunrise or a sunset, the mountains, the night sky, or the ocean. 

Imagine feeling “awe” at something that’s a regular part of your life.

Like, the way you feel about your spouse.

How it feels to get into a warm, cozy, safe bed at night.

Maybe the experience you have while talking to a child or even a teenager.

When you’re looking for those moments, you’re more likely to find them.

I have these types of experiences when I am doing my morning devotional, when I’m learning from the scriptures.  Not every day of course, but often.

When any of these “awe” experiences show up, writing them down helps them to expand and to stick with you longer, just like anything that you write down.  Then, when you want to feel “awe” again, and you’re having a hard time feeling that feeling, you can read something you’ve written, and it helps it come back to your memory quicker.

I’ve written a list of ideas of things you could journal about that can bring these types of positive feelings.  I made a free download for you that you can download and print at hunkeedori.com/positive

I’ll read some of them to you here. 

Journaling Prompts for Positivity: (make into a freebie)

-What do you enjoy doing and why?

-What are some of your favorite memories growing up?

-What are some of your favorite memories with your children?

-What three things or people you are grateful for right now?

-What three good things happened to you today?

-What’s something you are really looking forward to?

-Write down a few things you like about yourself.

-Write down what a perfect day would look like.

-Describe your favorite things about someone you love.

-What are 3 compliments you’ve received recently?  How did they make you feel?

-How have you grown from a recent challenge?

-What is something about you that is unique?

-What is a personality trait you have that you are proud of?

-Write a note to yourself that is encouraging and kind.  How can you look after yourself in the way that you need the most?

-What was the best part of your day?

Don’t forget to go get your free list at huneedori.com/positive

Remember, start small.  You don’t have to get everything out of your head, every single day.  Start by writing for only a few minutes a few times a week.  You can choose the subject or just let whatever comes out, show up on the page. 

There are no rules, and no wrong way to do it.  Don’t worry about the spelling or the punctuation.  There’s not a grammar police when you’re journling. That’s my favorite part sometimes!  No one is going to grade your paper so that makes it easier to just write! 

If you’d rather type it on the computer, do that!  I’ve even just recorded the things I’m feeling in a voice memo. 

Try not to set too many rules for your journaling time. 

If emotions start to come up, let them come.  If you start feeling upset and it makes you uncomfortable, take a break.  Feel whatever comes up instead of brushing it aside or trying to ignore it.  That’s what journaling is for…allowing you to feel your feelings.

When I share what I do in my journaling practice, that’s all it is, what I do.  You can do it my way or let it just be a guide to help you get started.  Change up whatever doesn’t work for you.  Just keep doing it!  The benefits are felt even more profoundly the more you do it. 

Big things don’t happen every day but they do happen over time.  So, keep showing up for yourself. 

Give yourself this time to reflect on all the parts that make you who you are.  Let the good and the not so good come out in your journaling.  Pay attention to what you need that day. 

I think it would be important today to share with you some of the benefits you can experience as you journal.  Whether you do positive journaling or free writing of whatever comes out, there are incredible benefits you will begin to notice the more you do it.

Here are a few that I’ve both read about and experienced myself:

Benefits:

-Can reduce the number of sick days per year

-Significantly benefits your physical and emotional health

-Helps you to accept instead of judge your experiences

-Reduces anxiety and stress

-Helps you to stop obsessively thinking and worrying about things

-Improves awareness and how you perceive events

-Promotes acceptance and getting unstuck which allows you to more forward

-Regulates your emotions

-Better understand what you need

-Fewer depression symptoms

-Positive effects can be felt even if you don’t do it every day.

-Allows you to see that what you think and feel is not who you are, but what you are experiencing.  A place to see that negative and critical thinking is just that, a thought…it doesn’t make it reality!

As I end this episode today, I hope you can feel how important journaling can be for you in your life.  I know it has been one of the most important ways that I have felt less burdened with the things that happen in my life.  And one of those ways is to journal about the things that bring me joy too. 

I’d like to encourage you to not only start journaling, but to journal about the things you’re grateful for and the things that make you feel “awe”.  It’s a beautiful way to direct your mind.  There’s plenty of time that is taken up every day about the “heavy” things we feel in life, those things that make us feel overburdened.

Use journaling to try to bring in more joy.

See how that feels for awhile.

Journaling is one of the three pillars that make up the Uniquee Connection Method.

There are two ways that I am currently teaching this method and I want to personally invite you to dive in with me!

Option #1: Take the Uniquee Connection Course.  This is a 4-week program where I teach you the 3 pillars through videos and weekly office hours.  This is a variation of the LIVE course that I’ve taught in the past. Now I have them in one place so you can take them any time. You get access to these videos for up to one year so you can take the class when it works best in your schedule.  It’s a great way to learn the Uniquee Connection Method.  Lots of women have had great success with this option.

Option #2: Sign up for the Connection Mentorship.  This is an 8 week bundle of ONE ON ONE weekly coaching calls where I teach you the Uniquee Connection Method but in the context of your own personal circumstances.  You bring me what’s going on in your life and I walk you through how to use the 3 pillars specifically with what you’re going through.  You can choose this 8-week bundle to continue what you learned by taking the video course to the next level.  You can also choose this option if you learn better by working in person with a coach.  I like to think of myself as a mentor.  A friend that isn’t attached to the nitty gritty of your life but cares enough about your success to be there for you and help you see your life from a different perspective.

You can choose either option by going to the show notes and choosing the option that’s right for you or by going to hunkeedori.com.

If you’d like to meet me with for a free introductory mini-mentor session, I offer those too.  You can schedule your 15-minute call by going to https://hunkeedori.com/MiniMentor

I’ll put that link in the show notes too!

Ok my friend.  I’ll be back here with you next week for another episode.  Until then, remember:

I see you, I understand how hard you’re trying and I’m here to help wherever I can.

070: Journaling the Good Stuff
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