Step Your Journal Game Up

Over the past 12-13 years, I’ve really been tapping into my self-care a little more, especially as I get older. Working a full-time job, raising kids, catering to my marriage, being the go-to person for many people around me, being on the board of a non-profit organization Green Box Solutions – Retirement Services & Resources in Charlotte, NC, & trying to balance a piece of a social life is exhausting mentally & physically! And somehow within that timeframe I was able to complete a Masters degree. I still have no idea I how juggled all of that, other than by the grace of God! 

My experience working in the behavioral health field has allowed me to see a lot. Some things people wouldn’t believe unless they’d seen it themselves. And it doesn’t help that behavioral health is so taboo in many communities, especially the African American community. Seeing my traumas in other people allowed me to do a little self-help, & journaling was one of the most effective ways I’ve found. There are very few nights I go to bed without writing something in my journal, whether it takes two or twenty minutes to do. It gives me a way to release whatever has been on my mind during the day & reflect on how far I’ve come.

Setting a nighttime routine can help you settle down for the evening. I usually take a hot shower after dinner, find a relaxing yoga session on YouTube (Yoga With Adriene is my favorite! Check her out at Yoga With Adriene – YouTube), & climb into bed to crack open my journal & planner. I reflect on my day, including something I’m grateful for & anything interesting I learned or came across during the day. I make sure the mood is relaxing so I can concentrate & really reflect on myself. Then I check off everything I accomplished that day & plan my next 24 hours in my planner. It gives me a means of staying organized, on track with my goals, & feel better about what I was able to do with the hours of that day. 

Over the years, finding the perfect journal has been a task. There would always be something I liked about the one I purchased, but I’d always find something I needed added to it…hence the birth of the Intentional Journal. I compiled everything I liked into 1 place so I didn’t have to buy more than 1 journal (previously I’ve had 2-3 journals that had all of these things in them I’d write in daily). Now I have 1 I can tote around the world with me so I don’t break my nightly routine. Shameless plug: you can pick yours up at Intentional Journals Archives – Intentional.

So, Evolvers, what does your journal life look like? Give me some ideas I can incorporate into my self-care routine!