My Favorite Journal Practice

I love to journal. It’s one of my most favorite mindfulness practices because I love to write. I go through phases where I’ll journal 4-5 days in a row, and then wait a few weeks before I journal again. There is one journaling practice that I’ve been able to keep up consistently, and I want to share it with you.

When it comes to doing anything consistently- it needs to be easy, accessible, and enjoyable. This journal practice has made it easy for me to see my day from two different lenses, and look forward to the future too. If you don’t typically journal and you want to start, I highly recommend going to the store to pick out a pretty journal and some fun colored pens/markers. It makes it even easier to incorporate this practice when it includes nice textures and colors.

So here’s the deal: I journal my daily highs, lows, and future glows.

The highs = the best parts of my day. This could be something as simple as celebrating I drank enough water that day, or maybe it’s acknowledging something really big and exciting. When you acknowledge the great things in your life, it just makes you happier— gratitude is a very important practice for mental well-being.

The lows = challenges the day brought. Reflect on and release the more difficult parts of your day. Try to see it from a perspective of how you can grow. Or, ya know, if something really threw your day off, just vent your heart out, it’s good for the soul to get it out.

Future glows = the things I’m looking forward to and the ways I want to grow. When I started this practice years ago, I used this section to share my goals for the next day. Back then it typically was food or movement related. Now, I use it to write things I’m looking forward to or sometimes a kind of to-do list to plan for the next day. I like to get in the mindset of being prepared for the next day. Take a look at your schedule and see how you can fit more mindfulness in your day, or maybe set an intention for the day, whether it’s to be kinder to yourself, take the day off from social media, maybe being more patient or present with your kids… it can be anything that feels good and do-able for you.

I love this practice because it helps me to be present, see the good in every day, release what isn’t serving me, and see all the great things coming up for me. I also love that it doesn’t take long to do. Not everyday feels noteworthy, but magic can happen even in the mundane, and taking the time to be present and acknowledge the good, bad, and growth in your life is a gift to yourself.

XO,

Julie