10 DAYS OF SELF-CARE - DAY 6: Journal

Welcome to our Day 6 of our "10 days of self-care" & thank you for putting you first & joining us.

Today, we are going to put some time aside to rest and discover journaling which has been found to be a great form of self-care, and the benefits of journaling.

We are sending you the warmest wishes for 2023! Let's keep getting  ourselves set up in the right way for the year. 

Journaling for Mental Health

Put simply, journaling is writing down your thoughts & feelings in a way that helps you to understand them more clearly. It can also help with anxiety, depression and stress as it can help you process your thoughts more clearly which in turn can help you manage your emotions better.

Benefits of Journaling

Journaling is seen as one of many healthy ways to express yourself. It also can be a good form of self-care as it's time for you that can help you to de-stress and relax.

It can:

• Help improve your mood
• Help to prioritise tasks and reduce feeling overwhelmed
• Teach you to express more gratitude for the things in your life
• Assist in seeing where improvements can be made in areas such as daily life, self-talk and self-care
• Help you to identify any behaviours that may be having a negative impact on you and help you spot what you may need to change to move forward in a more manageable and healthy way
• Enable you to spot any patterns in daily symptoms you are struggling with to show a doctor and also track the length of time they have been going on for
• Promote a feeling of being more "in tune" with your true self
• Provide a safe space for you to work through negative emotions and separate what you can control and what you can't. This can enable you to feel more in control of your life, emotions and direction
• Give you a place to try and understand why you may be feeling a certain way
• Help you to set goals and timelines to realistically achieve them
• Strengthen your memory
• Improve communication skills
• And much more...

 How to journal

• Journaling is about consistency - To get the benefits fully, it's important to set aside 5/10 minutes a day (if that) to enable you to write. You may find this easier to do this at the same time every day such as just before sleep to enable you to establish a routine.
• Make it easy and enjoyable - Keep a notebook or pen and paper handy at all times, then if you want to write down your thoughts you can. A good idea could be to have a notebook and pen next to your bed and then if you are away from home, you could use your phone to take notes and transfer them to your notebook (not vital, only if you want to) when you get home.
• Write down what feels natural - It doesn't need to follow any certain structure and here, spelling or grammar mistakes really don't matter. It is your private space.
• Use your journal as best suits you - You do not have to share your writings with anyone and don't feel pressure to.
• Try writing in a place that's relaxing and soothing - maybe with something like a cup of tea or with a blanket over you. This isn't vital if you just want to get your thoughts on paper, but it can help to try and establish a place of relaxation and comfort to write every day i.e. before bed.

Do you journal and how have you found it has impacted your life? We'd love to know! Comment below.

We are past the half way point now of our 10 days of self-care and really hope you've been able to take something from this. Enjoy the rest of your day and be proud of the fact that you have managed to put some time aside for you! 

Disclaimer: As always, this post is from our Social Media & Marketing Specialist, Amy's, experience of living with a permanent ileostomy, Crohn's Disease and from what she has researched. Nothing in our blog posts should be taken as medical advice. It's always best to consult a medical professional if you have queries or concerns.

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10 DAYS OF SELF CARE: CATCH UP

• Join Us For 10 Days of Self-Care
• Day 1: Breathe
• Day 2: Read
• Day 3: Listen
• Day 4: Meditate
• Day 5: Rest

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