At Peppersmith we’re all for trying out new things to improve our thinking and wellbeing. Founder Mike is a big fan of keeping a journal, and over time he’s encouraged the rest of our team to give it a go too. Most of us have really seen the positive impact, so we thought we would share the ways we think journaling can improve your daily routine and mindset.
1. Awareness
One of the main reasons we like to journal is because it helps us be more aware of how we are feeling day to day. Sometimes we wake up in a bad mood, and frustratingly we don’t know why. Journaling can help us target our emotions so we can ‘tune in’ to why we might be feeling that way. This makes it much easier to get out of that grump.
2. Reflection
Journaling can be a great opportunity to reflect on your day, and pinpoint what you’re grateful for. It’s actually impossible to reflect on anything without putting a little time aside to do so, and finding this time is often pushed to the bottom of the list. However, it can be much easier when you’ve got somewhere to physically write your reflections down. We particularly like the Five Minute Journal which gives you hints and pointers of what to jot down.
3. Emotionally rewarding
Simply jotting down what you’ve done each day is a great way to reward yourself emotionally for your daily jobs. A sense of achievement is always positive no matter how big or small the task.
4. Helps with positivity and motivation for daily tasks
We all know how difficult that 6am alarm can be. Being motivated for the day when you’re lying in a cosy warm bed can seem almost impossible. Especially if you’ve forgotten half of what you’re meant to be doing that morning. Journaling can be a great way to motivate yourself to get on with your day, and writing down what you’re going to do means you’re a lot less likely to forget it.
5. Helps you reach your goals
The unique relationship between the hand and brain means that when you put words on paper, signals are sent to your brain that something is important. It also means that you’re way more likely to remember it. Writing stuff down helps you prioritise so you can see which tasks you really need to get done. And when you prioritise you’re far more likely to achieve you goals.
6. Keeps you disciplined
Putting the time aside to journal is a real act of discipline, and it’s great for your mind and body to get into a routine. Just like any muscle, the more you exercise it the stronger it gets. This is true for the brain too. You’ll find that the more consistent you are with journaling, the better you’ll get at it and the more it’ll help you.
If you fancy giving it a go, do let us know how you get on. We would love to know if you find it as helpful as we do.
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