Journaling

Why Journal?

Has anyone ever told you, start a journal? Journaling is an effective tool for many reasons! Let’s explore a few different reasons to journal and why it might help you on your road to health and wellness this year!

Let’s answer the question you might be asking, “why is journaling good for you?” When we journal we can write down our inner most thoughts and feelings without the fear of judgement. We give ourselves the opportunity to observe our own behaviors, thoughts, triggers, and interactions. Journaling comes in many forms. By learning about the different ways you can journal and the benefits you might just find yourself picking up the pen and paper.

Journaling for Emotional Wellness. This tends to be the “why” we most often associate with journaling. As a kid or teenager, maybe you had a diary, a place where you wrote down all your struggles, complaints, hopes and dreams. A diary was a safe space. Well, the concept of a diary is now referred to as journaling. When we focus on keeping a journal for emotional wellness we are creating that same safe space we did in adolescence. Journaling for this reason is helpful through the lifespan (kids and adults).

Some benefits of keeping a journal for emotional wellness include:

  • Managing anxiety
  • Reducing stress
  • Coping with depression

When using a journal for mental wellness it can allow you to track thoughts, feelings, and triggers. As time passes journaling can help you identify stressors and navigate how to manage triggers. It can increase feelings of mindfulness and provide a space of positive self-talk. In some studies, journaling for emotional wellness also provides immune benefits. An emotional wellness journal can include writing about gratitude. Here you can find a great prompt from Berkley on gratitude. UCLA health reports, that practicing gratitude helps to reduce stress, anxiety, support heart health, and improve sleep. This daily practice via journaling helps us to reflect on where we find meaning. You might even find yourself beginning to look for the good in each day.

Food and exercise Journal. Is a healthier lifestyle on your list of goals for 2024? Keeping a journal to track how much you move and what you eat can be a very useful tool in improving your health and wellness. Keeping a food journal can be about more than writing down what you ate in a day. Similarly to emotional wellness, keeping a food centered journal can help us recognize our relationship with food. Journals are a powerful tool to help understand our habits. Additionally, a food journal can help pinpoint food sensitives and trigger foods. What you write in your journal will depend on your purpose or goals. Writing for weight management will include writing down meals, snacks, and even movement. If practicing mindful eating, your journal might include what you ate and how you were feeling, what you were doing, or how much. This practice is useful for identifying habits and feelings around food. A final reason worth mentioning is identifying food sensitives. Individuals who encounter joint pain, digestive related illnesses, auto immune challenges, or food intolerances can utilize a journal to help understand medical conditions and the connection to food.

woman journaling

There are many other reasons to consider keeping a journal such as goal setting, strengthening memory, boosting creativity and writing skills, and improving resiliency. You may even decide to track dreams, daily events, spiritual or religious readings, or fitness accomplishments. The possibilities are endless and so are the benefits.

Some easy tips to get started include:

  • Create a routine (when do you want to write bedtime? morning coffee?)
  • Write for your eyes only (remember not to judge your thoughts)
  • Find your purpose for writing
  • Search for writing prompts online
  • Be creative
  • Pick a fun journal you love!

Journaling can be a great practice for the whole family. Encouraging loved ones to keep a journal will help them receive many of the above benefits and provide some nice quite family time away from the screen.

Written by: Holly Bandy, Extension Educator

Reviewed by: Katie Schlagheck, Extension Educator Family and Consumer Sciences, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties

Cleveland Clinic. (2023, December 21). Food journaling 101. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-keep-a-food-journal

Gratitude Journal (greater good in action). Greater Good In Action. (n.d.). https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/gratitude_journal#:~:text=People%20who%20wrote%20in%20a,hassles%20or%20their%20daily%20life.

UCLAhealth. (2023, March 22). Health benefits of Gratitude. UCLA Health. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/health-benefits-gratitude#:~:text=Several%20studies%20show%20that%20a,your%20heart%20exerts%20between%20beats.

Stress Awareness- The Basics

letter blocks that spell the word stress

For the past 31 years, the month of April has been recognized and promoted as Stress Awareness Month. Health professionals had noticed that there is a correlation between stress and the wellbeing of the body, mind, and on our behaviors. Stress can affect the body negatively with symptoms such as headaches, upset stomach, anxiety, constant worrying, substance abuse and having angry outbursts.

Stress can be positive or negative. Positive (eustress) stress happens when you are trying to meet a deadline or preparing to take a test, it can improve your focus and motivation. Examples of positive stress could also be getting married or having your first child. Negative (distress) stress happens when certain situations overwhelm our ability to cope. Negative stress can result from financial worries, illness, or having high expectations in the workplace. The problem with stress is when the small, manageable amounts start to build up on each other to create big problems, which can affect your health. A few different techniques that may help with decreasing stress levels are:

a green cup filled with coffee and words for journaling and a pen
  • Journaling– Track your stress and how you reacted and coped with it.
  • Healthy lifestyle- Eating healthy while also getting in regular amounts of sleep and exercise.
  • Relaxation techniques- Practice methods such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, or getting a massage.
  • Setting time aside- Finding the time within your day to “simplify” and enjoy the little things.
  • Healthy relationships– Continue to build and strengthen interpersonal connections that will have a positive impact in your life.

Don’t let stress continue to negatively impact your body, mind, or behaviors. Start using stress relief techniques to help manage the stress in your life.

References

Healthy Lifestyle: Stress Management. Mayo Clinic, Published 3/24/2021. Accessed 3/4/2023. Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior – Mayo Clinic

What is stress? My Brain Co. Published 11/21/2019. Accessed 3/5/2023. What Is Stress? Positive vs. Negative | Fight or Flight | Resilience (mybrainco.com)

Ohio State University Extension (2015) Have you tried “Journaling” your Stressors?? at Have you tried “Journaling” your Stressors?? | Live Healthy Live Well (livehealthyosu.com)

Ohio State University Extension (2012) S.I.M.P.L.I.F.Y- In Recognition of Stress Awareness at S.I.M.P.L.I.F.Y. – In Recognition of Stress Awareness | Live Healthy Live Well (livehealthyosu.com)

Bilodeau, K. Fostering Healthy Relationships. Harvard Health Publishing. Published 7/1/2021. Accessed 3/6/2023. Fostering healthy relationships – Harvard Health

Written by : Amy Cleland, BGSU Dietetic Intern working with Wood County Extension and Susan Zies, Extension Educator, FCS, Wood County

Reviewed by: Casey Bishop, MACP, Paulding County Extension Educator, FCS

Making The Most of Your Mornings

As the beginning of the school year quickly approaches, I’m reminded of my family’s rushed mornings out the door where I lack patience and feel frazzled. As those days progressed, I found it difficult to keep myself motivated and to stay focused on tasks on my ever-growing to-do list. At the end of many days, I felt exhausted with very little completed from my list.

morning journaling
Journaling

In preparation to not repeat the rushed and frazzled mornings this coming school year, I’ve started doing some research about how to make the most of my mornings. Research shows that a productive morning routine can have a positive impact on a person’s day. There are lots of different ideas when it comes to creating an energizing morning routine including getting up early, exercising, drinking water, eating a healthy breakfast, and journaling to name a few. I quickly found all the options overwhelming and wanted to find something that made creating a morning routine a little easier.

That’s when I came across a book called The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Hal’s approach to a morning routine made it easier for me to implement. He suggests waking up earlier than you normally would and spending your time doing six personal development habits to transform your morning and your life. The six habits are an acronym SAVERS:

  1. Silence– As you sit in silence, you’re totally present in the now, in the moment. You calm your mind, relax your body, and allow all of your stress to melt away. You develop a deeper sense of peace, purpose, and direction.
  2. Affirmations– Reading over the reminders of how capable you really are, gives you a feeling of confidence. Looking over what you’re committed to, what your purpose is, and what your goals are re-energizes you to take the actions necessary to live the life you truly want, deserve, and now know is possible for you.
  3. Vision– Visualize the change you want to make in your life. Either by creating a vision board or closing your eyes and working through your visualization.
  4. Exercise– Stand up and spend some time getting your heart rate up. Getting energized, waking yourself up and increasing your ability to be alert and to focus.
  5. Reading– Grab a self-help book and read a couple of pages. Learn a new idea, something that you can implement into your day, or discover something new that you can use to be better.
  6. Scribing– Grab a piece of paper and take a minute to write down what you’re grateful for, what you’re proud, or the results you’re committed to creating for today. In doing so, you put yourself in an empowered, an inspired, and a confident state of mind
blocks
Quality Wins

The book gives you a base to apply the habits to make them work with your life and I love that I can customize these to fit with my goals. How would you feel if this is how you started your day? How would the quality of your day—your life—improve? I encourage you to wake up each day with more ENERGY, MOTIVATION, and FOCUS to take your day and your life to the next level. 

Author: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Washington County, bohlen.19@osu.edu

Reviewer: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

Sources:

Elrod, H. (2012). The Miracle Morning . Hal Elrod International, Inc.

Harvard Professional Development. (2016, September 21). 3 Ways to Boost Productivity with a Morning Ritual. Retrieved from https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/3-ways-to-boost-productivity-with-a-morning-ritual/