How to Maintain a Daily Journal Routine for Mental Health - Paige A. Mitchell
When life starts to get hectic, self-care is one of the first things that can fall on the back burner. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that taking care of yourself should actually be your main priority. Additionally, the thought of getting your life back on track can be overwhelming. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be. Establishing a positive journal routine is a great way to help you stay healthy and take care of your own needs. Here are a few tips to help you establish a daily journal routine and tend to your mental health, once and for all.
1. Schedule the time beforehand
Choosing a time frame is the first step to beginning a journal routine in your day-to-day life. Unfortunately, setting aside time in your calendar can be a challenge—especially when things are busy. However, it’s important to make this a priority in your daily routine. This routine doesn’t need to be a huge time commitment. It could be 15–20 minutes at the end of the day. Find what works with your schedule and designate that time for your journal routine.
2. Understand what your journaling goals are
Before starting your journal routine, you should try to map out what you hope to get out of the practice. This will help determine what you should include in the routine and will remind you of why you’re doing it.
For example, if your goal is to stop taking things for granted, you could include what you’re grateful for everyday and reflect on what’s going well. If you’re goal is to keep track of your weight loss goals, you could keep track of your progress every day.
3. Choose the place and remove distractions
There’s nothing worse than being stressed out in the morning because you’re rushing to get ready. Preparing the night before can help cut down on morning anxiety by making sure everything you need is already laid out for you. This can mean getting your clothes ready, making your lunch, and packing your bag for work or school.
Your home should be a peaceful place where you can easily rest and relax. Noises and distractions, such as clutter, dirty carpets, and noisy appliances can have the opposite effect on your well-being. Take care of home repairs, organize your belongings, and clean your carpets to help create a space that incentivizes healthy habits. There’s nothing more detrimental to routine than living reactively to everything around you. When you’re proactive, you can take care of things before they cause stress.
4. Get on a healthy sleep schedule
It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking that you can get only a few hours of sleep each night and be fine. Keep in mind that even if you feel alright in the moment, you could cause unseen damage to your mental and physical health. If you’re inconsistent with something as simple as your sleep schedule, it’s unlikely that you’ll keep up with a journal routine.
Try to get a healthy amount of sleep every night so that you give your body and brain the time it needs to recharge. Doing so will also help you get used to doing something on a routine basis.
5. Focus on consistency, not perfection
Research has shown that keeping a routine can have a positive impact on your mental health. Finding the routine that works for you can help establish consistency in your daily life and give your mental health a boost. The important thing to remember when starting out is that you’re not striving for perfection. The sole purpose is to benefit you—if you miss a day or have short entries sometimes, that’s perfectly normal.
1. Schedule the time beforehand
Choosing a time frame is the first step to beginning a journal routine in your day-to-day life. Unfortunately, setting aside time in your calendar can be a challenge—especially when things are busy. However, it’s important to make this a priority in your daily routine. This routine doesn’t need to be a huge time commitment. It could be 15–20 minutes at the end of the day. Find what works with your schedule and designate that time for your journal routine.
2. Understand what your journaling goals are
Before starting your journal routine, you should try to map out what you hope to get out of the practice. This will help determine what you should include in the routine and will remind you of why you’re doing it.
For example, if your goal is to stop taking things for granted, you could include what you’re grateful for everyday and reflect on what’s going well. If you’re goal is to keep track of your weight loss goals, you could keep track of your progress every day.
3. Choose the place and remove distractions
There’s nothing worse than being stressed out in the morning because you’re rushing to get ready. Preparing the night before can help cut down on morning anxiety by making sure everything you need is already laid out for you. This can mean getting your clothes ready, making your lunch, and packing your bag for work or school.
Your home should be a peaceful place where you can easily rest and relax. Noises and distractions, such as clutter, dirty carpets, and noisy appliances can have the opposite effect on your well-being. Take care of home repairs, organize your belongings, and clean your carpets to help create a space that incentivizes healthy habits. There’s nothing more detrimental to routine than living reactively to everything around you. When you’re proactive, you can take care of things before they cause stress.
4. Get on a healthy sleep schedule
It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking that you can get only a few hours of sleep each night and be fine. Keep in mind that even if you feel alright in the moment, you could cause unseen damage to your mental and physical health. If you’re inconsistent with something as simple as your sleep schedule, it’s unlikely that you’ll keep up with a journal routine.
Try to get a healthy amount of sleep every night so that you give your body and brain the time it needs to recharge. Doing so will also help you get used to doing something on a routine basis.
5. Focus on consistency, not perfection
Research has shown that keeping a routine can have a positive impact on your mental health. Finding the routine that works for you can help establish consistency in your daily life and give your mental health a boost. The important thing to remember when starting out is that you’re not striving for perfection. The sole purpose is to benefit you—if you miss a day or have short entries sometimes, that’s perfectly normal.
