Mindfulness and Journaling

Exercise the writing muscle every day….even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry.  Writers are like dancers, like athletes.  Without that exercise, the muscles seize up (Jane Yolen).

It’s really important for mental health and emotional wellbeing to free our worries, niggling concerns, obsessive and intrusive thoughts, and feelings of fear and self-doubt.  Using a journal for that alone will really help you get to know yourself and your feelings, therefore guiding you towards a sense of personal freedom.  The main reasons journals are important is to start a relationship with yourself.  To get to know who YOU are and how YOU tick.  Most people these days use computers in the form of a blog; you choose a method that makes you comfortable.  But remember, you are building relationships with yourself, so honesty is imperative.

Letter writing is also another avenue to explore when you’re wanting to put your thoughts to paper/computer. 

Here’s a few examples to consider – A letter to: 

  • A person who changed your life 
  • Your illness 
  • Your healthiest self 
  • Your 16 year old self 
  • Your 80 year old self 
  • Your teenage child 
  • Your stumbling block 
  • The thing you wish you’d done 
  • Your worst critic 
  • A deceased family member 
  • An ex-love 
  • A lost friend 
  • An unrequited love 
  • The thing you’d like to avoid 
  • The thing you dream of 
  • Something you were happy to loose 
  • The person who taught you what you needed to know 
  • The person who once made you cry 
  • Your biggest wake-up call 
  • Your biggest fear 
  • Your doctor 
  • Your nurse

The Queensland Cancer Council also offer a multitude of online resources for Mindfulness and relaxation. Below is a link to a Mindfulness session: 

 https://youtu.be/wm9ZL15kZN8 

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