The Five-Minute Journal + Positive Affirmations
It is no secret that I strongly believe in visualization (unless of course, you're new here). Visualizing the things you want in life, meditating, creating a vision board etc. all go hand-in-hand. It is easy to get swept up in the chaos of everyday life, stress, and uncertainty. Trust me, there's a lot of uncertainty for me right now. And I realized it was consuming too much of my mind causing constant worry, anxiety, and a lot of sleepless nights.
A routine for me is meditating and then writing in my journal immediately after. There's no real topic when I write, it's free-form, whatever comes to mind. However, I have recently been gifted The Five Minute Journal, which I talked about in this vlog and I've been loving it so far.
It is intended to be done every morning upon waking and right before sleep. Each day starts with a quote that is right up my alley and then the gratitude part where you have to write three things you're grateful for. The next section is all about what would make the day great. This I like because it's a necessary reminder that we are ultimately in control of our thoughts and actions. And therefore, what would make the day great is entirely up to you and not dependent on an outside source. Talk about taking back your power right? The Morning Routine concludes with daily affirmations. I am.... this is a vital practice to put into place and forces you to be consistent with speaking positive affirmations to yourself.
The Night Routine starts with writing "3 amazing things that happened today..." which forces you to truly reflect on your day and focus on the good. I learned a few days in how much the little things affected my mindset and mood. It wasn't anything big that made the day great but the simple gestures received from other people or what I did for myself. We forget ourselves a lot and I will say, this has definitely helped me stay true to the time I carve out in my day for myself; even if it's just to go out for a walk. The routine ends with a question: how could I have made today even better? See how it forces you to THINK and REFLECT?! I just love that. Again, concluding the day with that questions always reminds me of what I didn't do for myself or a loved one, and it's always the little things.
With the new habit of writing in my Five-Minute Journal every morning and every night, I've also been meditating a lot more and being very specific with what I'm meditating on. In full transparency, I usually meditate and write in my (other) journal when I'm super anxious. Upon starting The Five-Minute Journal I wanted to incorporate meditation time into my daily life, not just when anxiety kicks in. I found a wonderful YouTube channel with topic-focused meditations that I find extremely helpful, especially in dealing with my anxiety and stress. But also, each meditation ends with positive affirmations. I think the constant repetition of these positive affirmations does the mind good.
There's a lot of talk about self-love and self-care but it's very important when putting that into practice, it's very much about the mind as well. We're encouraged to take care of our bodies, our energy, our spirit, mental health is right up there, if not the most important. Everything we do stems from what is going on in our minds. Achieving a physical goal requires the belief (that starts in your mind) that you are capable and can do it. MIND OVER MATTER.
If you're new to journaling, then I think The Five-Minute Journal is an amazing first step. Also, check out Linda Hall for guided meditations. I love these best because of the affirmations you have to repeat. I think we're quick to forget the importance of speaking love and positivity to ourselves. Another good one is Dauchy's manifest meditation. This is meant to be done in the morning and when you are moving (walking, getting ready etc). I like listening to it on my walk to the gym. In fact, I've gotten so used to this little "me time" morning routine that when I don't do it, I notice I have a more negative day or I let negativity in, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, I truly hope this post was helpful loves! If you get The Five-Minute Journal or try any of the guided meditations let me know your thoughts.
STAY BLESSED. STAY POSITIVE.