Writing has always been renowned for being an act of mindfulness. It’s why millions of people throughout history have kept diaries, or created memoirs or even just written notes to free their minds from their stresses and worries of everyday life. And yes keeping a journal helps with improving your mindfulness.
Personally, I’ve kept a journal for just over 8 months. I was first introduced to the concept by a friend of mine who’s a personal trainer. He didn’t really say much about it, just to practice and try and write in the journal every day, even if it’s just a couple of words or notes. Then he said to ask myself how I feel.
So, I gave it a go. I had never really kept a diary before and, being a blogger; I believed I already completed more writing in a day that most people do in a year so hadn’t really given it any thought.
However, as I already knew from blogging, it feels great to release your mind onto paper or onto a screen. When you find your flow and the words just effortlessly form sentences by being placed one after the other to create images, convey emotions or take your readers to other words. Words are amazing.
Keeping a Journal
So, I already knew the power that writing had, but I had never used it for myself. So, I gave it go. I got myself a blank diary and a pen. I did most of my daily writing on a computer, so I thought it would be nice to mix it up. There’s also something special about writing with a pen and paper and not on a computer.
So, I set myself aside ten minutes every evening to write. Just before I went to bed, so it was the last thing that I did. Although honestly, the first week was hard. I had no idea what to write about!
So, I asked myself three questions that I would answer every night for the day that I had just lived. These questions were:
- What was my favourite thing that happened that day?
- What do I wish I could have done better that day?
- What was one thing I could say to myself at the beginning of that day if I could live it again?
This questions literally took me hours to think up, and it even got to a point where I was thinking ‘Do I think I should be spending more time with my cat today?’ Yeah, it got ridiculous.
Anyway, I settled for these questions for one main reason; gratitude.
In our lives today, everything happens so quickly and without thought. Days pass from one day to the next, weeks fly by and before we know it we’re two years in the future wondering where all the time has gone.
Living in the Future
As people living in the modern day, we need to stop and take a minute to realise what we’ve got in front of us and what’s happening now. We’re all guilty of constantly thinking ahead;
‘Oh, what am I doing this weekend?’
‘I can’t believe I’m going to be late.’
‘I wonder what we’re having for dinner tonight.’
‘Oh, I’ve got a big bill next month.’
Why are we wasting the only time we have in this life but worrying about these petty things that don’t matter? Why aren’t focused on the company that’s sat in front of us in our favourite coffee shop?
When was the last time you got excited by how absolutely beautiful the trees look when the leaves turn orange? What about the smell of freshly cut grass or the smile when your loved one catches your eye? Why don’t we long to seek out new experiences or listen to new music from artists around the world while sitting for hours to think why the artists are singing the lyrics that they are?
Life is full of amazing things, both small and wide scale. Of course, don’t get me wrong, the world is full of horrific things as well but in our lives, are things really that bad?
Through keeping a journal, you can train your mind to become more observant and more focused on the present moment. By being more present, you can be sure that you appreciate the little things in life and become grateful for everything that you have and experience.
