The review title sounds like an exaggeration but it really has. I’d heard a lot about journaling but had struggled to start and maintain something. The guided process really helped me and I now incorporate it as a non-negotiable every morning.
I have struggled with my mental health for a number of years. Most significantly since the birth of my first son six years ago. That sounds terrible but I think it is partly due to not having time to reflect and be quiet with solitary time for myself. I have also struggled with imposter syndrome at work and in short, found it difficult to cope with life on a day to day basis.
I was first attracted to mind journal due to the focus on men’s mental health. That being said these books can clearly be used for either sex and that was probably just more of a marketing pitch. I have worked on a number of things to help my mental health and they have taken time to imbed. I have got back into running, tried to prioritise sleep (with mixed success), have spells of eating better, actually giving up booze 9 months ago and have slowly become more spiritual and present on a day to day basis. None of these things by themselves would likely work alone but when combined it is starting to make the difference. The icing on the cake that holds all of these things together is the practice of daily journaling, and that is where the Mind journal comes in......
So I got the starter bundle. I use the daily journal and balance planner and actually find the balance planner as productive and useful as the journal itself. I was between jobs so had the time to begin journaling every morning, I wake up at 6am and sit at my desk at home away from everything and write.
A few points to note, I promised myself I don’t have to be “perfect” and some days I only write a few lines, but I always write!
Why does it work? For me it is simple. The process of adopting this approach is that it slows me down and makes me present each day. I don’t rush around panicking about work and going on auto pilot every morning.
I find structure and routine helps with mental health and by journaling I am being disciplined and structured and it allows me to thing about what is important, what I have been doing and what I need to do. Don’t get me wrong, it is still hard work, the next thing for me is to work on the sugar and carb addiction. But I know it’s possible with the help and structure of my daily journaling. It has also helped me to diarise quality time with kids It forces me to look at myself and make time when I can see I haven’t had it.
Anyway, buy the bundle and promise yourself you will do it daily. It doesn’t need to be a lot. But write something! Writing is powerful!
