Journaling #18: The Memory Jar

A memory jar is a jar that you use to hold little notes or memorabilia about happy experiences or personal accomplishments that you would like to remember or recognize. You may have heard about memory jars but never really considered them to be a form of journaling. Because you write about experiences, according to Webster’s dictionary, a memory jar is indeed a form of journaling.
 
People sometimes save memories in their jar for a year and then open the jar on New Year’s Eve to enjoy those memories all over again. Reviewing your memories doesn't have to be a once-a-year event. Looking through your memory jar after a tough day is a great way to remind yourself that good things do happen.
 
Memory jars can also hold keepsakes from a vacation or special event. They make great gifts for birthdays, retirement celebrations or wedding showers. Guests can write about special memories and fill the jar with slips of paper or little cards created especially for the event.
 
Memory jars have also been used to help people process grief. Celebrating loved ones whom we have lost is part of the grieving process. Create a jar as part of a celebration of life with contributions from friends and family or on a more personal level fill the jar with your own memories and mementos of your loved one.
 
Memory jars can be used by individuals, groups or families. They can be large or small. You can decorate your jar or leave it as is.

You probably already have a jar that would be perfect for memory jar journaling. Why not start preserving those special memories one at a time?

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for many types of journaling.

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Journaling #13: Pen Meets Paper (Mindful Journaling)

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of and focusing on the present moment. You are not thinking about the past or the future. It’s all about the here and now.

Mindful journaling is writing in a way that helps you to become more aware of yourself in your environment at that moment in time when pen meets paper.

Mindfulness has many advantages from reducing stress and improving sleep to cultivating better relationships. Mindfulness has even been shown to help manage pain.

There are lots of different ways to approach mindful journaling, all with the goal of deepening your awareness of yourself in the present moment. Doodling and colouring in your journal have been suggested as alternatives to writing. Both require you to pay attention to what you are doing now.

Writing that focuses on the five senses is a relatively easy place to start if you are interested in mindful journaling. Apparently, this is possible with or without a snack.

Start your mindfulness journey by recording what you see, hear, smell, touch/feel and taste as you sit with pen in hand. In doing so, you are being in the moment, observing and noting your experience.  

You could use the 5-4-3-2-1 method for mindful journaling and record five things you see, four things you hear, etc. One source suggested that if you do this activity outside, you could taste the air. Interesting.

The goal of mindful journaling is to create awareness of the here and now. To be in the present. The benefits of mindfulness are a spinoff of this state of awareness. You don’t write about your stress or your sleep habits or your relationships. You write about what is happening right here, right now when pen meets paper.

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Journaling #12: Rock-a-Bye Journal

Journaling has been shown to not only improve quality of sleep but to also help you fall asleep faster. Pass me a pen!

Using expressive/personal writing (sharing experiences, thoughts, feelings, ideas) for journaling can help people process emotions, thereby, helping to reduce the “mental chatter” that often interferes with sleep. Reflective writing (exploring the impact of experiences) can produce a calmer state of mind that is more conducive to sleep.

A basic sleep journal or log is an option that can help you and your doctor identify patterns and hopefully lead to better sleep habits. A sleep journal or log would include things like hours slept, time taken to fall asleep, exercise and eating patterns, among other things.

The real (night) light at the end of the tunnel is research demonstrating that something as simple as taking five minutes before bedtime to write a specific to-do list can facilitate falling asleep. The study showed that the more specific the list, the faster participants fell asleep. Wow!

One-quarter of adults aged 18 to 79 in Canada report problems with falling or staying asleep most of or all the time. If you are one of these people, you may want to consider some type of bedtime journaling.

So, grab a pencil, pen, marker, piece of chalk or maybe even a quill and start writing. I’ll be using my colourful Ink-Joy gel pens to make my to-do lists.

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for a sleep journal.

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References:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5758411/

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-43-no-5-2023/associations-sleep-duration-sleep-quality-indicators-mental-health-among-youth-and-adults.html

Journaling #11: A Reading Journal

Have you ever thought about keeping a list of the books that you have read? If you have, then a reading journal is for you. Choose a notebook, pick a pen and get started. 

Recording the basic information about the books that you have read is a good place to start. Include things like title, author and publication information. You could also add information about when you read the book and possibly where you were (e.g.: on vacation, on the subway, in the backyard, etc.). Beyond that it’s up to you what other information you want to include. 
 
Some people like to record what they have learned from a book or how it has changed them. Others keep track of quotes from the book that they like. Some will include a brief plot summary. A review of the books that you have read is another possibility for a reading journal. You could also include whether you bought the book or borrowed it.
 
Creative responses can be part of your reading journal. Perhaps you like to doodle or draw. Go for it! Maybe you like stickers or maybe you like to experiment with watercolours. Adding your own personal artistic touches will really help to personalize your reading journal.
 
If you are into personal analysis, a reading journal can be part of your personal reflections on life. It can also be a great motivator if you want to read more. Best of all, remember that #readingisFUNdamental and who doesn’t want more fun in life?

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for reading journal.

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Journaling #10: Three-minute Mental Makeover (3MMM)

 Have you ever thought about using expressive writing to help you cope with stress, but never felt like you had the time? Have you got three minutes? 

The Three-minute Mental Makeover (3MMM) is an expressive writing activity that was developed at a Chicago area children’s hospital. The goal of the program was to “reduce perceived stress and improve communication for patients, family members, and health care practitioners.”
 
The health care practitioner and the patient/family wrote at the same time, using the following prompts: “1. Write 3 things you are grateful for (be specific). 2. Write the story of your life in 6 words. 3. Write 3 wishes you have.” After writing, the practitioner invited the patient/family participants to join in sharing what they had written. Sharing was optional.
 
A study was conducted with some of the 3MMM participants, and it found that individuals reported a significant reduction in stress and an improvement in communication with the other participants. The study supported previous findings that expressive writing can improve mental health and decrease stress.
 
The Three-minute Mental Makeover stands out as an example of an expressive writing activity that does not require a huge investment of time but demonstrates a high level of efficacy. In other words, you don’t have to commit to writing ad infinitum to reap the mental health benefits of writing.
 
So, have you got three minutes?

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for travel a Three Minute Mental Makeover journal.

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Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6907914/

Journaling #9: Quote, Unquote

Do you have a favourite quote? Or maybe two or three? If so, keeping a quote journal is a great idea for you. Record quotes that you find inspirational or memorable. Perhaps it was something that you read, maybe something said by someone famous or even words from a song. If it resonates with you, write it in your quote journal. It’s as easy as that. 

If you are looking to take your quote journal to the next level, consider putting just one quote to a page and then write down your reflections about this quote. You can come back later and update your thoughts. 
If you like to doodle or draw, be creative with your entries. Artsy isn’t your thing? Try using coloured pens, highlighters or calligraphy markers to add some flair to your quote journal. 

I’m guessing that you’ll want to look back at your quote journal often. After all, these words mean something to you and as such they say something about you. They may be someone else’s words, but a favourite quote helps to express your thoughts and feelings. 

What is your favourite quote?

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for recording  your favourite quotes.

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Journaling #8: Winter Blues

Writing in a journal can help with the winter blues.

 According to the Canadian Psychological Association, approximately 15% of Canadians will report at least a mild case of SAD in their lifetime.

Taking steps to manage symptoms may help to prevent them from getting worse over time (Mayo Clinic). Journaling can be one of those steps.

Researchers at Glasgow University have suggested that writing a letter to Winter might be a good place to start. Whether you chronicle the good, the bad or the ugly (or all the above), writing can help you to cope with your symptoms. 

Journaling is just one technique for managing SAD. If you experience the winter blues and think that you may have symptoms of SAD, seek a medical opinion about treatment options. 

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for journaling.

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Journaling #7: Pick Up a Pen

It turns out that writing on paper with a pencil or pen is better than using a smartphone or stylus and tablet if you need to learn or memorize information. That seems somewhat intuitive, in that writing and rewriting study notes by hand is a successful study technique used by many students.

A recent study indicated that individuals who used pen and paper had better recall and showed more brain activity in a functional MRI than the participants who used digital methods to record information. The researchers felt that these significant differences were due to the unique, complex, spatial and tactile information associated with writing by hand on physical paper.

Using pen and paper for journal writing is a tactile experience that can be motivating, inspiring and cathartic. Writing with a good pen in a nice journal can be very satisfying, but writing with a pencil on a notepad will still get those brain cells firing. So, pick up that pen and give your brain a boost.

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for writing and brain boosting.

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Reference: Keita Umejima, Takuya Ibaraki, Takahiro Yamazaki, Kuniyoshi L. Sakai. Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices: Brain Activation Differences During Memory Retrieval. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2021; 15 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158

Journaling #6: Personal Reflection

Using a journal for personal reflection is an opportunity to explore memories, formative experiences and day-to-day events. In this safe place, writing can help you to process and understand your thoughts and feelings. 

Journaling can help you to think about how you relate to your world and the people in it. Reflective journaling differs from other types of journaling because it is a metacognitive experience, i.e. you are thinking about your thinking. 

Personal reflection does not need to be a deep, psychological experience. It can be as simple as writing about what you think or feel about a memory or experience. 

Taking something positive from your reflections is a win. Learning something about yourself is a win. Gaining a better understanding is a win. Journaling for personal reflection: Win • Win • Win

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Journaling #5: Keeping a Gratitude Journal

 A gratitude journal is where you write down and possibly reflect upon the things for which you are grateful. It has sometimes been called “three good things”, but how many things that you write about and how often you write are completely up to you. 

I am currently reading Anne Voskamp’s “One Thousand Gifts.” Anne was challenged by a friend to write down one thousand gifts or blessings. Her list included things like the iridescence of bubbles. Everyday things for which to be grateful. 

The book is not a gratitude journal. It’s about her journey and what she learned by keeping a gratitude journal. There are lots of fascinating things on her list and I’m thinking that we’d all have lots of interesting things upon which to reflect if we considered the things for which we are grateful. Do you have a gratitude journal?

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for gratitude journal.

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Journaling #4: Let the Fun Begin!

Journaling can be fun! There are lots of health benefits to journaling, both for physical and mental health. Put all that aside for a moment and realize that you might just enjoy journaling because it can be fun. Write what you want, when you want and about what you want. Express yourself. 

Maybe you’re a Dog Mom. Write about your pup. Maybe you like really good puns. Record them in a journal. Maybe you like trying different kinds of coffee. Start a Coffee Journal. It’s all good and I’m guessing that it will be good for you, too. Happy journaling! 

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Journaling #3: Managing Blood Pressure

So, don’t ditch your blood pressure medication, but did you know that studies have shown that journaling can help to lower your blood pressure. You don’t even have to do it every day to see the effects. Plus, you don’t need an app or an online tool. All you need is a pencil or pen and a piece of paper. 

If you are interested in journaling to help reduce your blood pressure, do some research or consult a therapist for suggestions.

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for journaling.

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Journaling #2: Cognitive Function

Research involving brain scans has shown that journaling can improve cognitive function. Cognitive function encompasses a number of complex tasks, including learning, thinking, reasoning, memory, problem solving, decision making and attention. That’s a lot of brain work! 

Other research also indicates that writing in a journal can even improve these skills in seniors. So, it turns out that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Journaling is like a workout for your gray matter and just like in sports, the more you practise, the stronger you will get. So, grab a pen and start writing! 

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for writing and brain boosting.

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Journaling #1: Managing Anxiety

Studies have shown that writing in a journal has lots of benefits for our mental health. Writing about thoughts and feelings can be a useful tool for managing anxiety. 

Getting your worries onto paper can help to break the worry cycle by giving you the opportunity to examine your concerns for what they really are. If you are interested in journaling to help reduce anxiety, do some research or consult a therapist for suggestions.

 
*This is the first in a series of posts about the benefits of journaling. Check out the series of posts about journaling here: Journaling Posts

•Cupola Corner sells a selection of handmade coil bound journals that would be perfect for journaling.

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