We are forever surrounded by suggestions to keep our bodies healthy: what to eat, how much to exercise or sleep, how to best take care of our skin...but what about our minds?
One out of three attorneys will have need for mental health services at some point in their careers. It's time to tear down the stigma and acknowledge that our mental health is of equal importance to our physical health. At any given time, our minds are juggling countless thoughts, tasks, and ideas. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our busy lives, our careers, and the difficult topics we must face day by day. Not to mention, current world events can often get you down. The percentage of adults with anxiety and depression is increasing every year.
If you're looking to boost your mental state, consider journaling. Journaling is a healthy way to release stress, improve your mental health, and so much more. It's one of the most accessible self-improvement rituals you can incorporate into your life. Putting aside a little bit of time at the beginning or end of the day to write could prove to be a wonderful investment.
Read about the many different ways you can use journaling to improve your wellbeing and calm your mind.
Organize your thoughts. We have a number of thoughts knocking around our heads at any given time of day--and who can blame us? We lead busy lives. Unfortunately, this can damage your ability to focus and reduce your productivity. But writing down these distracting thoughts when they occur can be a useful way to get them out of your system and return to them at a later time.
If you're faced with a particular challenge or a tough decision, journaling can help. Writing down your thoughts or making a list of pros and cons may help you work through it and arrive at a solution in a quicker manner than you would otherwise.
Boost your memory. By writing down your thoughts every day, you are exercising your brain and keeping your mind sharp. If you're particularly concerned about committing something to memory, putting it down on paper will definitely help retain it.
Create a diary. Perhaps it's time to get back in touch with your inner child or teenager. Use the journal to write about the daily events of your life. Feel free to blow off steam, focus on what is going well, or note humorous situations. Choosing to write about every-day events is a good way to take a step back from the big picture and focus on the little things. Taking time to notice the little things in life is definitely something we could all stand to do more of.
List your goals. Writing down your goals will grant you the motivation you need to accomplish them, research shows. It offers a sense of direction and accountability. Think of it as taking the first step towards completing them.
Flex your creativity. Inspiration can hit when you least expect it. However, those fleeting moments can easily be lost to the hustle and bustle of daily life. Don't let them escape so easily! If you're feeling inspired, make a list of your creative ideas and see what you can cultivate from them later on when you have more free time.
Release your emotions. Internalizing negative emotions can have an effect on your mood and mental health if you're not careful. Writing down how you're feeling can be extremely cathartic. It helps you come to terms with those emotions, accept them, and release them so that they no longer fester inside you. This will actually help to control your emotions in the long-term and also cut back on stress levels.
Practice gratitude. Thinking about what you're thankful for each day will lift your spirits. Write down three things that you are grateful for or three things that made you happy today. Big or small, anything counts. By doing this routinely, you will turn gratitude into a habit and become a more optimistic person.
Writing down the things that make you happy will also serve as warm memories to look back on.
Ready to get started? Amazon sells a number of unique journals and fun pens. Find one that makes you smile. Then think about what you might use this journal for and when you will write in it. You'll want to pick a time when there's a lull in your schedule so that you can turn it into a routine with ease.
Remember that there are no limits when it comes to journaling. There is no right or wrong; simply find what works best for you.
If you find yourself struggling with your mental health, there are resources available to help while keeping your information confidential. Stress, anxiety, burnout--no matter the issue, there are always people willing to help.