While there are plenty of expensive wellness practices being touted by “influencers” on social media, some of the most beneficial ones are actually free (think: walking outside and getting eight hours of sleep). One of our favorites is journaling, which allows people of all interests and personality types to express themselves and find balance in their lives anytime, anywhere. From what journaling actually is to its benefits and tips for how to get started, we’re here to help you make this highly beneficial practice a healthy habit in no time.
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thoughts, and experiences in whatever form or fashion they choose. There is no specific format to follow or style of writing required. Instead, journaling is about processing one’s emotions or pursuing personal development. Although becoming a better writer isn’t the primary goal of journaling, that may happen along the way if it becomes habitual!
You may be surprised to learn that incorporating a regular journaling practice is associated with numerous physical and mental health benefits. A 2005 study published by the University of Cambridge found that participants who practiced expressive writing—through the form of journaling—self-reported health outcomes such as fewer stress-related doctor visits, improved immune, lung, and liver function; reduced blood pressure; and a greater feeling of psychological well-being. The participants also reported improved performance at work and greater confidence in social situations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journaling could help give us a better understanding of who we are and what we want to achieve. Journaling could also help determine strengths and weaknesses, clarify thoughts and feelings, solve problems, and even recognize successes. Plus, journaling may help identify and manage stress, something we could all use in our mental health toolkits.
We asked Chesbrough “Chesie” Roberts, MS, ADC, LPC, founder and principal therapist at CLR Counseling Group in Birmingham, Alabama, about some tips for aspiring journalers (for personal use).
There’s no “right” time to practice journaling.
Robert’s biggest advice is to play up your strengths in order to turn journaling into a habit you’ll actually stick to. While some people are great at waking up early with a cup of coffee to reflect on life, Roberts recognizes that may not be realistic for everyone . Whether you’re a night owl or early bird, there’s no specific time or way to journal that’s better than any other.
Start your day with a list of simple questions.
“I give my clients a very simple daily ‘good things’ question list to answer at the end of each day, ” says Roberts. She asks her clients to post this list of self-esteem building questions somewhere that can be easily seen each morning and at least one other time during the day, such as on the fridge. From there, her clients can reflect deeper through journaling, whether it’s upon waking, during lunch, or before going to sleep. To stimulate your writing habit, try starting with a daily list of questions built around your personal goals, whether that’s building confidence, dealing with anxiety, or simply being more present in your daily life.
Reflect with gratitude journaling.
If you’re looking for some structure to help you stick to a journaling practice, consider trying a gratitude journal to help build your positivity in mere minutes a day.
Organize your thoughts with bullet journaling.
Busy bees may benefit from starting off with bullet journaling, which can help you stick to any personal goals such as building up your fitness and health or developing stronger relationships in your work and social circles.
“I have found that we don’t have to journal these eloquent paragraphs reflecting on our lives with a perfect notebook and fancy pen for success,” says Roberts. Simply grab a journal, pick up a set of pens or pencils, and get to writing!
The winter months can be hard on a psyche, especially if you live somewhere blanketed in white like Syd and Shea. At first it’s all about gearing up for the holidays, then it’s about cleaning and getting back to your routine—both of these take time away from your own wellness. While we can’t help you journal or meditate, the one thing we do know is how to set a scene that elicits feelings of comfort and warmth, aka your winter wellness. Here, four tips for styling your bathroom in a way that brings a little extra kindness to your own spirit during the winter season.
There is a variety of lighting to choose from, but the average lightbulb comes in two different options: warm and cool. During the winter months when all feels drab, switch your lightbulbs to soft white or warm bulbs. This lighting gives off a yellow-ish tint that feels warmer and cozier. Look for ways to incorporate a table lamp in your bathroom as well, perhaps on a small table adjacent to a soaking tub. Mood lighting is called mood lighting for a reason, it lifts your mood.
Tip No. 02 | Thick Textiles
If you have been thinking about updating your bathroom textiles, now is the time. Nothing brings the cozy more than a ridiculously plush bathroom towel. If you have a large bathroom with some extra space, consider adding a comfy chair to the corner with a chunky throw draped over it. Even if you never sit on it, the look of it will do wonders to introduce some new cozy elements to the room.
Tip No. 03 | Play With Scent
When you’re taking a bath (or shower!) light up a winter-centric candle—think Palo Santo & Oakmoss or Mahogany & Musk. Scent is a powerful tool to setting the scene of winter wellness and warmth. Consider purchasing our collaboration, Pura x Studio McGee, to ensure your bathroom is enveloped in winter wellness scents all the time. Our favorite for the winter is Santal Vanilla, a heady mix of sandalwood, amber, and myrrh for a rich and luxurious aroma.
Tip No. 04 | The Great Outdoors
Liven up your bathroom by bringing in some winter-friendly florals with tones of deep crimson, sage, and shades of cream. Or, if you have the spot for it, we love the idea of bringing in some freshly chopped wood, neatly stacked under a bench or in the corner. Making a design moment out of it not only allows for a styling statement but brings in scents of earth and spice.
Despite what’s depicted in Hallmark movies, the holidays can actually be a really stressful time of year. Not only that, but if you’re not careful, added anxiety and pressure can cause you to miss the season all together. With Thanksgiving in the rear view and Christmas coming around the corner fast, how in the world are we supposed to stay in the present and enjoy what this season has to offer? While we may never regain the magic of the holidays that we felt as children (the whole no-Santa thing kind of ruins it, amiright?), there are ways to claim and nurture some new warm and fuzzy feelings. Here’s how you can make the most of the season by soaking up the present.
The first step to staying present is to allow yourself the time to do so. In an effort to create a “perfect Christmas,” we often overload ourselves with responsibilities, tasks, and deadlines. The truth is, there is no perfect Christmas to be had, and the pressure to avoid missing out on anything can overwhelm us into missing everything.
Give yourself more time to soak up the season by taking a good, hard look at your to-do list. Re-prioritize what’s really important to you. Is there anyone you can eliminate from your shopping list? You might not think so at first, but take a closer look and consider who would actually not mind if you didn’t buy them something this year. Do you need to be the one to bring in homemade snacks to a work or school function? Store-bought doesn’t mean you’re a bad person – it means you’re prioritizing your own self-care.
A big aspect of the holidays is the sense of community, whether that’s found with your relatives, co-workers, or friends. Take the opportunity to allow others to be gracious to you in this season of giving. Lean on friends and family. Trust in their understanding.
The key to staying present is to pay attention. To meditate on the present, you can’t focus on the tasks you have yet to do, or the negative outcomes that could occur, or the uncomfortable memories of past events. To make good memories about this holiday season, channel the spirit that jolly muppet Christmas Present. Writing is a fantastic way to meditate on the positive events happening around you. Plus, you’ll have a record of the memories to look back on fondly.
You don’t have to necessarily be good at writing for journaling to work. And you don’t have to ramble on if that’s not your style. Short and sweet or long-winded, the end goal is to write. Check out our post on Gratitude Journaling for more about focusing on the positives, and try these holiday-themed writing prompts to help you meditate on what’s going on:
Holiday Writing Prompts:
Describe your favorite area of your house during the holidays. Go into detail about why it’s special to you.
How is Christmas different as an adult, versus when you were younger? What makes it better as an adult?
What is your favorite holiday decoration? How does it make you feel, and what positive memories are attached to it?
How different is your life now than it was last year?
What gift are you most excited to give this year?
Write down every detail of a holiday event you participated in or attended.
You might already know that your sense of smell is most closely linked to memory. As such, activating holiday magic might be as easy as lighting a pine-scented candle. Engage all your senses in festive traditions to fully immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit.
Smell: While a freshly roasted turkey or a dozen sugar cookies will do the trick right away, there are other less intensive methods for triggering your sense of smell. Fresh sprigs of evergreen, mulled cider, a peppermint mocha from Starbucks, or even a simmer pot on the stove can really make it smell (and feel) like the holidays.
Sight: I’m a huge fan of driving around and looking at Christmas lights every year. It’s become a tradition, and it’s something that I look forward to. Remember to be flexible (in case of poor weather), and don’t forget to pack hot cocoa and a seasonal playlist.
Touch:As a kid, you may have been annoyed that your aunt wanted to kiss your cheek every time she saw you. As an adult, hopefully you appreciate the importance of human connection. Christmas is a time to show others that you love them. Shake hands with your neighbor. Wave to the mailman. Hug you mom.
Taste: Finding foods and beverages that taste like the holidays isn’t hard. It’s finding when to stop that’s the real struggle! While engaging your sense of taste is a great way to achieve warm fuzzy holiday feels, over-indulging on unhealthy foods is a major cause of stress and guilt. Gain the energy you need to make it through the holidays by turning to fruits and veggies, and snack small on the rich stuff. Be mindful when you’re indulging. Pay attention to each bite, and chew slower than you normally would. Think about the taste as you eat or drink. In short, make sure you’re actually enjoying holiday treats and not just scarfing them down!
Hearing: Tradition is of huge importance when it comes to enjoying the holidays. Make sure you save time for a few of your favorite holiday classics. Looking for a good playlist? Check out these 36 tunes to carry you to December 25th.
The 54321 Grounding Technique
Often used to combat feelings of anxiety, the 54321 Technique can also help if you’re feeling overwhelmed or disconnected. This technique of noticing how your senses are engaging with what is happening around you can help you stay grounded in the moment. The next time you’re engaged in a holiday-related activity (shopping, cooking, wrapping presents, etc.), play this game out loud or in your head.
Five: List five things you can see (i.e., a pine tree, snow, busy people)
Four: List four things you can feel (i.e., heat from the stove, your warm socks)
Three: List three things you can hear (i.e., Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, a baby crying)
Two: List two things you can smell (i.e., perfume from the woman in line in front of you, warm cookies)
One: List one good thing about yourself (i.e., I’m amazing at staying patient while waiting in line, I make a mean chocolate chip cookie)
Activities to Help you Stay Present During the Holidays
Here are a few festive activities you can do to put yourself in a holiday mood. You’re much more likely to form a strong memory if you can include other people in these activities, so invite friends or family to join you. Otherwise, consider writing about the experience to solidify the emotions.
Go for a walk:You’ve spent a lot of time outside your house in order to go shopping, attend work functions and parties, and shuffle kids from event to event. However, have you simply spent time outside in December just for the heck of it? Whether it’s snowing in your part of the world or not, hopefully there are a few festive decorations up in your neighborhood. Go for a walk to clear your mind and center yourself. Pay attention to the energy around you – can you feel the buzzing of busy people? Notice the lights, garlands, and trees in the windows – focus on appreciating the diversity in the season.
Call your grandmother: Or, any out-of-town relative or friend you won’t get to see this year. Connection and community are a huge part of being present. Plus, grandma would love to hear from you.
Make cookies: If all else fails and you need to get merry right now, start baking. Put on some Bing Crosby, break out the cookie cutters, and make a simple batch of sugar cookies.
Have you ever wondered why traditions are so prevalent and feel so important around the holidays? As it turns out, traditions reinforce important belief structures. They comfort us with a sense of belonging, and help us express gratitude! Traditions cement existing bonds, and create new ones. If those aren’t reason enough for you to hop on board the Tradition Train, consider it this way: traditions usually involve food, and are usually just plain fun.
Christmas traditions vary in their details but the reasons behind them are remarkably similar. Read on for fifteen real-life stories on the importance of tradition, from my community to yours.
On maximizing the holiday season:
My son is obsessed with Santa and all things Christmas all year long. His birthday is in early November, and his main birthday request is that we decorate. So, weeks before Thanksgiving, you will find us and the birthday boy stringing lights on the porch, putting up multiple Christmas trees, and running cords across the lawn for giant inflatable snowmen. Some might shake their heads but if you saw his smile, you would understand.
When my dad had to work Christmas morning, he would always come home with gifts that he said Santa had dropped out of his sleigh or forgotten on the roof. Usually they were one of our big wish items.
-Rachelle
When I was young my dad would create a trail of peanuts for me to follow to my stocking. He said that Santa must have had a hole in his pocket and the peanuts that were kept there for the reindeer fell out.
-Marji
My dad always made a big Christmas breakfast for us. Last year, our first Christmas without him, my husband and son got up and make everything my dad had always done. It was delicious.
-Kim
On giving back together:
Every year we go to a Hospice House with friends and bake cookies. Our kids make cards and deliver them along with the fresh-from-the-oven cookies. It always smells amazing. The families there are going through sad circumstances but this gesture always brings them genuine smiles.
Every Friday night of the season we watch a Christmas movie and eat a special snack that has some tie-in with the movie. For instance: bright green punch with the The Grinch, cocoa and candy canes with Elf, trail mix with The Polar Express, and cookies with The Santa Clause. A brief internet search will set you up with all kinds of ideas.
-Kambria
We watch Christmas movies like Elf and Home Alone but also, in an attempt to fight back against the semi-feral natures of our tween boys, I force them to watch some older classics like White Christmas and attend a play or musical each year. This year we did A Christmas Carol.
-Megan
On tree decorating:
We listen to Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album every year while we decorate the tree. Mistletoe and the Holly is one of my favorite songs from that album.
-Becca
Every year my family would make a certain chocolate cookie that we snacked on while decorating the tree. I can’t fathom eating that particular cookie at any other time.
My dad was a pastor and every year we would have a candlelight Christmas Eve service. Afterwards we would keep our candles burning as long as we could and snack on candies while we drove through the night to my grandparent’s house.
-Lucas
We always give new pajamas on Christmas eve and everyone looks especially cute in their new jammies in the next morning’s photos.
-Kelly
We always drink ice cold Coke out of the glass bottles on Christmas Eve!
-Amy
On Christmas Eve when our kids were small we did “The Gift That Doesn’t Cost Anything” to emphasize that something need not cost money to be valuable. Each of us would read something meaningful (Remember Chicken Soup for the Soul?) or play their latest recital piece on the flute or piano. When the kids grew into adulthood they also grew into sarcasm and renamed it “The Gift That Isn’t Worth Anything.” Thus, it faded from our holiday routines. I’m thinking of bringing it back for the grandchildren’s enjoyment!
-Dori
My kids love putting out vegetables or other treats in the yard for Santa’s reindeer. I so clearly remember my oldest yelling, “Come and get it, Reindeer!” with his dear little face scanning the sky. That sweet memory made up for how ridiculous I felt later when I was outside in the middle of the night nibbling on carrot pieces to leave as evidence.
We had just moved back to the U.S. after several years in South Africa and my preschool-aged son was so thrilled and overwhelmed by the tree and the giant pile of presents that he got sick to his stomach. The next year, to make sure we wouldn’t have to clean the carpet again, I gave him a banana and we read the Christmas story upstairs. Getting something in his stomach and easing into the celebration worked. Somehow it became a tradition. This year, before we go down to the tree, my three kids will sit at the top of the stairs and eat a banana while we read the Christmas story together.
-Tricia
Let this be an encouragement to embrace your existing traditions and consider establishing new ones! We all want to celebrate our story and recognize that we belong to each other. Traditions are key to doing just that! Happy holidays, everybody.
Making your own Christmas ornaments every year is a great opportunity to create tradition. Check out this list of over 150 DIY ideas for some inspiration!
Even if the weather where you live is still summer-like, the calendar is telling us that now is the time to transition into an autumn mindset. Use the fresh start of this new season to reset and plan. Make yourself an autumn bucket list and have the best fall ever!
Relishing pumpkin-spiced drinks, wearing plaid, and finding new places to display decorative gourds are important, but your autumn bucket list can be more than a catalog of happy fall activities. It’s a tool to help you be intentional about what is most valuable: the relationships in your life, the beauty around you, new experiences and familiar traditions. Read on for a few suggestions.
Play Pumpkin Fairy
This time of year, pumpkins and gourds are for sale at every turn. Take the opportunity to buy one for a neighbor, co-worker, or friend. It is a low-key and unexpected way to do something nice. Every time they see it on their porch or desk, the reminder will brighten their day.
Engage your Nose
Harness your sense of smell to send a signal of change to your brain. Make stove-top potpourri, buy a new candle, or use a fall essential oil blend around your home.
Visit an Apple Orchard
It is a festive outing, for sure, but there is something more to be gained from picking apples than great Instagram pictures. Most of us don’t have much of a connection to harvesting in our everyday lives. There’s something very special about picking your own food, and it’s a great opportunity to make memories with those close to you. Take advantage of this time of year and visit an orchard!
Host a Potluck
Don’t let the season pass without making time for the relationships that are important to you! Invite friends, neighbors, and/or family for a potluck dinner. Consider a pumpkin food theme or a flannel dress code. With everyone pitching in, the gathering doesn’t have to be a chore.
Cheers to Gratefulness
Photo: Raw Pixel
Buy some apple cider and be intentional about making a toast to the abundance in your life. You can do this alone or in a group, at a feast or just a Tuesday dinner of leftovers. Thankfulness is worth cultivating.
Be Practical, and Check in on Your Home
Photo: Tomo Nogi/StockSnap
Take some time to change your furnace air filters and schedule a furnace check to avoid the inconvenience of meeting the first cold snap of the season with no heat. Also, think back and if you cannot remember the last time you changed the batteries in your smoke alarm do it today. Start the process of getting your home ready for winter. Once the leaves have fallen, take some time to clean your gutters or schedule someone to do it for you. Come spring, you will be so glad you did.
This is a classic autumn bucket list activity that needs little explanation. If you’re looking to do something different, a quick internet search will give you plenty of ways to carve or decorate pumpkins. Any effort you expend is worth it. Let your creativity shine!
Get Lost
Make plans with your most entertaining friends to meet at a corn maze. There is not a clear explanation why wandering around in a corn field generates hilarity, but it does. It always does.
Now that you have harvested your crop of apples, turn some of them into apple butter. This is the easiest of recipes and nearly impossible to mess up. If you haven’t tried it yet, homemade apple butter will elevate your oatmeal, yogurt, toast, or bagel to new heights of enjoyment!
Display an Autumn Memento
Go into your photo archives and find a picture from a past fall that makes you smile. Don’t worry about composition or if it meets the standards for a technically impressive photograph. If the picture brings you a happy feeling, it doesn’t matter if the subjects are squinting or out-of-focus. Print it out and put it somewhere you will see it all season long.
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What else will you be adding to your Autumn bucket list? Leave a comment and let us know!
