My Healthy New Habit

While living in a cabin, I’ve created the habit of journaling. 

It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing and found very valuable, however I’ve always found it difficult to do consistently. Looking back over my travel journals, it’s often quite embarrassing calculating the amount of time that passed between entries. 

However, I can proudly report that for the first time in my life, I’ve journaled for 31 days in a row. A whole month! My cabin lifestyle (coupled with being furloughed) has given me the time to commit to at least a few lines per day. 

At the beginning I found it extremely difficult. What on Earth is worth writing about? My life in lockdown isn’t interesting at all. “Today I got up at 10 and had the same breakfast as yesterday” – fascinating. 

But I soon realised it doesn’t have to be interesting, funny, or even make sense! As long as I put some words down on paper, I had journaled that day, and that’s all I’m asking of myself. 

One day turned into one week, and before I knew it I had momentum, I had a flow. What began as something I found difficult started becoming less so.

Now I look forward to sitting down in the evening with my journal. The chance to get my thoughts out of my head and onto the page is very therapeutic. I feel like I’m leaving the day’s events behind me and getting ready to start the next day afresh. 

It’s also been a real productivity booster. Once I’ve penned my thoughts on the past day, I write a to-do list for the next. Having a morning routine set, a fitness aim, and a few work-related goals makes me far more likely to have a day I’m happy reflecting on the following evening. 

Journaling is something I definitely want to continue with once life gets back to normal. It’s fun, good for my mental health, and takes a little bit of discipline (something I definitely need to practice). 

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear about your favourite habits or routines, and how they’ve positively affected your life! 

Ross