I journal (almost) every day.
It started as practice when I was stationed in Germany during the pandemic. In 2020, I was severely depressed, alone, and thousands of miles and an ocean away from any loved ones or support.
I was in survival mode.
I was anxious.
I needed something that grounded me so I could trek the 50 minutes or so to the base I worked at. There was still a mission to support.
But how do you support the mission if you’re internal struggle has left you off-kilter?
That’s when I turned to journaling. I dedicated twenty minutes to a morning routine that involved waking, peppermint tea, and answering a series of 4 bullets.
I listed them as follows:
- What I’m grateful for…
- a.
- b.
- c.
- Positive experience
- Act of kindness
- 20 minutes of exercise
Bullet 1 forced me to experience gratitude. I had to CHOOSE what I was grateful for, and sometimes I didn’t even feel like it. “A good cup of tea,” sometimes was the first choice on the list. But the practice is about going through it, experiencing it. That’s how something becomes a habit.
Bullet 2 went a step beyond, focusing on a moment that served as a “win” from the day before. From December 29, 2020, I wrote “spending my work hours going to the clinic & finishing dogfishhead book”. Doesn’t have to be big.
Bullet 3 focused on my own actions, holding me accountable for the type of energy I wanted to put out into the world. On January 6, 2021, I wrote “calling my mom to check in like she asked”.
And, finally, Bullet 4 ensured that I moved my body every day. (Endorphins make you happy.)
Answering these 4 bullets every morning in a notebook of my choice held me together, and I grew from it.
Now, journaling has become more of a religion – an act to be performed every morning as I prepare to take on the day. It grounds me. It prepares me. It allows me the opportunity to cry, capture frustration, and even dream.
If I can do it. You can, too.
