Are guided journals really helpful or can you just do it yourself? - Journaling in action project

When I came up with the idea of this project (journaling in action) and sharing how guided journals work in actual real life, I didn’t quite imagine trying to homeschool, work and do all the house stuff all under lockdown. I don’t think many  or any of us had envisioned this year starting and continuing the way it has. I think life has been so topsy turvy I wondered if this is a comparable time to anything really. I must say as I thought this I came to thinking we all have periods of our life that is unexpected in some way or another don’t we? Yes often it is not so global but weird times are happening for people al the time. Recently I was reading a prayer letter from my friends and realised - they aren’t in lockdown (they are overseas). So many aren’t experiencing the life the UK is having even though it feels so massive and in different areas we are experiencing it differently too. So can my experience of using a daily journal now be helpful in the future? I think it can, especially with this one. 

I am glad I started my project with the Flo&Seb wellness planner as its been a good pal to work alongside. I must admit I have found that there have been days when I haven’t been so faithful to it, days of busy, days of what feels like tornadoes as we rush around. But it is such a nice book to come back to. 

It sits happily on my desk - I love it when it is neat and feels like it belongs. That might sound odd, and I’m not very tidy but because of the binding I can roll it open to the day and leave it ready to pick up. I can grab it and fill it with long or short notes. It’s been nice and easy to grab and use. 

I mentioned in previous blogs that for me I needed space to write lists and both to do and done lists. I have been tweaking how I use it to suit that. In the food log, which I am not too good at filling in - confessing that I have eaten my body weight in snacks on more than one day feels too much to write in a book! Yikes! So I have been tweaking it and using the ‘Breakfast’ ‘lunch’ ‘dinner’ and ‘snacks’ sections to help me divide up my day. To be honest for someone who loves food this feels like a fun way to do it really. The space is really perfect for that and I did find myself writing at least what meals I have eaten which was a great

Something I haven’t mentioned much in the previous blogs is the end of the week mindful activity. Theses are a really nice touch. Varied prompts and ideas to take a moment out, colouring, digital detox, assessing sleep etc.They are short and simple but a nice touch to the planner. The prompts are simple starting places and you can wander off down your own little rabbit hole of ideas in search of the thing that works for you but the prompts are a good reminder to add that into your week. 

As someone who can feel really guilty for missing days in my journaling I like how it is undated and so I do pick it up and put it down as I need to. There are week dividers which tell you what week you are on and I think for some this would be a great encouragement - look how far I’ve come sort of thing. For me because I have been a bit sporadic the last two weeks, I did start to feel a little sad about that but then thats a great time to have that little word with yourself. It’s a great point to keep in mind in journaling in general. We will all miss days, sometimes weeks and thats ok. Life is a funny thing and we are not perfect beings. Recognising and allowing variations and missing the mark is ok so long as we get back on the horse thats important to us. I think if you were in the online community there would be help and accountability to help keep you on track if that is what you wanted. I do feel this planner is quite forgiving on that front and has helped me as I use it. 

I think if you are new to journaling, or struggling to keep up then this planner is a good friend. You can get a blank book and set up your own spreads very similar but then if you are finding it hard to keep going, having something set up and ready for you is a great benefit. I think thats the joy of guided journals and planners. They help you keep up the momentum even if you aren’t using every part of them. It’s helpful to find one that doesn’t run away without you leaving you constantly trying to catch up and that is something I really enjoy about undated planners. 

In this busy and crazy time there are many things we can do to help ourselves stay focused and take time out. I have tried the Flo&Seb mood and sleep tracking and its really helpful, I really enjoy seeing the bigger picture and for that I use this fast tracking method- it takes minutes each day. Journaling is as individual as you are. So I would always recommend finding one thing to start with and then using what works for you and keep exploring. There are so many ways to take that break and write, if you haven’t  found your way don’t give up....

I hope this has been helpful, next blog will be the last with this planner so do send me any questions if there is things you would like to know or see. For me it has so far been a positive experience and has been fun to play and tweak it to work for me.