Everything with intention: Why journaling is important and how to stay consistent? Spring is that you? I don’t know about yall, but I love the freshness of Spring. For me, Spring has always been a great time to refresh my life. I love to take the time to clean my space, organize my work process and refresh my self-care routines, Spring always seems to offer me another chance to get things right. Beyond just Spring cleaning, March also kicks off the #StayRooted 30-day journaling challenge at Be Rooted Co. and also, Women’s History month. As the owner of a stationery company, journaling has always been a foundational part of not only our brand but my self-care routine as well. With all of the moving parts in my life, taking time to decompress everyday has been so helpful in keeping me focused, positive and aligned with my goals. Taking a few minutes each morning to write in my journal has helped me to start my day with ease and intention. With journaling, I am able to write out all of my thoughts, feelings and fears without the pressure of making it all make sense. Whether I am just randomly jotting down my thoughts or using one of our #StayRooted challenge journal prompts, staying consistent with journaling is my goal this quarter. Here are a tips I use to stay consistent with my journaling and self-care routines 1. Stick to a Schedule: For me, staying consistent with my self-care routine requires sticking to a schedule. Similar to my work appointments or gym sessions, I use my google calendar to set an appointment for my self-care routine throughout the week. I also use my Be Rooted planner to block off the first 2 hours of everyday for “me” time. I find that using an appointment system with an alarm for my self-care routine has helped to keep me accountable to myself 2. Set the Mood: I find that setting the ambience in my space helps me to look forward to journaling. My room is my safe space and lighting my favorite candles, sipping my favorite tea and playing my favorite playlists is the perfect way to set the mood for decompressing after a long day. 3. Utilize Guided Prompts: I find that guided prompts for journaling can be really helpful in getting my thoughts flowing. Using pre-written journal prompts allows me to think about things that I might not usually think about. The #StayRooted journaling challenge has 30 pre-written prompts that range from self-care to self-acceptance. 4. Mix it Up: My journal is a space for my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I like to write, other times I like to draw. For me, there are no rules when it comes to my journaling and I try to not confine myself to any one method. 5. Gratitude Always: Sometimes I like to start my posts by writing out 5 things I am grateful for that day. No matter how big or small, I like to take time to think about all of the things I am grateful for before diving into my normal journaling. Whether or not journaling is a major part of routine or you have never journaled in your life, taking time to reflect on your thoughts and ideas is so important to establishing a self-care routine and journaling is a great way to do that. This month, I am making the commitment to journal for 30 days straight with the #StayRooted journal challenge and I hope you will too. Xoxo Jasmin
