I’m constantly looking for ways to better myself. A couple of years ago, I did The Miracle Morning (you can read more about it here). It was great but it was a time commitment, at least 30 min a day. And that was the shortened version! I had more time back then. These days I don’t. So when my friend gave me The Five Minute Journal as Christmas present I was intrigued. 5 minutes? I could handle that.
And handle it I did, wonderfully in fact! Every morning in January, I’d wake up and complete the exercises of listing what I was grateful for, what would make me feel good for the day and my daily affirmation. Then I ended the day writing down postive things that happened and how the day could have been improved. It was simple. It made me feel good. And my mood definitely improved!
The month leading up to my birthday, I had a major setback. I don’t want to say I was depressed since I don’t like using that term loosely. But I was most certainly in a downward sprial. I finally rose out of it thanks to my amazing friends and family, traveling and revisiting The Five Minute Journal.
5 Min to Happiness
Writing down what you’re grateful for every day is great. But taking it one step further has improved my mood even more. In addition to having you list three things you’re grateful for each day, this journal also has you write down affirmations and end the day with an optimistic outlook. Plus, there are daily inspirational quotes to get you thinking in a positive light.
The Five Minute Journal, $22.95
I returned to writing down what I was grateful for every morning. It usually consists of Jack Jack, my friends and family and my home. And I smiled when I saw that often the good things that happened each day were the things I had hoped for. Granted, some days I felt (and still feel!) like I was faking it. But as they say, fake it till you make it right?
This past week, I’ve been trying to bring back meditation into my morning routine. Meditating has always been hard for me. So I’ve been giving myself a break and instead of attempting long meditations I simply set my Calm app on “breathe” and work on deep breaths for as long as I can. I’ve graduated from one and half minutes to three minutes. And I’m happy about that.
I just wanted to share in case you’re looking for an easy way to improve your mood. And I’d love to hear any of your recommendations, too!
Photos byΒ Michelle Kyle
First of all, the pictures look so cute! Second, I’ve heard of this kind of journals before and I thought that a bullet journal was the best choice for me but I notice myself grabbing it less lately so maybe I need a change and get one of those, it’s exactly what I need to make me more motivated and inspired. Thanks for sharing!
Lovely photos, and positive thinking is hard fir me sometimes, this journal sounds like a good way to help me on my path to be more positive and less pessimistic.
It’s hard for me too. I just keep working on it!
I’d love to see suggestions on how to get better organized in 2020. @helenmarie9886