“Our journals are a place to really be curious, to actually discover things we don't already know, to ask powerful questions.”
–Lynda Monk
Can journaling help with burnout? Social worker and life coach Lynda Monk found that reflective practices help avoid burnout. Fortunately, she was a lifelong journaler and journaling is a reflective practice.
You don’t have to be a long-time journaler to get benefits. It took me a long time to develop my own practice, and I’m excited to get you some tools to develop yours. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re interested it can be a powerful self-care tool.
Instead of just recording what you did, try making a list of questions about your life or some aspect of your life. Then use each of these questions as a journaling prompt. Think of your journal as a means of exploration and discovery. You can also include affirmations, intentions, gratitude, stream of consciousness writing.
We talk about:
- What to write about — questions we have, the things that keep going around and around in our minds
- Getting clear on your why of journal because that can shape the form of your practice and your reason can motivate you
- Picking a time that feels easy — it might not be first thing in the morning — and recognize how much you can pack into a short time
- Letting go of perfectionism in our journal and in our practice
- Noticing patterns in what we write and what we can learn from that and using it as a mindfulness practice
- How to use ideas if your journal becomes a catch all
ABOUT LYNDA
Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW, CPCC, Director of The International Association of Journal Writing (IAJW.org), an inspiring membership community for journal writers worldwide, is known for her profound insights into the therapeutic and life-changing power of journaling. Through her dynamic speaking engagements and educational sessions, she inspires individuals to harness the power of writing to heal and transform their lives. Lynda is the co-editor and co-author of several books including Affirmations for Self-Love – a guided journal, The Great Book of Journaling; Transformation Journaling for Coaches, Therapists and Clients; Writing Alone Together, and she is the author of Life Source Writing™️. Lynda is Registered Social Worker and Certified Professional Life Coach, with 30+ years’ experience teaching, speaking, and coaching in the areas of burnout prevention, self-care, wellness and writing to heal. She lives with her family on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, on the West Coast of Canada, where she tries her best to write every day.
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DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS. If you get stuck wondering what to write about, write a list of questions you are curious about or things that are on your mind. Then use one of those as a prompt the next time you sit down to journal.
- CHOOSE YOUR WHY. What do you hope to get out of journaling? That why may help shape what you write about or when. Use that why as a motivation when you are struggling find the time or follow through. “I’m going to journal now, because …”
- SET A TIMER. It’s amazing what you can write in 5–10 minutes. You can do it first thing in the morning or during those awkward gaps of time. Schedule 5–10 minutes or pull out your journal when you see a space like that. Set a timer, write, and when the timer goes off, let yourself be done.
