SLOW LIVING
Putting pen to paper and reflecting on our day can help us appreciate the moment and live a more harmonious life
FEATURE REBECCA LEWRY-GRAY AND ANDRÉA CHILDS
There’s atradition of journalling in country life. Maybe it’s the slower pace of rural days or the steady turn of the seasons, but the hours seem to stretch to allow pockets of time to write and reflect.
The hurts and stresses of life can infiltrate the most beautiful setting or cosiest cottage. But keeping adiary can help us make sense of the world around us, and the interior landscape of our hearts and minds.
Journalling, like meditation, allows you to tap into that deep part of your psyche that may be drowned out by the noisier distractions in your head. The act of writing and analysing uses both hemispheres of the brain at one time; the right side to feel creatively and the left side to work rationally. You can use journalling to manage the stresses that life throws at you, organising your thoughts and ‘to-dos’. But it’s most effective when you take some quiet time with your notebook and look inwards, finding calm by reflecting on the emotions and experiences of your day.
There are so many different styles of journalling practice to try, so don’t feel constrained to one –or if one type doesn’t ‘stick’, start anew blank page and try again!
GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Gratitude journalling is away of taking stock of what you’re thankful for in your life. These things can be life-changing or minuscule in detail, but acknowledging them allows you to rewire your viewpoint, enabling you to look at life in amore positive way. Even on the toughest days, finding the ordinary magic in the fall of light through the trees, the warmth of your favourite mug in your hand, or noticing the slow turn of the seasons, can anchor you in the present so you’re less likely to ruminate on the past or worry about the future.
PROMPTED JOURNALS
If the idea of ablank page fills you with dread, help is at hand. Prompted journals guide you through the writing process and can keep you accountable and focused by asking you to answer aquestion or share athought each day. There’s awide range of prompted journals available, from those for teens to others with nudges to encourage you to be more mindful. So keep in mind what you want to get out of journalling, and take alook at reviews to check the tone and commitment level before you buy.
DREAM JOURNAL
Dreaming is alittle like unconscious mindfulness –our brains process our past in asubjective way, filing away emotions, impressions and our intuitive response to experiences. Annoyingly, we often forget our dreams as soon as we wake, but capturing those fleeting images can help improve our dream memory skills –you should find your recollections improve after aperiod of dream journalling Try to write yo
