I invite you to enjoy this Merry Christmas snowy church journal. You have to make notes, lists, and jot down ideas so you may as well have a beautiful place to do all those things. Journaling benefits your mental and physical health . Writing down your thoughts and feelings each day can help you understand them more clearly. It can help you gain control of your emotions and better understand why you make the choices you make. Emotions are not positive or negative. We are entitled to feel what we feel. Some emotions make us feel comfortable and others make us feel uncomfortable. Both are OK. It is important for us to notice and acknowledge both. All our emotions have a job to do and information to share with us. Daily journaling can help you deal with all of your emotions including any overwhelming emotions by: managing stress - reducing anxiety - addressing depression - draining off emotions - noticing patterns in your emotions - helping you prioritize fears, concerns, and goals - identifying triggers that interfere with your peace of mind - creating opportunities to use positive self-talk and self-care When you take time to write down your feelings and ideas, you are giving yourself the "ME TIME" you need to identify what is causing your stress and anxiety. You are also giving yourself the opportunity to be kind and gentle with yourself by exploring the why behind your actions. We all do better when we know better. Journaling gives you the time and place to explore yourself without judgement and with grace. We all deserve that. Once you have noticed a pattern, you can then create a plan for improving the ways in which you manage those uncomfortable emotions. TIPS and TRICKS for JOURNALING: Write, draw, doodle whatever feels right . There is no right or wrong to journaling. You can find many journal prompts if you need a place to start. However, the thoughts and feelings that are in the forefront of your mind are probably the best place to begin. - Try to write every day. Regular entries create a time for you to sit with your feelings. This will help you become more comfortable going deeply into exploring them and identifying where they come from and why. The more you journal the better you will get at it. You will become more comfortable confronting those things that make you feel uncomfortable and making a plan for dealing with them. - Make it easy. Keep your beautiful journal near by at all times. In our busy lives, we have to take advantage of every little moment we get for ourselves. If you keep your journal with you, you can write when you get a few minutes or are inspired to put your thoughts and feelings to paper. NEED A JUMP START? Here are a few prompts to get you started: What are you feeling right now and why do you think so? - What are you grateful for? - What are your favorite coping strategies? What are your least favorite? Why? - What is your # 1 goal today (this week) and why? - What was your # 1 goal five years ago? - What will be your # 1 goal five years from now? - Do you think it is possible to feel more than one emotion at the same time? Why do you believe this? - Feelings are like the weather. Reflect on why that might be true. - Make a list of the emotions you are comfortable with and those you are uncomfortable with. Why do you think these emotions are on each list? - Do you think there is an emotion you have never experienced? What is it? If you enjoy this journal, please leave a review telling me what you enjoyed about it. I am always looking to improve my products and consider your feedback as great information! If you'd like more resources, please check out my website at www.calmmombook.com