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What does it mean, to breath “by notebook”? I could tell you that, after spending years writing diaries, journals, ... I realize that Writing, especially about my normal life, it surprisingly helps me pay attention to my life. By following and writing about my daily life, I pay great attention to it, reflect it, and when I’ve written about it long enough I go back and pay attention to what I paid attention to, discover my own patterns, my habits, and know myself better.
There are so many things you should focus on, but I would rather name them “distraction”, since it distracts us from focus on the most important thing: Ourselves. For how long don’t you think about what you do and why you do? Heavy workload, stressed lines, multiple stakeholders push us to the edge of our limits. We forgot to put ourselves together, spend time to take care, nurture and live to the fullest. And we forget to APPRECIATE OURSELVES.
Feeling genuinely appreciated makes us feel secure, which is what empowers us to do our best work. It builds our self-confidence, self-esteem and our entire self-image. It gives us energy and motivation to work harder and do more.
Appreciation can change our perception by changing our focus. For example let’s say you’re not getting along with a coworker. It is our nature to focus on what we don’t like and take for granted the things we do like. We get so focused on what we don’t like about a person we stop seeing the good in them. You may stop judging, pay attention on their behaviors and start asking “Why” question.
You can also do the same thing with yourselves. The simplest method is journal.
Notebooks, diaries or journal books are quite cheap, especially notebooks compared with its effectiveness and convenience. With a little change in notebooks, you can turn it into a handmade diary or journal book index. Some producers even do your job to convert it into different sections for different usages or design unique version, with various materials. I have purchased 2 notebooks with beautiful engraved leather cover for my girls...
It is a useful tip to own a decorative notebook since at the beginning, you may find it a bit bored to write every day, so I want it to be attractive enough so that I can sit in my chair and start writing.
There is no solid rule for you to journal, basically you can get start with noting down your routines. Just remember these things
Find the right space to write
When you’re writing, it is helpful to be in a space where you can focus and concentrate. A quiet room with no distractions works best. Allow yourself to focus on your writing, without any interruptions. Make sure you are able to sit upright and are comfortable. An office or a study room is always great.
Ask simple question
What has happened that day? How did that make you feel? Are you excited about anything? Why? Reflect on the thoughts and feelings you’ve been having.
Actually write something
You may not know what to write about and that’s okay. Your journal can be about anything you want. A good way to begin writing is to close your eyes and think about what you’re feeling.
It is easy to begin sentences with, “I feel,” or “I think,” or “I wonder.” Don’t feel pressured to stick to any particular form or topic. The beginning of your journal writing can just be an introduction to your thoughts at the time. This is your personal space, so you should feel comfortable writing.
Set a timer
Set a time for how long you want to write. Somewhere between 5-20 minutes is ideal, depending on how much you want to jot down. Setting a time will help you stay focused and stop you from getting carried away. It is easy to feel like you need to write down every detail and this will help prevent that.
And remember, through this appreciation process, you must keep the positive thoughts. In positive psychology research, appreciation is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Appreciation helps people feel more positive emotions, enjoy good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build stronger relationships. Which is why I should re-read your journals again, to understand yourselves, to get your own lessons, to sympathize with your fault. Being positive is powerful!
Start writing journals today! You will be amazed at how simply showing appreciation will cultivate purpose, perception and desire in your life!