The Silent Observer
How your journal becomes your lifestyle tracker
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Have you ever considered using your journal as a compass for self discovery and health awareness? I’ve recently been suffering from flare ups in my gut. Not sure whether it is bowel related or uterus related. So one thing I’ve found to be super useful when journaling, is tracking what I eat and how I’ve felt each day. Drilling down into the specifics of how I’m feeling morning, noon and night, plus tracking how I sleep and what my energy levels are like.
Tracking like this is a potent tool, especially when navigating health challenges. I could list over a 100 benefits on how therapeutic journaling has helped me and women I’ve worked with over the past couple of years. However, from a health perspective, journaling can serve as a comprehensive record, capturing the specifics of your daily food intakes, emotional landscape and your physical wellbeing.
It was only when I was talking to my GP a few months ago, that my good old friend ‘brain fog’ decided to show up. I seemed to stumble in relaying my symptoms, particularly the dates of my flare ups and exactly where in my body I felt the pain. The weeks passed, I was none the wiser, just struggling on with tummy pain and feeling depressed with low appetite and low mood. Until enough was enough, and I decided to practice what I preached, and started a diet, mood and exercise tracker in my journal.
I am now much more prepared and armed with the specific information I need when I see my GP in a couple of weeks time. Plus, I know I will feel much more confident when pushing for a more precise diagnosis.
maybe you’ve been struggling recently with low mood, tummy pain, poor diet and feeling generally overwhelmed about what and what not to eat, I highly recommend you try tracking your day to day eating habits, mood swings and sleep patterns in your journal.
This is why…
Understanding the Power of Documentation
Tracking your daily food intake in your journal is like creating a personalised map of your nutritional journey. I found it allowed me to observe my eating patterns, identifying my trigger foods and slowly but surely help me recognise the impact my diet was having on my overall well-being. What happens is that your journal becomes a mirror reflecting the relationship between what you consume and how your body responds.
Fostering Body-Mind Collaboration
When facing health challenges, like I have recently, the journal becomes a bridge between your personal insights and your medical collaboration. Sharing this in-depth information with your doctor is a very proactive step towards a more accurate diagnosis. Just as I mentioned above. I got in such a tis when trying to remember which day I had a flare up and what I’d eaten that week. More recently, I’m much more confident with how I now understand the potential correlations between my diet, emotions and physical states, all because I’m tracking my daily habits.
Empowering Self Awareness
Even after regular conversations with your doctor or nutritionalist, your journal should become a companion in your journey to self awareness. It will empower you to make informed choices, serving as a guide towards a more balanced and mindful life. Hallelujah I say! I am on a mission to keep highlighting how much this is a potent catalyst for positive change. If you don’t take note of your health and wellbeing, who else will?!
So my point today, as I always like to make a point when it comes to the benefits of therapeutic journaling, is that your journal is not merely a collection of thoughts; it’s an essential record of your journey towards better wellbeing. You are basically cultivating a roadmap towards a healthier and more mindful life. What are your thoughts about starting a health tracker in your journal? Do you already use one? Would you like to start one? Do let me know. It would be great to discuss this further and encourage one another to keep a regular tracker.
Until the next time
Take care and stay safe xx