It’s the time of year when everyone seems to be coming down with something: a lingering cold, a flu bug, a case of the winter blues. It’s hard to focus on work, family or any other priorities when your body and mind aren’t in tip-top shape.
When you are feeling under the weather, the best remedy is to take in lots of rest and cups of tea, along with an extra dose of journal writing therapy. Journaling while you are sick helps you process what you are feeling and how you can best help yourself heal.
Journaling for Better Health
1. Find a comfortable place where you can write without putting any extra strain on your body (this might be bundled up in bed or curled up on the couch). Spend a few moments evaluating the parts of your body and how each feels right now. Place your hands on a section of your body (head, eyes, neck, stomach, etc.), take a deep breath and exhale slowly. What is each part communicating to you? What do you feel internally and externally?
2. When you have finished, open your journal and write down the important observations or revelations you have experienced about your body. What are your aches, pains, or sore spots? What just doesn’t feel right? What is working properly? What feels good? How do all of these factors contribute to the state of your overall physical and mental health? Write a detailed entry, journaling about anything that stands out to you. For example:
• I have a headache that seems to start in my temples and go all the way down to my jaw. It has been persisting for the last few days and makes me really irritable and unable to concentrate on anything.
• My eyes are dry and red and all I want to do is sleep.
• My limbs feel fine – I can move and stretch without any pain.
• Overall, I think I may be catching the virus that is going around the office. I’ve been tired and stressed and not taking great care of myself.
3. Read what you have written and try to identify ways you can address the causes and symptoms of your health issues. What do you have control over changing? What do you not have control over? What steps can you take to start feeling better? Free-write for five to 10 minutes. For example:
I think lack of sleep is an ongoing problem for me. When I am exhausted, I get sick more easily and tend to have headaches, sore eyes, irritability and so on. I can’t will myself not to get sick, but I can be more intentional about making health a priority: sleeping eight hours a night, taking more time for journaling ad reading, eating good meals.
Have you used journal writing therapy to put you on track to better health? Share your experiences in the comments!