When it comes to journaling, it is important to find what prompt and style works for you! Whether you are using a physical pen and paper or the notes app in your phone, the format needs to be something that you can stay commited to every day. 

Example prompts:

• Write down 3 things you are grateful for & 3 things you are looking forward to

• Write down 3 things that made you smile today

• Reflect on a specific situation that happened recently (that day or previously in the week), Write down how that made you feel, what thoughts were running through your mind, how did your body feel in that moment?

• Write down 4 positive qualities you like about yourself

• Write down short term and long term goals for yourself

Gratitude practice - Taking the time to reflect and celebrate the small things that occur every day is important when there is so much to do. Give yourself a moment to breathe and reflect. Dedicate a notebook or journal to your gratitude practice. Write down anything you feel grateful for during the day; a funny joke, a memory, or a phrase your loved one happened to mention—it could be anything! For example, “I’m grateful for the smell of coffee in the morning” or “they made me laugh for a moment and forget what I was stressed about.” 

When you are having a hard day, look back on your list. Allowing yourself time to acknowledge positive aspects of your day is valuable in providing you with peace of mind.

Breathing is something that can be easily implemented in times of stress and the best thing is, you don't need anything tangible to complete it!

1. Box Breathing 

2. Figure 8 Breathing

3. 5 Finger Breathing

4. Diaphragmatic Breathing

See visuals below and click the link to see a youtube video that can walk you through how to complete these techniques. 

Different grounding techniques can take different amounts of time so it is important to find what works for you and your schedule.

• Body Scan - seated or lying down, starting at your toes or at your head, scanning your body slowly making sure to spend time thinking about how your muscles feel. There are youtube videos that you can have playing in the background to assist in completing this technique. Watch this video and follow along for a 3 minute body scan!

• STOP technique - Stop what you're doing, Take a deep breath, Observe your body in space, Proceed with kindness.

• Daily routine tasks - Try to engage in grounding techniques when completing daily mindless tasks like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, folding laundry, washing dishes, etc. 

• 5-4-3-2-1 exercise - Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 emotion you feel. Watch this video for a more detailed explanation.