Disclaimer: When you purchase through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.
In my previous post, I detailed the incredibly positive effects I’ve seen since starting a daily routine that cuts out cell phone usage. Part of my new morning routine also includes a five minute journal exercise that I find allows me to dump out negative thoughts and increase productivity during the day.
Here’s how it works: after I’m ready for the day (outfit picked, makeup on, bags packed), I sit down on my bed and get out my Moleskine and pens. I prefer to journal after making sure I get my chores done for the morning so I don’t have anything to stress about during my journaling exercise and can be fully present for the five minutes journal routine.
For the first 2-3 minutes, I dump out all my thoughts from the previous evening. This could be anxieties I woke up with, or had during the night. It might be dreams that felt particularly shocking to my psyche. Sometimes, I have a lot going on at work that day and just need to write down my feelings on it before I get to the office. I don’t get strict on the timing of this portion of the five minute journal exercise, but I like to keep it short, because I know I could keep going forever if I let myself.
For the next 1-2 minutes of morning journaling, I make a list of 5 productive things I want to accomplish that day, complete with check boxes next to each item. It might be as simple as washing my hair. Or, it could be a work-related task that I’ve almost finished and am excited to wrap up. You can choose anything you want, but ideally these are things that can be reasonably accomplished over the course of the day.
Finally, I take 30 seconds to I look back at my journal entry from the day before and check off all the items I completed yesterday! I love this portion of morning journaling, because before I’ve even left my apartment, I get to check off some of my to-dos. The goal here is to give you a little burst of dopamine before you go out into the real world, so it’s important to choose things each day that you can actually get done. You don’t want to flip to your list tomorrow and discover that there’s nothing to check off.
My personality is a little type-a, so if I’ve accomplished all five things from the day before, I have special stickers that I put next to my complete checklist as a reward for myself. There’s absolutely no need to add this extra layer to your morning journaling, but it’s something that makes me smile.
So, to recap:
- 2-3 minute to brain dump
- 1-2 minute to make a checklist for the day
- 30 seconds to celebrate your accomplishments from yesterday!
Easy, breezy, lemon squeezy!
I find this journaling routine allows me to dump out my pent-up negative thoughts, fill me with a sense of pride in everything I’ve accomplished yesterday, and set me up to be successful throughout the day. My morning commute feels more peaceful without all my little anxieties screaming in my head as I ride the train.
If you’re looking for a way to get motivated to start, I recommend ensuring your journaling materials make you feel excited. Personally, I have a designated Moleskine for morning journaling, in a bright neon green shade, to jolt me awake. Within the Moleskine, I only use specific ballpoint Le Pen pens, in the dark gray shade. And I have special cat stickers that I use as a ‘reward’ as described above. Find a Moleskine in your favorite color, pick a pen that matches your style, and add this morning journaling exercise to your routine. Subscribe below for more tips on mindful journaling and the five minute journal exercise, and let me know in the comments how it’s working for you!
Leave a comment