Keeping a wellness journal is one of the best ways to take charge and improve your overall health. Unlike regular journal writing, wellness journaling is intended to keep track of your daily habits. By documenting what you do on a regular basis, you can stay on top of your routine and create a lifestyle that meets your needs. When you maintain a wellness journal, like the Life & Apples Wellness Planner, you can gain clarity about your goals, reduce stress and experience a host of other benefits.
The layout of a wellness journal depends on what it will be used for. If it’s used to keep track of numerical information, like body weight, expect it to include grids, graphs, tables and charts. Journals focused on mindfulness-based activities will have dedicated blank pages, with or without boxes, where you can write your thoughts. The majority of wellness journals are a mix of both layouts.
Like other types of journals, you’ll find ones you can use for a fixed period of time. Durations can range from a month to a year. Some don’t follow the calendar, and you can fill in the dates for each entry yourself. The periods vary from 30- to 180-days, although you can make it last longer based on how you fill the pages.
If you’re planning to carry your wellness journal, it’s important to consider the sizes it comes in. They are available in several standard paper sizes, such as A4, A5 and A6. You’ll also want to check the layout and page count of the journal to ensure there’s enough space to record your logs and entries.
The primary use of most wellness journals is to help you reach your health goals, but each one has a different focus. Some cater to those who want to track fitness goals, while others are geared toward those who want to improve their mental health. If your goals are a mix of both physical and psychological improvement, you’ll find wellness journals that contain a combination of elements that can make progress in both areas.
Wellness journals come in both hardcover and softcover options. If you’re looking for a durable, sturdy option, go for the hardcover. Prefer something more lightweight and compact? Softcover journals may be more to your liking. The paper quality and type will also impact your journaling experience. It’s advisable to go for high-quality paper that can weather some wear and tear.
Most wellness journals are either spiral-bound or perfect-bound. Each one has its pros and cons. While paperback journals are comfortable to hold, there is the risk of breaking the spine that can cause the pages to fall out. Spiral binding is sturdier and less likely to be crushed but can get entangled with wires and other items.
People keep wellness journals for various reasons. Before you invest in one, get clear on your goals and what kind of information and data you’ll track.
If reflective exercises are a priority, choose a journal that enables you to identify the significant events that happen in your day and weeks and can help you to learn how they impacted you. Some journals offer daily, weekly and monthly prompts that can be helpful if you’re new to journaling and need some help in getting started in recording your thoughts. If you don’t need prompts and like flexibility, plenty of journals cater to your needs.
There are a variety of ready-made wellness journals on the market. These range from simple and spiral-bound journals to exquisitely decorated, handcrafted pads. If your goals have high emotional value because you plan to use them during a retreat or at a special location, you might want to consider investing in a journal with a more elaborate design. If you need it for solely practical purposes, a plain one may be a better choice. Some journal manufacturers allow you to customize your journal to your wellness needs and goals.
Wellness journals range in price from $10-$50, depending on the size of the journal, quality of its contents and how elaborate the layout is. In general, you’ll find a good quality journal in the $10-$25 price range.
A. Those who keep a wellness journal have experienced several benefits. Depending on your motive for maintaining a wellness journal, you can expect to see one or more of these improvements in your life:
A. Bullet journaling is the practice of using one place to maintain everything, from your to-do list to your future goals. This system of personal organization allows you to organize reminders, schedules, to-do lists and brainstorming notes. The key to bullet journaling is rapid logging by using symbols to classify activities and logs. When using this method of journaling, function and productivity are more important than aesthetics.
Life & Apples Wellness Planner
What you need to know: A daily journal and planner that motivates you to achieve your wellness goals and create a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
What you’ll love: This comprehensive journal includes sections where you can log food consumption, plan meals and fitness activities, develop positive habits and give gratitude. It includes tools and practices to set goals, track progress, instill positive thinking, record self-care practices and daily reflection. A rose gold hardcover notebook made with vegan materials.
What you should consider: Some users didn’t think it had enough pages to use it for more extended periods.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Training for a Healthy Life: A Daily Food and Fitness Journal
What you need to know: This user-friendly journal lets you keep track of your exercise and diet can help you become a healthier, fitter version of you.
What you’ll love: Use this journal to record and review important stats like your weight, exercise routine and diet and to track and evaluate your progress. This handy journal includes tables and line spaces to clarify your intentions, make plans and access your progress.
What you should consider: It may not be suitable for those looking to write more notes.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Daily Positivity Journal For Happiness, Wellness, Mindfulness & Self Care
What you need to know: This thoughtfully created journal can help improve your habits and develop practices that positively impact your mental wellbeing.
What you’ll love: This daily interactive journal contains four sections with prompts for personal development and self-care. In addition to the habit tracker, you can take a self-assessment to examine different areas of your life and reflect on your months in the 30-day reflection section. It comes with inspirational quotes and areas to write down daily affirmation and reasons for gratitude. The journal has a black PU leather cover, making it both durable and sleek-looking.
What you should consider: Some users didn’t think that the space is sufficient to write more than a few thoughts and note down daily tasks.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Seline Shenoy writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
