Sunday Reset: Reflective Journaling

Hello friends!
I'm busy. You're busy. We're all busy. All of our energy is being juggled between trying to make money to survive, deciding when to deep clean our spaces, granting ourselves a much-needed nap, while also wanting to better ourselves and our health. The list goes on.

   I'm feel like everyone is living on this stress spectrum of sorts. Some weeks, more stressful than others. The thing is, I don't want to go day after day, week after week, and realize that I've been in a stagnant place, consumed only by paying bills and trying not to feel guilty for wanting a nap. I don't want life to slip away from me without at least finding some little joys!

   I often joke that my only hobby is running. Which, kind of true. It's definitely the main focus. It's the activity where I do the most goal-setting, the clubs I take part of for my social time, the activity that can clear my mind and also let my mind fully wander into a flow state. It can be high-stress, and also stress-relief. It can be whatever I make it. My point is: that's what I look forward to, week after week. And I know the way I treat my body and mind impact how I perform at said hobby. Every meal prep decision I make can influence my energy for the next run. Every gym session I do (and hopefully not skip) can prevent injuries for the races I'm training for. And every race and training run I complete is a learning opportunity and a chance for some improved self efficacy, which ebbs and flows month to month. This is the passion I have outside of work, outside of cleaning, outside of the random obligations of adulthood.

   It can sometimes feel difficult to feel excited about things and to focus on goals when the stressors of life are consuming you. Sometimes you just need a quick way to sort yourself out, to take a break from all the juggling of obligations and wants and needs. That's why I wanted to write a quick post on how I pre-plan my weeks ahead, while also reflecting on the previous week, in order to hopefully declutter my mind, to put my desires on paper, and to set clearer intentions for tending to my health and chipping away at my goals. With an ultramarathon coming up in the fall (hence, lots to work towards) this has been my Sunday ritual. This is also, and most notably, recommended for the folks like me who love the concept of journaling but can easily burn out after periods of daily journal entries. This is a version of journaling that I look forward to doing, week after week.

TW: I will be discussing weight in section 4 of this blog post. Please skip it if you're sensitive to this topic!

Section 1: Gratitudes

   This might be corny to some, maybe overly positive, whatever. Listing gratitudes doesn't have to be overly flowery or super duper deep each week. I started listing gratitudes in my phone during a time of overwhelming ruminating thoughts, during the time my anxiety was spiraling super heavily. I gave myself the rule then of listing at least three things I'm grateful for. These didn't have to be super wild, and they were allowed to be repeated if needed. They could be as simple as "brushed my hair this morning" or "woke up next to my cat this morning" or "talked to my grandma on the phone during my walk". Depends on the day, whether they're deeply emotional or more nuanced. The idea is to get outside of the rumination and reflect on the things outside of yourself that you can appreciate. Some days are still harder, and others might be easier. But I was doing this daily for a while.

   When I started this weekly journaling strategy, I still aim for the same three-gratitudes minimum. But now I'm reflecting over the whole week. A lot of times it's still the fact that I woke up next to my cat, Bobby, because he's super warm and comfy. Some times it's me cheering myself on for drinking more water or hitting all my strength training days. And sometimes it's just making it through a tough week and still returning to the journal. To me, it feels important to reflect on the wins of the week prior before I proceed with goals for the upcoming week.

   Bonus entry: If I've had an especially hard week, I'll sometimes start by acknowledging the challenges I experienced during the week before I dip into my gratitudes. So in this case, I'm still prioritizing reflecting on the week that just occurred, putting those struggles onto paper. And then I'm following up with the positives that happened,  in lieu of those hardships. I don't always list the downsides of my weeks, it's usually just on extra tough weeks, but that's what makes the gratitude section of the weekly entry so much more impactful. In spite of the challenge, I'm so glad I woke up next to Bobby and was able to make it through each work day and do my walks and enjoy the bees in the flowers. It's usually the simplest gratitudes that can pull me out of my head.

Section 2: Ideal Schedule

   I remember listening to Cassia Tierney's podcast 9 Lives and hearing her talk about writing out her weekly schedule. I remember where I was (on the trail, hiking), and how I felt when she mentioned such a simple concept. She described feeling more in tune with her schedule when it was actually written on paper, like it was a non-negotiable now. Cassia discussed the concept of penciling in her gym sessions, her runs, and even her rest days, to ensure she would hit all proper training plans. Such a seemingly simple concept is actually super helpful in practice.

   After hearing this concept, and when I started 75 Hard last spring, I made sure to document my plans for the week ahead. When I'd write down each workout, I was more likely to hit it. More organized. Like I was literally mapping out my training block. And if certain days needed to be switched around, I could visualize where it would make sense to place them. 

   For this section, I write up Monday through Sunday in rows (since I do my journaling on Sundays, it's the last day on my entry) and write next to them what workouts, recovery strategies, or rest days I intend to do on those days. And with a huge race coming up this fall, this is extra important for me to map out and follow! Each day of my week is mapped in a way that hopefully will increase my strength, endurance, and durability for when that time comes, with enough variety in my weekly schedule to reduce the chance of burnout while maintaining my focus.

Section 3: Goals

   This is where the intentions are written onto paper. After reflecting on the week prior and writing out the plans for the week ahead, this is where I'm writing my why or my how. Some weeks, the goals might include hitting all my strength days (like I mentioned earlier, because if I don't sleep well, I sometimes will skip my gym session for that morning). The strength goals are especially important to me right now because I want to add a fourth strength day for bonus gains (and injury risk reduction in the long run). Some weeks, the goals might include eating a salad with lunch each week, if I'm having a weird time where I'm feeling uninspired with meal prep and neglect my veggies more than usual. This happens every couple of months. Some weeks might focus on sleeping better, reducing screen time, waking up earlier, reading more pages of my book, or drinking more water. The idea is to put onto paper what my intentions are, or why. And if I didn't hit a goal from the week prior, I'll usually stick it right back into the rotation for the next week. It's not an all-or-nothing approach, and it's not about throwing it out if you don't reach it; it's about trying again and teaching yourself that you can actually reach the goal, even if it's not this exact week.

   If my goal is the salad-with-lunch goal, I'm satisfied if I maintain focus on incorporating more veggies into my daily meals, even if I don't literally eat a salad on each day. The purpose of this section in my journal isn't to bully myself or to get upset if I don't literally do the thing each day. But it puts that thought into my mind so that when I'm meal-prepping or buying a meal during my lunch breaks, I've got the concept in my mind of reaching for something that has more veggies, so my body feels more energized. Intention is the key here. Our journals are our little safe space. There's no need to make it become almost a peer pressure sort of situation. 

   That's why often times if I hit a goal that I've been working towards for a while, like hitting four strength sessions in a week instead of the three, I'll add it to my gratitudes that next week. Celebrating my wins keeps the positive momentum going, and helps grow more self efficacy. This is crucial for all the short-term to long-term goal-setting and goal-achieving!

Section 4: Weight Progress

   If you're sensitive to weightloss discussion, please skip this section! This is how I do my own journaling and this is a semi-recent addition to the entries. Nothing in this blog post is required!

   I keep this section simple. I've tried a couple of methods for keeping track of my weightloss (I've been at this for three-four years now). I used to weigh weekly, then I went without weighing myself for a while, and now I weigh myself daily (or every other day). I've gotten used to the daily fluctuations, and I know daily weigh-ins is too much for some folks, but for me, it normalizes those normal bodily changes and desensitizes me to it. I've found that if I don't weigh myself for long periods of time, I'm less in tune with what I'm fueling my body with, yet feeling uncomfortable in my clothes, etc. It becomes a cycle where I'm in denial and hiding from the scale instead of just facing it, staying focused, and in the long run feeling more energized because I'm actually caring for my health instead of avoiding it. I want to feel in-tune and connected with myself and my progress, not dread or resentment.

   Especially when it comes to strength training, I know scale weight isn't a true indicator of all the aspects that go into physique or health. Muscle is heavier than fat, so I've heard. But keeping my eye on the numbers keeps me focused on the overall trend, and keeps the momentum rolling. I log the weigh-ins on MyFitnessPal for the day-to-day readings, but when I visit my journal I write what the highest reading was that week and what the lowest was. This shows the overall trend of my weekly averages, week after week. It's nothing serious, no additional notes. It just allows me to see how my highs and lows vary every week, and keeps me motivated to keep moving, keep eating foods my body enjoys, and keep enjoying my health and wellness journey.

   If you're thinking about a more weekly approach to journaling, I hope these concepts at least help guide you a bit if you're needing inspiration for prompts! I highly encourage you to curate your journal entries to your specific goals and needs. Whether you're writing out a workout schedule for the week or a study schedule, or you're logging your weight-loss or the weight you can lift in the gym, this layout should be pretty versatile and feels simple enough for aspiring journal-ers out there. Let me know what you think about this strategy for your next Sunday reset!

Keep on grinning!

Lydia