Tips for keeping a wellness journal

When life gets a little busy, it can be difficult to take time to prioritize your wellbeing. Pausing for a few moments in your morning or evening can help you get back in touch with what’s really important.

You can use the pages of a wellness journal to reflect on what makes you feel good – setting goals, tracking healthy habits and noting down what you’re grateful for. Newly redesigned with lots of lovely updates to keep you on track of your personal wellbeing – like four handy articles to help guide the way – it’s never been simpler to start prioritizing you.

We’ve gathered some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your wellness journal – for mind, body and spirit. With a little practice, your wellness journal will become a treasured tool to turn to whenever you need a feel-good boost.

Find focus with wellness pillars

Wellbeing is all about balance. Your journal is founded on six simple pillars to guide you on your wellness journey. Inside, you’ll find a page introducing each core wellness pillar, and regular 360 wellness wheels to help you check-in on all areas of your life. From energy to mind, movement, nourishment, connection and rest – each pillar allows you to keep focus on the areas you need to nurture for all-round healthy wellbeing.

You’ll have space to jot changes and next steps you’ll need to follow to feel progress, plus a full-sized page to muse notes of reflection. Whether a busy week means your meal planning has slipped, or a month of socializing has reduced your ‘me’ time – it’s a great place to visualize what you need to fill your cup.

Set daily intentions

Most of the journal’s pages are set up for daily intentions. Each morning, set one to three goals for the day to make your wellbeing a priority. You could choose a small practical task that will get you closer to your big goals, such as picking up some fruit and vegetables, reading a book on your lunch break or researching yoga studios near you. Your intention could also be a more abstract idea, like treating yourself with kindness no matter what the day brings. Just pick something positive that you’d like to prioritize, and let it guide the rest of your day.

You want to aim for a holistic approach, so try to keep the various pillars in mind. Remember, intentions can be big or small – avoid comparing yourself to others and focus on things that will make you feel your best. It’s not one-size-fits-all when it comes to wellbeing, and part of using a journal is figuring out what works for you.

Pad out a plan for the rest your day

Once your intentions have provided an understanding of which areas of your life need some love, start setting the plan for the rest of your day. The daily pages of your journal will help to assess your sleep from the previous night and current energy levels as a result. There are dedicated sections: ‘Restful moments’ and ‘Movement’ – to plot out any gentle activities and natural motion you’d like to achieve, such as stretches at your desk. There’s also a place to note meals that made you feel good, or any inspiring moments or meaningful connections. Plus, plenty of space to generally reflect on how you’re doing.

Small steps, big results

While you may feel tempted to make dramatic changes, aiming for small shifts will mean you’re more likely to stick to them. Find something you want to prioritize, then use the pages of your journal to break it down into more manageable steps. For example, if you want to work on your fitness, you might want to start by adding in an extra weekly walk or pushing your run for half a mile longer. Instead of trying to do an hour of meditation, start with a few minutes each day. Don’t force yourself into doing anything that you hate, but instead, find ways to work towards your goals that suit you. Slow and steady wins the race.

Check-in with you

Staying on track can be tricky to do, so we wanted to find space to remind ourselves that each day is part of a greater journey. On weekly and monthly check-in pages, you can do just that – with space to reflect on your progress, plus what could be improved for more balanced wellbeing. You’ll be able to select the pillar you think you’ve best focused on that week, as well as note down next steps to see the following seven days feel even better.

On a monthly basis, you can scribble down highlights from the last four weeks, while taking note of what went well, what didn’t go to plan and how you intend to grow next month. We’ve also included a page to delve deeper into your wellness pillars, with space for writing down specific examples where you’ve prioritized each. It’s a great way of reminding yourself of just how far you’ve come.

Take note, get to know yourself

The journal also has space for you to start noticing patterns in your behavior. You can write down thoughts and feelings, activities and meals. Every day, there’s also space to note one thing that you’re grateful for. Keeping track of your days in this way allows you to understand yourself better – does exercise affect your mood? Do you reach for healthier foods when you’ve made time to rest? These observations will help you understand what works for you and what doesn’t and adjust accordingly.

Consistency is key

When it comes to wellness, we’re striving for progress, not perfection. Like anything, the more you practice, the easier it becomes. To build a new habit, it helps to connect to an existing behavior you already do daily. For example, write your intention while brewing your morning tea, or reflect on your day just after you brush your teeth in the evening. Don’t worry if you forget a day or two. The journal is undated, so you can fill it out at your own pace. Give yourself time to get used to the habit, and remember that every little check-in counts. Plus, we’ve added a dedicated article on how to make habits stick to help you along the way.

Find inspiration

Throughout your journal, you’ll find thoughtful articles designed to help you combine self-compassion, clear intentions and consistent action. From reframing failure to finding balance, these article themes are rooted in theories of positive psychology. Let the words sit with you and work in conjunction with the practical tracking tools inside, helping you form habits and flourish. There’s no pressure to read them in one sitting. Your journal is a judgement-free zone, so dip in and out when it suits you and your mood.

Reflect and stay flexible

There are dedicated pages in your journal for self-reflection, allowing you to note what you’re proud of, what you could improve on and how far you’ve come. This is a space to celebrate your wins and notice any changes to your overall feeling of wellbeing. There’s no right or wrong way to journal, and nobody’s pages will look exactly the same. Your wellness journal should be a simple way to take note of things that make you feel good, whatever that means to you. Be gentle with yourself and remember that it can take time to notice any shifts. It’s a journey, not a sprint.

To take control of your wellbeing, find your own wellness journal. If you’d like to prioritize nourishing yourself with food, try recording feel-good meals in a recipe journal. Or if thankfulness is something you’d like to focus on, check out our range of gratitude journals.

Pages to prioritize you