Journaling For The Health Of It®

I believed for many years that if I were “nice” to other people and pleased them enough, they would like me and be “nice” to me, even love me. The strategy backfired every single time. People were all too eager to take advantage of my kindness, compassion, and generosity. I stayed in relationships and jobs long after I had clear evidence of incompatibility, abuse, and exploitation. Constantly looking to please others is one symptom about not setting appropriate boundaries. When I reached the points of anger and resentment, I no longer liked the person and wanted them out of my life altogether. Even then, I often remained because I wanted to protect their emotions. The bouncing back and forth and fuming contributed to depression, anxiety, headaches, and exhaustion.

As a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care & education specialist, I’ve worked with clients for the past 20 years to help them create healthier habits, and I know just how uncomfortable it can be to move away from familiar routines.

Managing diabetes ranks right up there with some of the most complex medical conditions, and it requires a lot of detective work. But thorough investigations are needed to uncover root causes, links, and patterns when it comes to the ebbs and flows of blood sugar management.

Diabetes is on the rise. A 2021 report released by the CDC suggests that more than 10% of Americans are living with diabetes, and it’s been estimated that there are 7 million more who have yet to be diagnosed.

Additionally, 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition that often precedes diabetes. According to experts, 70% of those with prediabetes will eventually develop diabetes if left unaddressed.

The good news when it comes to your personal finances is that you have the opportunity to start over whenever you want. Sometimes starting over means rebuilding after claiming bankruptcy, but it can also mean choosing to make better decisions for your situation. 

Today, I want to focus on the opportunities that come with starting over financially with a focus on the opportunity to make better decisions. The beauty of starting over financially is that you can do it any time. All you have to do is make a commitment to yourself to make better decisions tomorrow.

Of course, I’m simplifying. If it was this easy to start over financially, people would do it all the time. The truth is, it’s hard. Often when you’re in a bad place with your finances, there’s a lot of emotional baggage that goes along with it. Chances are you’re beating yourself up for letting things get so bad, or you’re blaming external circumstances rather than creating a plan to move forward. 

Normally when we think of self-talk the word "crazy" also comes to mind. We imagine crazy people chattering away to themselves about nothing in particular.

However talking to yourself, can actually be hugely beneficial in many areas of your life. 

That's because what self-talk actually is is the practice of speaking to yourself internally or out loud about your actions and thoughts. 

Many of us practice negative self-talk, running internal dialogues about what we should have said or done. 

But what if we could change that inner dialogue and start sending ourselves positive, encouraging messages? 

When you practice positive self-talk, you can actually cultivate success in many different areas of your life and learn to put yourself first. Let's dive into how to practice positive self-talk for success.

It's no secret that journaling brings plenty of health benefits. It improves your memory, helps you navigate your emotions, and even enhances your writing prowess. These positives have spurred more and more people to pick up journaling as a habit. When bullet journaling rose in popularity in 2018, US consumers spent nearly $210 million on notebooks. Sales for pens, markers, and coloring materials also surged. No doubt, journaling is an experience that can be both fun and therapeutic. But did you know that your journal can also be helpful for your doctor?

In the healthcare sector, data has become vital to patient care. It can provide a holistic picture of a patient's health, making it easier for doctors to propose treatment. The right data can also pinpoint existing risk factors, allowing patients to actively prevent future illness. In short, data can ensure that doctors are prescribing effective treatments and recommending the correct aftercare practices.

As this New York Times article correctly states, journaling might be the cheapest form of self-care. It is a very good habit that helps organize our thoughts and allows us to think more complexly and systematically, contributes to self-understanding, self-awareness, and mindfulness, boosts communication skills and memory, and might even improve our sleep, immunity, and even our I.Q.