Tips and tools to organize and prepare for what is on your horizon

This post focuses on concrete tips and tools to help you feel more organized, confident, and in-the-moment in THIS moment.

Let’s spend a moment reflecting on what we are collectively going through right now, and also what you are going through personally. Inequities and discrimination on a societal level and perhaps also a personal level. Uncertainty about what lies ahead on so many levels.

What are some of the big things for you right now?

How are you doing with all of this?

Of course, many right now are going back to “school”, though there is no certainty about exactly what that means this year. We’ve also been reflecting on what going back to school means and how that feels right now.

We’ve been talking to students about what this feels like for them. In fact, we’ve taken to Zoom to meet with students and talk to them directly about how things are feeling for them and how journaling can help guide them through the feelings of overwhelm and uncertainty. We’ve enjoyed this so much and we would love to continue this throughout the school year!

I’ll briefly highlight two workshops that we ran this summer, one with middle school-aged girls taking part in an online leadership-focused camp and one with undergraduates at Cornell University illustrating how impactful sharing an hour with a group of young people on top-of-mind topics can be.

Journaling Workshops for Youth

What we’ve seen is that, even while on a Zoom call, taking the time to reflect on directed prompts makes a notable difference in terms of self-awareness and achieving clarity. Creating and running these workshops has been a huge positive for us this summer. We (intern Nicholas and myself) felt satisfied that we could provide concrete tools, and these tools and discussions were appreciated.

So much so that we hope to do this again soon.

If your organization or group, whether for adults or youth, is interested in a journaling workshop customized to your needs and interests, please reach out directly.

Organizational tools, masks, and swag

Another experience we have had this summer that has felt positive:

time at home = time to create.

Yes, that has meant some journaling and writing, and several passion projects are still works-in-progress. We’ve dabbled into other types of creating as well. While we anticipate that there will be more creating to come, for now we proudly introduce digital art… for your journals (and for yourselves!). We have created tools for organization and for flair. Our stickers are accessories for your journals! Follow WRGJournaling on Redbubble to see what else will be coming soon!

For example, we’ve just designed and released some new products to support the transition to “back-to-school” (wherever school is). These include organizational products and just-for-fun swag, such as canvas pencil bags, blank notebooks, masks, and stickers for laptops, notebooks, etc.

We’re especially excited about our “pencil & notebook” pattern (created by our graphic design junior intern). This pattern has inspired a range of products perfect for all the students (and journalers) in your life. Regardless of where school is happening this year, you'll be organized! The products below are available our new Redbubble store (you can also search for WRGJournaling, and you can also “follow” us there and “like” what you like).

All of this started because of an idea to create stickers, and to write about this story is tangential. So we’ll save this for our next blog post, coming soon!

If what you’ve read about here compels you to want to learn more or to share this post with others…. you know what to do- be in the moment and reach out!

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder,

Writereflectgrow.com

The many benefits of journaling when you are going through something big

“There are uses to adversity, and they don’t reveal themselves until tested. Whether it’s serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.”

-U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor

We all go through tough times or face challenging situations. In fact, we are all going through something “big” right now, the uncertainties of weathering a global pandemic and the associated implications and emotions.

Whatever it is that you face, the following statement is true: Journaling can guide you along this journey.

In fact, journaling can be one of the most useful tools to help you get through or help process something big that you’re going through. As a practicing psychologist, I’ve had the privilege of guiding people as they navigate many big challenges that they face. Some people note how they have relied on journaling to help guide them during this time, and we reflect on what they’ve gained from that experience. For those who aren’t already journaling, I encourage the practice of journaling help them continue to understand where they would like to go and how to get there, or to help them grow or feel better.

What are some of the benefits of journaling when you’re facing something big?

Benefits of journaling when you are going through something BIG:

• Journaling offers a safe place for emotional release, providing a space to  “get it out.”

• Journaling can help us get organized. It can help us plan and figure things out so that we can better make decisions for ourselves.

• Journaling lends itself to reflection, self-awareness and improved understanding of ourselves and making sense of patterns.

• Journaling results in a record- a record of our thoughts or our feelings or our experiences. We can then pull the wisdom from creating this record and apply it to anything in our lives or well-being.

All of these benefits are seen clearly when journaling is used to help guide someone through the journey of going through something big.

To illustrate:

The example I’ll highlight in this post is the impact of journaling while going through cancer. A large part of my private practice focuses in oncology. I help people adjust to and process how cancer has impacted their lives. A year ago, I created a workshop series for those who had been diagnosed with cancer to learn how to cultivate (or reconnect) with this practice, through learning skills and building community. The workshops have been a huge success and have been meaningful for both the participants and myself, and I have thought a lot about the lessons learned from participating in this series. Furthermore, because of these workshops, I have built upon the program materials I had created for the workshop and have published a journal for those who are at any point on the cancer journey, as patients, survivors, or caregivers. And if you’re interested in hearing more, I’ve explored this topic on a radio program, describing the role that journaling can play in one’s cancer journey.

I may not even have needed to write this blog post to convince you, but hopefully this has helped you see the tremendous value in journaling when you are going through something big!

If you are curious about the tools you see me holding in the photo below, here’s how you can obtain a copy of these just-published resources!

Reflections: A Journal Companion for the Cancer Journey

Self-Reflections: A Journal for Exploration and Growth

Happy journaling to all!

-Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow

And author of what I am holding!