Seasonally reflecting

For all the reasons this statement rings true for you: the transition into summer is one to hit pause on. Let’s now take a pause.

To me, this transition to summer feels like a call to look inward as we step out to enjoy and savor the season. Summer has this way of altering perspective naturally, as the speed of life shifts a bit.

A question relevant to this blog, and one to reflect on:

How can your journaling practice benefit from this change of pace? If you desire to shift focus in any way or to deepen your practice, now is a great moment to call attention to this and to record it in your journal.

Embrace what this seasonal shift represents to you- modifications in routine, a respite from the rush, changes in the cadence of your work, lounging poolside, or anything else relevant to your life in this season. This shift in pace offers an opportunity to step back and reflect on where you are, your current priorities (and how your actions reflect these priorities), and any adjustments you would like to make as you move into the future.

Seasonally speaking, summer represents a halfway point in the year, which naturally invites us to check in with ourselves on how our year is going. Summer also represents opportunity, for many of us, simply to step outside a bit more and to reconnect with nature and harvest the abundance of the moment. Whether we’ve entered vacation mode, engaging in beloved summertime traditions, or are simply trying to maximize long summer days and late sunsets, opportunities abound to notice what is happening within ourselves as we step outdoors. Welcome the contemplation and introspection that so often accompanies being with nature. While this is my personal perspective, it will undoubtedly also be communicated in the summer journaling workshops and group activities we will be hosting (mention of this topic now is to make me accountable regarding my intention to write more on this topic this summer!).

This seasonal shift encourages us to pause, reconnect with ourselves, and cultivate a deeper understanding of who we are and what truly matters to us. We can embrace this opportunity for a perspective shift. Taking these moments to pause can yield our own personalized guide for the season.

Connecting with Women's History

As is typical for posts on our Reflecting on Reflecting blog, this post is a call to reflect and pause in this moment.

Being in THIS moment means different things to each of us, but for ALL of us (depending on when and where you are when reading this), this moment is part of Women’s History Month.

For some, awareness of Women’s History Month is certainly top of mind all month, whereas for others, it may go under the radar unless reminded of it by the world around them (e.g. themed playlists, announcements about special programming). Whatever your current level of awareness, all month long I invite you to spend some time recognizing, celebrating, honoring, appreciating, learning about (and from), and reflecting on women. Here are some questions to guide you in any of the above.

• What does it mean to you to call your attention to women’s history? To the importance of the women in your life or in the world?

• How have you taken a pause to bring awareness to and recognition of the meaning of this month for you (so far)?

• How is having a month devoted to women’s history impactful for you?

• What are some reflections you’ve had this month on your own relationships with the women in your life or the contributions of these women in your life (and in the world)?

• What are some additional ways for you to observe and connect with Women’s History Month that are meaningful to you?

Reflections are individual and this post was intended to guide you in this process. One or all may become your journal prompt today. As you answer the questions, you may notice that themes may emerge. What are these themes for you? You may notice other offshoots of topics that are meaningful for you to reflect upon. I encourage you to go there.

Because this is a topic where I feel particularly connected, I’ll share that I am pleased to have chosen to honor this month thus far by doing all of the following (and undoubtedly this list will grow):

• read several books by and about inspirational women, and reflected on many lessons that these books and these women have enriched me with

• supported and appreciated art, music, and other creative contributions of women

• proudly participated in community International Women’s Day celebrations

• had meaningful and empowering conversations about this topic

• shared and received wisdom from women in my personal and professional life

• connected with other inspiring women who are making history

• written this blog post

Finally, more broadly, as we enter each new month, collectively we are asked to direct our attention to foundational populations in our society, whether it be Native American Heritage Month in November, Pride Month in June, Black History in February. Whether or not we personally identify with the group being honored each month, we are asked to recognize the unique individual and collective contributions in much the same way as we are doing now.

I invite you to return to these questions to enhance the meaning of the moment for you.

Reflecting on doing good

In our community and in our home, we set a challenge for ourselves to do good. Specifically our goal is to raise a large sum of money to support a cancer-focused charity that does work that directly impacts so many (details below). Here’s just a little of what have we learned so far (a summary version):

Giving feels good!

Whether it is giving time, money, outreach or a variety of other contributions, these efforts feel important, appreciated, and impactful. To illustrate, I’ve shared several notes our fundraising team lead received in response to our direct fundraising efforts. These notes, along with others we’ve received share sentiments about the important ways our efforts have touched others and also have the potential to make a significant difference to the world of many facing blood cancers.

Doing good begets doing good

The positive response to this work has certainly been encouraging and inspiring. The response from others and the feelings evoked from their responses have encouraged me to do more. It has motivated me to write this blog post and to think creatively about other ways I can help the team fundraise. One way I am doing so directly involves one journal I published in March 2020:

This journal directly ties into this theme of doing good. I wrote the journal for the purpose of benefiting those with cancer; Informed by many journaling workshops I had run, I wrote Reflections: A Journal Companion for those on the Cancer Journey to guide those on a cancer journey. But it was also published with the additional promise to directly share profits with cancer support organizations that directly address the emotional health needs of individuals affected by cancer.
I am proud to share that though March 11, 2022 I will be donating 100% of the sales of this journal ($18/ journal) to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help support those impacted by blood cancers. All sales will be directly donated to support the Student of the Year team I am supporting as a team member. If you know someone who may benefit from this resource right now, please take a look or share this link.

You feel like you’re doing good on the inside

While outside feedback inspires and motivates, at the core of it, it’s what is happening on the inside that we’ll always carry with us into the future. It builds confidence that we can make a difference. It reminds us that our efforts matter. The gift of giving and doing good is one that stays with us. I look forward to seeing how these experiences (as well as taking the time to reflect on them) will lead to our continued growth.

What you can do with a Blank Journal

A blank journal can be used for far too many things than can be adequately described in one blog post. We’ll highlight some ideas for you to get acquainted with your next blank journal!

1) To reflect.

Anytime, anywhere. Notice the moment. Or the past. Or thoughts about the future.

For many reasons, this season is a time of reflection- whether 
noticing the change in the seasons or the changing of routines.

2) To jot down fleeting observations or passing thoughts

Having these momentary lapses of wisdom recorded in one place, can act as a central repository

We are embracing the infinite possibilities of blank journals

Click to see more of this design

3. To keep track of whatever you are wanting to keep track of.

What you are feeling. Thinking. Eating. A habit you are wanting to start or stop. You can customize a mood diary, food journal, behavior tracker, etc., in any way that suits your needs.

where you'll find this journal (and the others featured here)

4. Harnessing Positivity

A blank journal can be your place to record inspirational quotes or encouraging messages. You get to decide what goes inside. Customize the messages to what inspires YOU and feels good to you.

5. Intellectual pursuits

To record your learning in a manner that reflects your individuality. Taking notes as you are sitting in a virtual class. Writing down what you’d like to remember later. The sky is the limit here.

this journal will only be for happy things. It now also exists in a different print. Which do you prefer?

6. Capturing creative outlets

A notebook or journal can be a bound location to capture whatever it is that you are creating or you want to remember. Poetry. Song lyrics. Doodles. Ideas for creating your next venture- perhaps a series of blank notebooks? (That’s what happened here- our blank journals just sort of happened once our creative juices got flowing! Still trying to figure out which of the two orange m&m’s journals we prefer!)

7. Organizing your goals

The act of recording what you are wanting to do both helps to keep you organized and focused and helps to organize your plans and actions.

What are you wanting to do this next month? This next year? How do you envision that the process of creating your side project? What are your visions for your future? Do you have a big idea that you want to flesh out?

8. Gifting a spark (for you, for someone else)

A blank journal is a spark for any or all of the above- and so much more! When you are wanting to create a spark- for you, or for someone else- we believe that a blank journal may be just what you need. A blank journal is a gift with endless potential. Fortunately, many options are available to reflect the personality and goals of the recipient. Also, journals can also look good in hardcover form (as is evidenced below. In fact, we love the design below so much that we created some additional products with this original art.)

If you are feeling inspired with any or all of the above, we invite you to check our our growing library of blank journals (and related products) that you can have shipped directly to you soon! In fact, you can click on the images above to take you directly to that journal.

What will YOU do inside of YOUR blank journal?

Please let us know in the comments below!

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

Journaling in the Time of Coronavirus

What a time to be alive. You’re living history right now, we all are. Never has there been a time, globally, where we are so connected yet required to be so distanced. 

I’ve been thinking of about what it’s like to be here right now. I’ve been reflecting on many things- the negatives and the positives about the situation. About how isolation and togetherness have intersected where we are sharing experiences though filtered through our own lives and circumstances. About how on a recent walk (the one outing of the day), passers-by were all greeting each other, albeit from a safe distance. I’ve been thinking about the many things I have been intending to record about this time, but have not yet recorded in the midst of the change. One thought I’ve had: despite how so much is slowing down right now, ironically so much feels like it is moving very rapidly. I am feeling like it time to embrace the slow and reflect some. One fan of our journals recently shared her thoughts on this topic (and I love her commentary so much that I am sharing it here).

Prompts for reflection

I decided to write a series of journal prompts about this time and compile them into a post to share with you. I am sharing them both here in this blog post as well as by video, and in this downloadable handout that LiveGirl organization has prepared to share with their community.

I invite you to collect your own observations, insights, or emotions. I encourage you to tap into your wisdom about what it is like to be here now.

I have created a set of prompts for you to reflect on and write about today:

What are three things about this time that you think you will want to remember in the future?

What changes in your world have you observed right now, just in this time since you first became aware of Coronavirus? What have been some of the ways these changes have impacted you the most so far?

What is something that you’re worried about happening? What can you do to help yourself manage this worry?

What are some things that you appreciate about your current situation?

How do you hope things will improve for the better because we will all have gone through this experience?

Write your response to these prompts in your own journal. Save these responses. One day you may be glad you did.

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow.

The benefits of keeping a food diary

A theme in every blog entry is this truth: Writing things down can lead to increased learning, growth, and achievement of goals. This holds true when we create the habit of writing down what we eat.

Keeping track of what you eat means that you’ll have (yet another) thing to do on your list of things to do and means that you’ll need to regularly update this diary. However, those who regularly keep up with this practice notice the many benefits. And research backs this up.

Weight loss benefits of keeping a food diary

A recent study from Duke University using a commercially available, free diet-tracking app found that overweight, non-dieting individuals who recorded what they ate experienced greater weight loss benefits than those who received an educational intervention. Yes, this weight loss can happen even without following a diet. These findings replicate results from previous larger-scale investigations observing weight loss benefits with regular diet tracking.

Other health benefits of keeping a food diary

A food diary may help us uncover hidden or lurking contributors to possible physical, behavioral, or even emotional issues going on that are related to our typical patterns of eating. For example, we may discover hidden food sensitivities, reasons for mysterious bloating, or underlying factors affecting sleep or mood. We can then make modifications to our diet to alleviate the negative symptoms and feel better.

Increased awareness of patterns

Truth be told, midway into writing this blog post (about paying attention to what we eat), it hit me that I had been mindlessly reaching into that bag of M&M’s next to me without even realizing it. I had zero awareness about how many handfuls I had already eaten and I barely even remembered opening the bag. But in that moment while thinking about food journaling, I became aware of what I was doing, and mindfully enjoyed those last few handfuls before deciding to put them away.

Then I decided to write about this experience (which, not surprisingly, changed the behavior).

I find humor in me unintentionally and unknowingly illustrating my own professional advice and observations- the advice that I had shared with the My Fitness Pal blog last week on this topic:

“When we pay attention to what goes in, we are more aware of the decisions we make and our typical eating habits. Tracking what we eat is a way to cultivate this awareness, and it also encourages accountability to ourselves,” explains Marni Amsellem, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in Connecticut and New York. 

Goal attainment

Whether the goal of writing down what we eat is to manage weight, to learn more about our diet and how it may link to other aspects of our behavior or health, or another purpose, writing it down can help us get concrete and measurable with our stated goal and it can help us monitor our progress along the way. Having a goal in mind may make it more salient to begin a food diary, but keeping a food diary may spurn new goals once you realize what you’re doing.

considerations for successfully keeping a food journal

Consistency is key.

Writing things down regularly will give you the most accurate account of what is going into your body. Tracking food can become a routine in its own right. In fact, the investigators from the Duke University study argue that regularly tracking food is the critical component for weight loss success.

Let your food diary be your tell-all.

I can choose to not write down the many handfuls of M&M’s that I have just eaten, either because I don’t know how many I ate or I may not want to remember how many I ate or I don’t make the time to record this. However, the fact is, I ate them. If I had been on a goal-directed path related to my diet (e.g. weight management or other health-directed goal), it’s important to pay attention to all food intake. Denial does not negate the impact of food on our diet. Similarly, behavior change happens only after we identify and acknowledge the target behaviors.

You’ll learn many things when you become accountable to yourself.

When you record everything you eat, you’ll start to see things. You’ll start to notice if (and when) you eat mindless handfuls of (insert food of choice). Recording then holds you accountable to yourself and will stare you back in your face. 

You may even start to change behaviors. You may think, “Well, I don’t really want to record eating 4 servings of (insert snack of choice) so I will choose a more sensible portion.”

Keeping a journal promotes awareness of everything (e.g. milk in coffee), and helps you figure out which foods are adding surprise sugar or calories to your diet. You’ll soon have a more accurate picture. Having a written record of what you eat, when you eat it, and how much you eat will help you identify consistent patterns as well as other triggers that might be affecting how you feel or could be sabotaging your goals. Having a clearer picture of patterns helps identify where to intervene and make different decisions, perhaps beginning healthier habits.

What might your food journal look like?

Personalization: Once size does not fit all.

One way to help ensure success in maintaining a food diary is to find a technique that works for you. This may mean trying a few techniques and choosing what works best for you and your lifestyle. A popular option is using a food-tracking app (such as MyFitnessPal), writing in a small (think: portable) notebook that you carry with you, or using another type of companion resource, such as a customized bullet journal. A blank notepad may suit your needs. Alternately, there are many food diaries currently available for sale. Your choice may stem from your purpose in keeping a food diary. For example, if you are trying to track calories or other components of nutrition, several apps have built-in calorie counts and ways to track the nutritional balance.

Identify your goals for keeping a food journal.

In writing this blog post, I have (unintentionally) identified the goal of being more mindful of my actions when eating my favorite snacking food. While blogging about M&M’s wasn’t my goal when I sat down to write this article, writing about this article has clarified my purpose for keeping a food journal!

Start when you are ready.

That moment may be when you want to do something differently. It may be the moment when you decide that you want to better understand eating patterns.

Give it a go, when you’re ready, and please do let me know how it goes for you and what you learn!

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow.

Foresight is 20/20, Hindsight is 2019

With hours left in this year (and in this decade), I now feel the urgency to pause to reflect on exactly what this means to me.

2020 still feels science fiction-y to me, but I recognize it is where we are now and will be in the moments soon to come.

I’ve learned that there is no greater place to be than in the present. In the present, you can create the moments that you want to become your past. That is the power in being here now.

There is also immense power in reflecting on where we have been. We can use our accumulated wisdom that comes from reflecting on the past year and over the past decade to shape where we would like to go. I invite you to join me in this journey of reflection of where you’ve been this past year and decade and what you’d like to see for your future.

As I reflect on the past decade of my life, the first thing that stands out is that it was not uneventful. To the contrary, I experienced pivotal events and decisions that have since altered life trajectories. Additionally, these events and decisions have shaped how I continue to approach each day going forward. Hands down, the most valuable part of having had these life experiences is the opportunity to learn and to continue to grow from them.

So today I am asking myself some questions about how I would like to shape the next year (and decade) of my life. I’ll share some of these questions with you, to help guide your own reflections and planning for the year to come:

What are the highlights that stand out from my year in review? Highlights do not necessarily mean the things we may share on social media or write on a holiday card. Highlights can also represent personal successes, learning experiences, and decisions.

What are the highlights that stand out from my decade in review?

Thinking ahead, what is my vision for myself for this new year?

What is my vision for things I hope to make happen this year, whether in my life or in my world?

What from this past year (and decade) would I like to carry forward into the new year?

What would I like to change this year?

What does this change look like?

How do I envision making this change?

I am sharing these questions should they be useful in guiding you to find clarity in your vision for the new year. To me, 2020 connotes clarity. 20/20 clear vision, not clouded by the past or blurry about the things we can’t accurately see. To me, 2020 is using hindsight to guide foresight.

If you would like, please share your meaningful reflections or visions for your new year. See what happens when you share.

Then go make it happen!

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow.

What happens when we pay attention to what we are grateful for

Gratitude is a concept that is fully worthy of its current buzzword status.

So why is everyone talking about gratitude right now? We’ll explore this question, and then we’ll help you see for yourself by guiding you through a simple exercise that you can use right now.

Gratitude is the process of shifting our gaze and noticing the things and people and sentiments in our lives that we appreciate. As we approach Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in noticing the things and people and sentiments that we are thankful for, let’s pause for a moment to consider what it means for us to be grateful. I invite you to reflect on this now. How does being grateful make you feel? For me, it feels uplifting and fantastic.

What can expressing gratitude do for us?

I often speak of the attentional and intentional shift that happens within us when we shift our focus to noticing and expressing what we are grateful for. It may be cold and dreary outside, but what happens when you focus on the warmth that you feel from the comfort of the indoors, or the cozy jacket that you wear and warm beverage you sip as you approach the dreary weather? Or that while today may be dreary, you were able to enjoy yesterday’s sunshine? There are so many ways you can go with this one example, but the idea is that when you shift your focus, a shift happens inside of you. A growing body of research supports this as well, which we explore in a separate post.

According to the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley, gratitude is motivational. It can drive us to make positive change in our lives and the lives of others because it elicits feelings of:

• connection: When we express gratitude, this tends to increase our connection to others, which has a positive effect on our sense of competence and also feeling like we are supported as we strive toward our goals.

• inspiration: Expressing gratitude is uplifting, which can fuel subsequent positive and prosocial behaviors and goals.

• humility: When we express gratitude, we acknowledge the role of other people or other things that are helpful to us; we learn that we are not solely responsible for our success or joy.

So now I ask you to reflect for a moment, on this question: ‘what has gratitude done for you?’

I recently spoke with a participant of a past gratitude journaling-focused workshop I had run. I wanted to share this conversation, as her experiences may resonate with others. She said, “The past few years I have made a point of noticing things that I feel grateful for in my everyday life, like when someone has been there for me, and things like that. This has been great, but I really didn’t think I needed to write it down.” Therefore, she had never taken that extra time to write it down.

While completing a written gratitude journaling exercise in this workshop, however, she noticed that it felt even more nourishing to take the time to write these things down. She decided to continue this practice of writing things down at home. She ended up with an ongoing record of her experiences and reflections. And she could always go back and reflect on where she was then and use it to guide her in the present. Our conversation about gratitude happened two months after the workshop. She said, “it’s kind of been life-changing for me to write this down.”

Taking the time to observe and reflect has led to some meaningful learning and personal growth. The best part is that this practice takes minimal time, and can easily become part of a routine. Many people choose to start each day reflecting on something positive in their lives; many people choose this practice at the end of the day, reflecting on the day. Whatever and whenever you decide to do this practice, it is an investment in yourself and represents time well spent.

I invite you try this simple exercise right now. Take a moment right now and take out a piece of paper, your journal, an electronic note app on your phone, or whatever method of recording this exercise that works for you. Respond to and complete the following exercise:

Three things that I am feeling grateful about right now are: 

1)

2) 

3)

Now that you have completed the exercise, I’d like for you to reflect on what you just did. How was this exercise for you? How was it to identify these three things? What has stood out for you from completing this exercise?

I, too, will now list three things that I am grateful for right now.

1) I am grateful that you have decided to open yourself up to this exercise and to the practice of gratitude. Regardless of whether you’ve already been intentionally practicing gratitude for a while or whether this blog post has inspired a something new for you, I’m grateful that you are here. Your openness to the practice will help lead you on your way.

2) I am grateful that I decided to write this post. While I can’t say enough about this topic, I am grateful that I have cleared the time and the space to get some of it out here in this post.

3) I am grateful for the love and support I feel around me.

And I would be so grateful if you would share this blog post with a friend. If you would like a PDF of this exercise emailed to you, click here. If you are comfortable doing so, I would also love to hear about how this exercise was for you today. Is gratitude journaling currently a regular practice for you? If not, might it become one?

- Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write.Reflect.Grow.

Reflecting on the need for self-care in caregivers

Though my work as a clinical psychologist, I often have the privilege of supporting family caregivers as they are on their caregiving journey. One of the things that often comes up in our work together, whether in therapy or though discussion in a caregiving group, is reflecting on how the caregiving process has affected them, the role it has had on their relationships and on their identity, and their need for ongoing self-care.

The need for self care in caregivers can not be understated. Sometimes the challenge many caregivers face is recognizing that it is OK to make the need for self-care a priority, and that it is healthy to make this need a priority. I have elaborated on this topic elsewhere, and I’ll share what I have written and shared in radio interviews should these suggestions be useful.

Acknowledging that these needs ARE important, and taking action on those needs can make a significant difference in the lives of the caregiver which ultimately do impact how they are giving care. Understanding the impact of tough emotions, including guilt. For example, guilt around doing something for yourself that may seem frivolous or take you away from where you feel you are needed. Guilt can keep you feeling stuck and result in hindering how you take care of yourself. So it is important to notice your emotions related to caregiving and the impact that they may be having on so many other things.

I would encourage caregivers to ask themselves these questions, and take the time to answer them. reflect on your answers, perhaps by journaling about them. Consider these questions:

What does self-care look like to me right now?

How can I honor myself and my needs today?

Finally, I invite all who are interested in further reflection and support to take some time for yourself to reflect. For caregivers local to Rye, NY, I will be running a caregiver self-care program on Friday, December 13th at 11am with a warm community of caregivers, and for those in Fairfield County, CT, I will lead a similar program on Wednesday December 18th.

For all caregivers, regardless of where you are, if you are interested, I invite you to listen to these three guided reflections for caregivers and caregiver stress that I have created for the app, Simple Habit.

However you engage in self-care that honors you, may you enjoy and appreciate doing so! Whether it’s now, during National Family Caregiver’s Month (the month we are currently in), or whenever you need.

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow.

www.writereflectgrow.com

Lessons learned from a journaling workshop

One way to navigate adventures and challenges is to record experiences, emotions, and reflections in a journal. 

In my clinical practice, many of my clients bring some insights from journaling into therapy, or they use journals to continue the work that they have started in therapy. The value of journaling as a therapeutic tool can not be overstated.

Many others, I’ve noticed, do not journal, but are curious about journaling. They want to understand what journaling really is, what it can do for them, and how to do it. This is exactly why I have created journaling workshops.

Spoiler: the workshops are a success.

Read on to hear what workshop attendees say about their experiences. I’m sharing what some workshop attendees have shared about participating in an evidence-based workshop series I’ve developed for individuals diagnosed with cancer. I have now run this three-part workshop series with three cohorts since March, 2019, at a community-based oncology setting.

The workshop, complete with exercises and homework, focuses on: 

• Emotional and physical health benefits of journaling

• Cultivating a journaling habits

• Identifying barriers and motivators for journaling to help sustain a journaling practice

My purpose in creating this workshop was to help individuals diagnosed with cancer process the emotional experience of cancer, record personal journeys, and connect with others. My objectives have been realized and expectations have been exceeded.

In their words, they will described some lessons learned in response to a few open-ended questions:

Were your goals met? How were they met or not met?

“My goal was to establish a regular journaling habit. I’m so busy that I put journaling off, but I do enjoy it and this class has helped.”

“My goals were met by using the tools and resources provided to ease my anxiety”

“My goal was to get started with journaling. I tend to keep my thoughts inside and want to leave some notes or thoughts for my family. I had a slow start but I’m getting there.”

“My goal was to try to write a journal about my feelings. I tried hard but I really need to work harder on this.”

“Journal prompts and gratitude focus allows for easy-to-recollect subject matter.”

“My goals were met by the content of the workshop”

“I feel that my goals were met. My confidence in my writing has grown.”

“My goals were exceeded. It was a great experience and I have new tools and processes to help me in the days ahead.”

“I gained insights about where I want to go and how I might accomplish that.”

“I wanted to learn the process of keeping a journal. Yes, goals were met and Dr. Amsellem did an excellent job waking and talking and listening to us throughout the process.”

The next question that attendees had responded to that I want to highlight is related to the unexpected benefits that they received from participation. Here is what they said, in their own words:

Were there unexpected benefits from attending the workshop?

“Sharing experiences and realizing that we all have our struggles.”

“To meet the people and hear some of their stories.”

“Just recognizing the effort it takes to ‘show up’.”

“I drew a positive attitude and emotions from others.”

“What came out of personal reflection, the creative process, and group interaction”

“That I actually want to journal. I was a bit apprehensive about that!”

“The support from the group” 

“I got to deal with some issues that surprised me and gained some insights on what really can work for me.”

“Learning what other cancer patients are currently dealing with and how they approach each day with a positive mindset.”

As suggested here, workshop outcomes are overwhelmingly positive. Most notably, every participant has completed the workshop with a greater sense of community and shared experience, and this happened because they had opened themselves up to the experience of trying something new.

I have recently shared a more thorough account of findings with oncology professionals and healers at an international conference. I have plans to continue this workshop in its current setting and to share it with an even larger audience in the future. Please do stay tuned! Also, I invite you to subscribe for updates so you’ll be in-the-know!

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write.Reflect.Grow.