Dear Lovely,
I wrote to you after returning from Paris in September and told you about the journaling class I took in the Tuileries, with one of the prompts we were given being a 5 Senses Journaling prompt. It’s a very simple concept requiring just to write what you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel in that moment; it’s so simple, in fact, one might dismiss how powerful it can be. Here is what I said about 5 Senses Journaling in that post:
If you are new to journaling and you have a desire to try it, let this be your first exercise. Sit somewhere quiet and take yourself through the five senses. It is an excellent way to become present in the moment and leave behind the coating of numbness that modern life brings. (FYI: My favorite journals are Moleskin, but you use whatever you want. And since we’re on the topic of favorites, these are my favorite pens.)
It was my goal to do this every day for the month of October, and now that we are almost done, I want to share with you what I learned from completing this task every day. This is in no particular order.
) Journaling for me is best done first thing in the morning, prior to anyone else being awake. As a mother, I feel a large responsibility in the mornings to help my people get to where they need to go with all their things. If I don’t get up before my people, then I can hear them banging around while I’m trying to journal, and I just keep getting distracted. My alarm goes off at 5:00 am, and I have about an hour to make some matcha and journal before the others start shuffling around.
) Activating the 5 senses was an excellent way to bring me back into myself, inspite of distractions from life, social media, or a dinging cell phone. I hate to say this, but so often, I find myself a million miles away. My thoughts get lost in an anxiety that I’m facing, the false world of social media, constant political texts and phone calls, the to-do list for that day that keeps stretching, pressure due to something I’m procrastinating, and all the while, I get further and further from myself. Taking a minute to be quiet, and to notice how my senses are experiencing that moment is like re-registering your existence.
) Coming back to myself from journaling is the perfect conduit to entering my quiet time with Jesus. When I looked back at my journal entries over the past month, so many of them immediately led into journaling prayers and ended in amen. It can be difficult to sit down and immediately be in a spiritual posture to spend time in prayer or in Scripture; like I said before, often times I’m a million miles away. 5 Senses Journaling corrects that, and I’m so thankful that I learned this tool over the past month.
) Believe this or not, I am a messy person. Very messy, in fact. Every year that I’ve been alive as a grown adult, I’ve attempted to improve my messiness, but the truth is, there are some things that I’ve just decided to accept, and being a bit messy is one of them.
Being messy doesn’t end with being prone to clutter in my home. My brain is also messy. Chaotic may be a better word, and I end up constantly using journals to write down thoughts, to-do lists, prayers, or goals. When I sit down to work on my computer, I need a journal (or even just a piece of paper) sitting beside me because typically, some bit of information pops into my brain that I fear will leave soon, so I jot it down to help me remember. Because of this, I have a habit of having several different journals going at the same time, and I just use whatever one I can find to journal in that day.
All this to say, when it comes to making a habit to journal, accept what works for you. If you need one journal to hold each of your daily entries, then do that. If you need several to leave around your house, plus one in your handbag, that works too. If you need to set an alarm to remind you, cool. If a cute journal makes it more fun, I see you. If you prefer to draw your journal entries with markets, love it! My point is, do what you need to do to make this habit accessible. There are no rules other than to do it.
) Recognize and journal your 5 senses whenever you need it. Yes, I journal in the morning to start my day and get myself in a good posture for my quiet time. But friends, I’ve also decided to use this practice to help me shift into the next task. I wear a lot of hats over here. Any and all these tasks could be part of my day:
create an email
work on my novel
write 2-3 blog posts
make dinner
assess SEO and Google Analytics
curate fashion collections with links
photograph multiple shoots/subjects
edit photography
zoom call with publishers
correspond with graphic designer
listen and provide feedback for my audio book
As you can see, my brain has to transition from several different topics throughout the day, and to be honest, that is not easy for me. Taking a moment to register what my 5 senses are experiencing truly has helped me transition from one topic to the next with greater ease.
6.) Journaling outside (en plein air) brings a beautiful element to your journaling practice. It allows you to notice God’s creation, experience sunshine, birds, skies, grass, trees, and neighbors. It gives you lots of things to notice and bring into your consciousness instead of ignoring them disappearing into the background of everyday noise. Anytime I’m not able to journal first thing in the morning before my people wake up, I’ve made it a point to sit outside and journal once everyone is off to school/work.
All in all, these are simple discoveries that can make effectual changes in your day and in your mindset. Best wishes in all your journaling.
Feeling a little blue? Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference. Discover 9 simple ways to lift your mood and turn a difficult day around. From practicing gratitude and getting creative to changing your scenery, listening to music, and performing small acts of kindness, these everyday mood boosters offer a little encouragement for living more joyfully and intentionally. A gentle reminder that even an ordinary day can hold something beautiful.