A Journaling Template, Beating the Post-Holiday Blues and Living for the Now
You'll find some useful info inside!
Hello there, you beautiful thing! š
Welcome to this weekās newsletter, where Iāll be sharing an easy template for journaling beginners, some advice on post-holiday blues and my thoughts on surviving the rest of the year.
Letās get started!
š An Easy-to-Follow Journaling Template
As many of you know, my day job is copywriting. In a few days, Iāll be writing an article about the benefits of journaling. Iām so excited to write the article that Iāve already started doing some research for it because I am a strong believer in the power of journaling.
Here are just some of the benefits of journaling:
ā Itās a safe space for you to express however youāre feeling without being judged.
ā Itās the perfect place to process your emotions and let everything out.
ā Youāll feel so much better once youāve written everything downātrust me!
ā It improves your overall mental health.
ā It can boost your self-confidence and even your emotional intelligence.
ā It inspires creativity, improves memory, and enhances critical thinking skills.
If those arenāt some really good reasons to pick up a pen and notebook, I donāt know what are!
However, I know that if youāre new to journaling or itās been a while since you last tried it out, it can be daunting. Thatās why I use a template each day for my journaling; it makes it more structuredāwhich is why I call it structured journaling (Iām not sure if Iām the first person to come up with the term or if it refers to something else).
Hereās my template:
ā”ļø Today/tonight I feel⦠(list however many emotions you feel).
ā”ļø Today/tonight, I am worried/stressed/anxious about⦠(list one thing).
ā”ļø Today/tonight, I am grateful for⦠(list five things).
ā”ļø Today/tonight, I am proud of myself for (list three things).
ā”ļø Today/tomorrowās focus (list one thing).
If you want to go into even more detail, you can list things like:
ā”ļø What are todayās wins? This is if youāre writing in your journal at the end of the day.
ā”ļø Your glimmer (the opposite of a trigger) for the day. Itās one tiny moment or thing that made you happy. The more you look for glimmers, the more youāll see.
ā”ļø What went well today?
With a template like this, itās quick to sit down and fill out your page for the day. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
ā
ļø What Worked for Me When I Had the Post-Holiday Blues
I recently had a four-day break from work, and it was amazing! I made so many new memories and had a total blast. But by the end of the last day of my holiday, I started feeling so down. This feeling bled into my first day back at work, and āblueā doesnāt describe how I felt.
So, like I always do, I turned to the internet and searched for solutions. I found loads of articles listing different things you can do to combat post-vacation depression, but nothing really stood out to me.
However, I did stumble across one small tip, tried it out and found that it helped. The tip was to declutter one small space in your home.
So, I made myself a cup of coffee (which always helps when Iām feeling low), put in my earphones, blasted some nostalgic tunes and decided I was going to tidy my office. I wiped down all the surfaces, organised my heap of stationery and rearranged a couple of things.Ā
This simple act made me feelĀ soĀ much better! I canāt tell you why or how it worked for me, but it did. You donāt have to declutter an entire room or reorganise your whole house. Just do something small.Ā
Next on my decluttering list is my āeverythingā cupboard (I know you have one, too š)!
šØ Ugh, I Have No Leave Left!
Last year, I had serious spinal surgery and flew through my three yearsā worth of sick leave in just a few weeks of recovery time. The company I work for is nice enough to let me use my annual leave when Iām sick these days until my sick leave renews in a year. But that means I donāt have a lot of leave left this time of year because Iāve been sick, etc.
But I know it isnāt only me. After the September public holiday, most people donāt take leave until December. Itās one big push until the end!
Iāve been giving some thought to how Iām going to survive this time, especially seeing as December is the craziest month where I work.
Leave always gives me something to look forward to, even if itās months away. Now that I donāt have any ahead of me for a while, Iāve been feeling kind of lost and sad.
I know they say you shouldnāt live for Friday, for the weekend, for the end of the year. But letās be honest, we do.
So, now itās about changing my mindset. Iām going to try this new thing where I spend my mornings grateful that Iāve been given the gift of another day and focusing on living the day ahead of me rather than thinking long-term. Iām not sure if itās going to work, but Iām going to give it my best shot.
Do you have any advice on āliving in the nowā? Let me know in the comments!
š» Some Inspo for the Week



Those are all my thoughts for the week! I hope youāre enjoying these little monologues; I really have fun putting them together.
Hereās to living in the now!
Cass
Thanks for your insights and tips I find them really usefulš«¶š¼