A Simple Journaling Exercise To Start Your Morning That Takes 5 Minutes
A Simple Journaling Exercise To Start Your Morning That Takes 5 Minutes… that’s a buzzword title if I’ve ever seen one ; ).
I’ve been practicing this exercise for the past few weeks — as recommended by my Spiritual Director, + I must say: I love it, AND it’s so simple. Here’s what you do…
In the morning [doesn’t matter specifically when… whatever’s best for your schedule!], close your eyes + reflect on your previous day. Run through your day as best you can, like your watching a video of yourself. Then ask yourself:
#1] How was I the most loving?
#2] How was I the least loving?
The first time my Spiritual Director guided me through this exercise, I had a hard time even remembering what I did the day before… it took me a bit, but then I started going through my day + found a lot of “loving” moments. I named them.
I decided my most loving moment was during a conversation with Isaac — I felt particularly open + supportive… it felt really good. Then, I started to think about when I was the least loving… my mind keep searching for moments, + it took me like 5 minutes to finally say, “I’m not sure. Yesterday was a really good day. I think I was the least loving to myself in the morning when I felt rushed, + a little bit of anxiety started to seep in.”
He laughed + said: “That’s perfect. For the most part you aren’t going to have an obvious unloving action (like: you didn’t commit a murder, you didn’t rob a bank, etc)… it’s all about the subtle feelings. We are always growing closer or further away from our highest self. Once we are aware of our subtle feelings, we are able to shift.”
It all comes down to awareness! Always! While this exercise can certainly be done in the evening, it’s best in the morning because.. A) It’s a good memory exercise! ; ) + B) It helps give you an intention for the rest of your day! You’ll notice that since you are aware of your most *unloving* feeling/action from the day before — you’ll be less likely to repeat it, + it gives you some data to work with [example: I realized I was trying to do too much that morning, hence the feeling of overwhelm/anxiety… rather than prioritizing what was necessary].
Try this exercise for a week + see if you like it! Would love to hear what you think : ). I’m a fan!
Rooting for you always,
