I hate journaling. And I am being completely honest. I find it annoying. But here is the thing about journaling. It’s a discipline. It’s about accountability. Accountability to me, to you, and it can be extremely beneficial in establishing patterns of habit, of why things go wrong on certain days, at certain times of the month or of the day and with certain foods etc. 

Change is not easy, in any shape or form. And that coming from me, who LOVES change, is a statement in itself. When we want to change our lives, its so important to document what we go through every day, so that we can look back and either “take a bow” or make improvements for further change. Journaling is about a habit. Just like every other habit, good or bad we have developed over our lives, journaling is simply just another good habit to form for ourselves. 

So, how do I journal about my health? Well, on a daily basis, I was forced by a coach to record my fasting blood sugar, my blood pressure, my exercise and my weight (weekly). Because I am on insulin, I also record by pre and post prandial blood glucose, and the dosage of insulin I have taken for that meal. If no insulin is taken, I will write that down as well. On top of all the numbers to record, I found it extremely beneficial to record, feelings, emotions, activities, frustrations, even things like the colour of my tongue! I found that this daily journal of my health, helps me to organise my thoughts, particularly around my health and makes them apprehensible.  I am now able to set small goals and it explains my stress levels, because I can go back and see how my blood sugar behaved when I was feeling a certain way. I can also self-reflect and implement further changes to ensure the “bad habits” does not happen again. 

We always preach about taking time for ourselves. Journaling offers us exactly that. You don’t have to spend more than 30 minutes a day reflecting on how you day went, what you ate and what your blood sugar was. Or even better still, a simple note in the moment is even better. 

So, get yourself a beautiful book, because after all, you are beautiful. And start journaling!