The Power of Journaling

“Respond from the center of the hurricane, rather than reacting from the chaos of the storm.”

- George Mumford

Welcome to the end of 2020, a year that has been extremely difficult for everyone. When the pandemic first hit, I was living in Atlanta and had just flown to Dallas for work. As I sat at a restaurant with a friend, the news broke that the NBA season was being canceled due to players testing positive for the virus. As I am a lifelong athlete and sports fan, this blew my mind and signaled the beginning of an unbelievable shift in life as we knew it. 

At what would have been the end of my Dallas trip, I canceled my flight, stayed with friends for a few extra days as the impact on Texas unfolded, and ultimately drove back to Georgia to self-quarantine. While in Georgia, knowing the impact that our bodies and minds constantly have on each other, I set a goal to hit 15,000 steps every day that the weather would permit. I felt that impact more profoundly than ever during the first few months of the pandemic, as I started looking forward to walking in nature and doing yoga to calm my mind and body in such a stressful, painful time. 

Another practice that has helped me throughout the pandemic is writing in a loosely structured journal. Reflecting on what I am grateful for and what I am looking forward to reminds me to pay attention to small wins and blessings in each moment. 

To share these strategies with others, I wrote my own journal - combining mind-body prompts, self-reflection, and gratitude - strategies that have helped me throughout the pandemic. I am so excited to share the Mind-Body Journal with you, and I will start on this three-month journey in January! If you would like to join me, click here to purchase your own journal, and if you want one-on-one support for setting goals, shoot me a quick note at katie@levelupathlete.com. 

For further reading, check out these tips for setting goals, the back to the future planning process, and mind-body strategies to navigate stress. 

Your Teammate, 

Katie