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Picking up a new habit is hard for anyone, let alone a family caregiver who’s got an endless list of chores to manage between the elderly care-recipient and their own lives.
Starting with a little self-compassion, let’s look at what it takes to really keep writing a journal amidst 1,000 other tasks to do beside yourself.
Today I wanted to cover the reason why caregivers try (and often fail) to write a daily journal, as an exercise in self-care and self-empowerment.
I want to highlight common types of journals a caregiver might want to try. If you’ve tried and failed before to become a caregiver who regularly journals, try journaling in a new way. I’ll give you a few noteworthy options from which other caregivers have found meaning.
Remember why we’re doing this. Keeping a journal has marked benefits on a caregiver’s quality of life - if you can stick with it.
These are three of the most common reasons why people start journaling. Applied to the lifestyle of a caregiver, where personal emotions, interpersonal behavior, and overall family dynamica come into play, where healthcare, medication, and doctor visits collide with regular house maintenance, financial upkeep, and external responsibilities, keeping track of information that’s important to you has far reaching benefits.
A journal is a tool for caregivers to help themselves align daily actions with steadfast purpose.
If you prefer to write by hand, hundreds of journals are designed for caregivers, ranging from personal self-care to medical healthcare of the care-recipient. We’re focused on feeding the soul today, so I’m talking about paperback or hardback notebook caregiver journals #ad you can handwrite in.
In general, journaling is a routine held by people who consider it a positive habit. People tend to recommend the solution they’ve found because it’s what they understand best.
Look deeper at what you’re really trying to achieve by writing a regular caregiver journal, and you might find another creative way you could “journal your way”.
The photo journal is an especially easy way to start a journal for the pessimistic caregiver. It doesn’t take much effort with a smart phone in hand, and it stays on your phone where you’ll naturally find it again.
The gratitude journal is a common recommended journal format to build long-term resistance in face of the at-home challenges of family caregiving. Towards a more sustained and better mood that can improve your life satisfaction.
The daily schedule journal is the most practical way to sharpen the saw with pen and paper (or apps). Running a home while nurturing the family can feel more serene when everything falls into its scheduled place. That happens when you prioritize what’s important to serve yourself so that you can sustain to serve your family. That’s your current role.
The goal tracker journal is a way to think with the end in mind - in a good way. Your life is what it is now, but you can plan to take steps towards a life more like the one you want. The key is to take small steps over time. Put down some milestones and track step-by-step towards each accomplishment.
The exercise journal is a straightforward approach to get the exercise that supports both physical and emotional health. It’s difficult to gain the motivation to go out for a walk, but keeping a journal of when you do (and how you feel about yourself and your life afterwards) establishes strong evidence to support physical exercise as a caregiver self-care essential.
The nature journal getting out into the great outdoors, even if that’s just a walk around the block or sitting outside in the sunshine or indoor gardening, is a reason to mark down the unique detail you noticed in nature today, and a fantastic way to reconnect with roots.
The hobby journal is a wildcard for whichever activity you particularly enjoy. Whether you seek to improve your skill, broaden your collection, increase your knowledge, or spend more time doing the hobby because it fills you up - journaling it is a great reminder of the good times when you were serving your most personal curiosities.
