The Five W’s & an ‘H’

THE FIVE W’s AND AN ‘H’

How is it December… already?

As we head into the final month of 2022, it automatically feels like a time of reflection. Naturally, a Journal is a perfect place for you to write about the year you’ve just been through and reflect on the positive and negative aspects (well, I would say that wouldn’t I?). Equally, with the Christmas holiday season looming, our minds start to think forward, towards the New Year too.

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!

I know that we shouldn’t fixate on making changes ONLY at the beginning of a New Year, but it does feel like a natural segue. Personally, I’m making some BIG changes and I’ve been writing about that a lot in my journal.

I’m excited about most of my changes, so writing about that has really lifted my mood. Of course, there’s a little bit of anxiety involved too. What I’ve also found that by writing about this, the will to put my plans in to place sooner rather than later, are quite frustrating; I just wanna get going. I’ve also been writing about what it’s going to feel like living in my new home (yes, I’m moving, AGAIN, aarrgghh!) and exploring my new surroundings on morning walks and bike rides.

RANGE OF EMOTIONS

This is where Journaling really comes into its own. Look at the range of emotions I’m going through currently, both positive and negative.

• Excitement – at the move
• Anxiety – about what it’s?actually?going to be like
• Frustration – wanting to act NOW and not having to wait, patiently
• Angst – at?another?house move and ALL that involves
• Exploration & Discovery – of my new surroundings

THE FIVE W’s AND AN ‘H’

For me, Journaling really is about exploring all these different factors. If you throw in a few questions starting with the 5 W’s and an H, you’ll likely find all the answers you’re looking for – WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY & HOW?

Under these circumstances, I might currently be asking myself the questions…

• Who?are the people around me that are being affected by this, including myself?
• What?can I do about it? (I’m big on only controlling the controllables)
• Where?is this taking me (not just physically)?
• When?should I do something about this?
• Why?is this making me feel the way I do? (Also, WHY am I doing this?)
• How?is this going to affect me and those around me?

GETTING STUCK

Sometimes, people tell me that they struggle to know what to write when Journaling. I don’t want to be flippant about this… but I rarely struggle, and that’s probably because this stuff is ingrained in me now. My aim is to get it ingrained in you too.

By having this 5 W’s & an H standing by, you can ALWAYS ask yourself at least six questions about the current situation you find yourself in, and by answering those questions, the solutions, or at the very least, some clarity as to why you’re feeling the way you do, will come flooding out.

Happy Journaling friends!