How to Journal: 6 Proven Methods to Help You Get Started

From yourmoneygeek.com

Journaling is at the top of many self-care lists, and for good reason. Getting your thoughts out on paper can do wonders for your mental health and help you stay organized.

Learning how to journal isn’t always as simple as it seems, though. To get started, you will need to identify your reasons for starting a journal and what you hope to accomplish during your journey.

People keep journals for almost anything you can think of. The most common reasons for journaling are self-care, self-discovery, and memory keeping, but people also keep journals to keep track of their ideas and progress.

People use art journals to sketch out painting ideas, travel journals to memorialize their adventures, food journals to keep track of their diets, and various other journals for many reasons. Many people often keep more than one type of journal and use different ones for different needs.

One of the most common types of journals, and one that has hit the mainstream in a big way, is a bullet journal.

What is a Bullet Journal?

A bullet journal is designed to be a cross between your typical journal and a planner. While a standard journal is a book that contains lined pages for writing, a bullet journal contains pages filled with tiny dots, or bullets, arranged in a grid.

The point of a bullet journal is that users can design it to be whatever they want it to be. The grid layout makes it easy to draw out rectangles for planners, squares for checklists, and anything else you might need.

How Do I Use a Bullet Journal?

A bullet journal requires some creativity. The first step to creating your perfect bullet journal is to know what you want to get out of it. Are you using it for note-taking and planning? Do you want to have a section set aside for a daily food diary? Do you need space for a to-do list?

The advantage of a bullet journal is that you get to design your journal pages to meet any need that you want. The blank pages are blank slates, just waiting for you to draw out the perfect page for your journal entries.

What Other Types of Journals are There?

Bullet journals aren’t for everyone. Some folks prefer to keep their planners and journals separate, and others don’t want to design their own journals. The great thing about journaling is that there is something available to meet everyone’s needs.

If you want to keep a journal to sketch out art ideas or jot down your creative thoughts, you can get an art journal. Like a sketch pad, these journals have blank pages that let you use the space however you deem fit. The pages in an art journal are generally a little thicker, which allows you to experiment with mixed media art right in the journal without destroying the pages.

There are also traditional journals filled with lined pages. These journals are designed for writing, but you can use them to write whatever you want. A general, lined journal is an all-purpose journal. You can use it to write your thoughts and feelings, for mindfulness, to practice expressive writing, or even to complete writing exercises. It’s intended to be a one-size-fits-all journal that meets most people’s needs.

However, many people want a journal that’s designed specifically for a specific topic. If this describes you, you’re in luck because there are many journals available for various topics. Usually, these journals also include short prompts and writing ideas related to the topic.

You can get a gratitude journal that prompts you to write things you are thankful for, a travel journal that prompts you to make lists of your bucket list destinations, a dream journal that helps you remember to write down your nightly adventures, or a food journal that helps you count calories or keep track of reactions.

These specific journals are designed to inspire you to write about the most important topics to you. Everyone’s reasons for keeping a journal are different, and the different types of journals help address these different needs.

How Do I Start Writing a Journal?

Learning how to journal isn’t as easy as it seems. It sounds simple to grab a journal and start writing, but it’s not that easy.

The first step is choosing the journal that’s right for you. Determine why you wanted to journal in the first place and get a journal designed for that specific need. If you aren’t sure, you can go with the traditional lined journal and start from there. You can even get started with a simple notebook. All you need to journal your thoughts is pen and paper. However, choosing a journal that speaks to you will motivate you to write in it.

The next step is to make journaling a habit. Journal every day, even if just for five minutes. The important thing is that you write something down, no matter what it is or how trivial it seems. Getting into the practice of picking up your journal first thing in the morning will help you create a daily journaling habit. Building this habit is key to learning how to journal.

What Should I Write in My Journal?

Your fancy new leather-bound journal just arrived at your front door. You rip open the box and excitedly pull it out, then head to your cosy writing alcove. With pen in hand, you open your journal to the first page and put pen to paper.

Nothing happens. Your mind is blank. You’d think that ideas would flow through you, but you’re stuck. What should you write?

Here are a few ideas and journaling tips that will help you get started.

Brain Dump

Start with a simple brain dump. Transfer all of the information from your brain into your journal. Not only will this help you untangle your mind, but it will also give you a starting point for your journaling adventure. Use it to create your to-do list, jot down important tasks, and remember important dates.

Brain dumps are great tools for organizing your thoughts and clearing your mind of clutter. If you are journaling to improve your productivity, this might be a great way to start.

Self-Care

Journaling for self-care can help you feel better about yourself and your situation. It can make you happier and lift your spirits to put you in a better mood. But on the other end of the spectrum, it can also help you explore any negative thoughts you have and even help you sort through past trauma.

When journaling for self-care, try starting with gratitude. Write down three things you are thankful for. You might be surprised to find that simply acknowledging the good things you have in your life and writing them down can do wonders for your well-being. Next, set intentions for how you want your day to go. Follow up at the end of the day by reflecting upon the things you’ve accomplished.

After you’ve gotten comfortable addressing the positive parts of your life, you can explore journaling for cathartic reasons. That is still self-care, but now we dive into the negative emotions we experience and maybe even reflect upon traumatic experiences. Write down your thoughts, even the negative ones, and explore the reasons why you have them.

Face your inner critic and be honest with yourself about why you feel the way you do. Being mindful of your negative thoughts and emotions can help you overcome them, and writing them down in a journal is a great way to do that.

Free Writing

Freewriting is an entirely different type of journaling experience.  It’s the process of putting pen to paper and writing whatever pops into your head, whether it be a story idea, a to-do list, how you feel, or anything else. In short, it’s writing directly from a stream of consciousness.

Journal writing doesn’t have to have any structure to it at all. When you are freewriting, don’t worry about grammar, coherent thoughts, or that you are jumping from one topic to another without any transitions. Let the words flow through you however they choose to. You may be surprised by what you come up with.

Journal Prompts

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with your journaling ideas. If that’s the case, consider using journaling prompts. Prompts are short questions designed to give you a little push in a particular direction to help you start writing.

There are all sorts of journal prompts available. Some are designed for self-reflection, and others are made to help you express yourself. Others still are just silly ideas designed to make journal writing fun. Many ask you to write a letter to your former self at a certain age or to describe an event that happened at a given time.

Some make you think about the world in different ways, asking you to use a different sense to experience the world, like what does the colour red feel like? You can purchase a list of prompts on places like Etsy and then write the answers in your journal each day.

Self-Discovery

Although journal prompts can help with self-discovery, you don’t need to use them. Many people use their journals for introspection and personal growth. Finding yourself is a huge part of journaling, whether that be discovering what you are passionate about, identifying the root of your fears or anxiety, or understanding why you behave the way you do in certain situations.

Writing out your thoughts, feelings, and emotions when they are fresh can give you deep insight into your psyche and help you discover who you are.

Creative Writing

Journaling can be a great way to enhance your creative writing skills. Use the pages to write a poem, start a story, or design your characters. The pages of a journal are a blank slate that you can use to write down all of your story starters and ideas!

If you are having trouble starting, you can use creative writing prompts. Like journal prompts, these are designed to give you a little boost and help you get started. But creative writing prompts are designed for fiction, whereas journaling prompts tend to be questions about yourself. Either way, using a prompt is a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

What is the Difference Between a Journal and a Diary?

There is no official difference between a diary and a journal. In my opinion, a diary is a specific type of journal, one that is generally used for memory keeping. Diary entries usually outline specific events that happened. A food diary outlines the specific things that a person ate, and a traditional diary is a memoir. However, this definition is subjective, and many people use the two terms interchangeably.

Build Your Journaling Habit!

Now that you know how to journal, it’s time to make it a habit. Make journaling part of your daily ritual. Write every day to build it into a routine and make it become second nature to you. You will be amazed at how much better you feel about yourself and your life when you start journaling every day. So what are you waiting for? Grab your journal and start writing!

https://yourmoneygeek.com/how-to-journal/

A cancer diary: Up to date without a conclusion

From edp24.co.uk

Back in 2019, north Norfolk photojournalist Maurice Gray shared his cancer diary with us.

Three years on from his original diagnosis, he’s been bringing us up to date with a series of features about his treatment for the ‘big C’. 

I am writing this instalment in my diary while having treatment, in the Weybourne Day Unit, at the Colney Centre at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, which brings me to the end of the first year of my ‘maintenance’, two-year planned programme. (It sounds mechanical!).  

I will then be booked for a scan to see how I am getting on and the results will determine my next year of treatment. 

I have kept an up-to-date diary while receiving my treatment after being diagnosed just over three years ago and kept as much detail, from day to day, as I could.  

Maurice Gray, who has been sharing his diary from his cancer treatment with us  Credit: Maurice Gray

With my wife, Margaret, we were determined to fight cancer from the time we contacted our GP, who spotted the signs while we sat in his surgery thinking that I must have a bad cold that brought out lumps in my neck and groin.  

But due to our GP’s vigilance, he was looking for more serious symptoms. “I need some blood”, he said (I thought, ‘don’t we all’), a sample he explained and added: “I’m making an appointment for an X-ray tomorrow”. 

My wife and I looked at each other saying, “Do you think it’s something more serious?”  

“Yes”, he said while tapping on his computer keys, then took a sample of my blood from my arm saying: “I’ve made appointments for an X-ray for you to go to Cromer hospital tomorrow.”  

Wow, we thought then, what’s next? 

An appointment came within days to be seen by an ENT (ear, nose and throat) consultant surgeon, and after examination, within 20 minutes a biopsy was taken.

The diagnosis eventually came back as Non-Hodgkin Follicular Lymphoma, Stage 3 Grade 2. Difficult to remember, but it’s a ‘bloody’ cancer. 

I was then referred to the fantastic haematology team in the Colney Centre where The Professor explained the chemotherapy suitable for me, to control the cancer.  

He mentioned that this particular cancer cannot be completely cured and would be likely to come back (a worrying thought). But he said: ‘If you don’t have treatment now the situation would be very serious.” 

Anyway, we logged everything, including the helpful and kind reception staff, nurses caring with a smile, doctors, consultants, surgeons, volunteers, and diagnostic staff who are all so caring too and devoted to their professions. 

We noted everything we experienced, as well as that of others in similar situations, finding those who were more than willing to explain how they coped, family and friends. 

We have made many visits to the Colney Centre, Weybourne Day Unit attached to one of the best hospitals, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, famous for its care, teaching and team work. It’s almost becoming a family on first name terms. 

During the three years, we met so many people, patients’ volunteers, doctors and we are both so very grateful to them all, including the hospital’s communications team headed by Janice. A big thank you for all their help. 

We also thank the EDP and Evening News for allowing us to publish our experiences during treatment as well as mentioning to readers and encouraging them to get checked out if they’re concerned about feeling ill and/or find any lumps and bumps. to contact their GP or medical centre as soon as possible because it saves lives.  

We have met lovely people, but in some cases, sadly their treatment came too late. That is why our gratitude extends to a very high level to all medical people involved in my care, keeping up with the hurdles but not jumping them: consultants, doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, chemists, those who deal with diagnostic imaging, secretaries who work their fingers off tapping the keys and solving problems, therapists, volunteers and many more personnel who work on the front line and often behind the scenes (have I missed anyone)? They all work very hard. 

We are very fortunate to have our NHS, thank goodness. I understand that the cost of my treatment to the NHS to date is well over £20,000, and rising. 

While being treated, during a period of three years, I said I would record as many procedures and conversations as I could and do some research about cancer and the great deal of information that comes out.  

Some stated very strongly about various suggestions, such as laughter producing ‘endorphins’ from the human brain, a substance very much like morphine - the body’s own type of anaesthesia/relaxant which helps human beings to sustain pain. 

There has also been research into the effect of intensive states of depression, of brief anger and/or fear on cancer. And there has also been research into the impact of creativity and how having hope, faith and love can contribute towards healing and wellbeing. 

A positive outlook is so important. So, go for laughter. Yet another good tip is that as we become older the memories seem to get lost, but we discovered by ‘humming’ favourite music/songs, once that settles in the brain, lyrics or words will come back. It could also help to avoid dementia and/or memory loss. 

So keep up the laughter and humming, of course!  

We picked up more good tips. For example exercise (not too heavy) is important and cutting down on the booze, which does not go well with medications.  

While using a bath or shower regularly, for hygienic reasons, you can exercise at the same time with just a single towel. Using both hands, after stepping out of the bath, hold on to each end of the towel and pull tight while drying back, front, and under the arches! 

We also mentioned a helping hand by using olive oil, cider vinegar and honey and don’t forget to eat  fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water. 

Here are two things to consider. Firstly chemotherapy. I had to accept that what goes in has to come out in some sort of way or other, but, once the cannula pumps the cocktail medications through the veins, which travel all round the body including the head and brain, this affects that area and I for one have experienced scrambled brain commonly known as ‘chemo brain’. 

Also the treatments often make me ‘pee ‘more, so I am always on the lookout for the vacant signs or find an alternative! 

I think by doing all of these things, it helped, along with my treatment, to keep me on the planet! And, Id like to give a big loving thank you to my wife, Margaret, who has certainly helped to keep me going, whilst continuing to deal with her own medical problem: an undiagnosed bone disease in her sacrum, complete with a large tumour on the inside of her sacrum, christened Charlie.  

To date, she is still undiagnosed and has to be scanned regularly to check on the condition.  

However, she continues, in spite of the pain, to carry on as normal and certainly looks after me. What a wonderful ‘nurse’ she is. 

Although cancers seem to get at us, as well as the plagues that are nibbling at us all causing worrying times, there are various improved equipment and better diagnostic techniques nowadays.  

Especially for checking and treating prostrate problems, which are less intrusive. But it is very important to check, with the GP, if in doubt.  

For the ladies, breast screening is more refined now and less uncomfortable. More procedures are quite simple and the robotic systems are taking over. 

All of us must press on, laughing and humming which keeps our endorphins going and throws some determination and creativity in. 

A very big thank you to all the haematology team who have looked after me, and I will be back later this year with the outcome of my scan after my first year of my two-year planned maintenance treatment. Fingers crossed it will be a good result. 

Bye for now! 

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/maurice-gray-cancer-diary-part-9-8132206

What can you do to improve your foreign language?

From raillynews.com

Knowing a foreign language has become a very important plus value today. In fact, knowing not only English but two or three languages ​​is considered ideal. Because, with the development of technology and communication networks both in business life and social life, contact with people in different countries has increased. The company you work with may have a foreign partner or staff, or it may be necessary to know a foreign language in order to shop and establish social relations while traveling abroad.

In addition to all these obligations, people can only be interested in any culture. In order to get to know that culture, he may want to learn the language spoken by that geography. At this point, for whatever reason, those who want to improve their foreign language can start to explore various ways.

So, what can those who want to improve their foreign language do? Here are the essential tips when learning a foreign language:

What can you do to improve your foreign language?

1. Watching TV Series & Movies in the Language You Want to Learn

We think that the most fun way to learn a language is to watch foreign series and movies. As you follow foreign series and movies, an ear familiarity develops in the language you want to learn. In addition, you have the chance to learn new words since you follow the movie or series with subtitles in the beginning period. You can write the newly learned words on small papers and paste them where you can see them often.

2. Changing the Phone Language

One of the most practical exercises you can do to improve your foreign language is to change the language of your phone. In this way, we can use smartphones, which are one of the tools we use most frequently, in a more beneficial way. Using a different language on the first day may seem strange, but we're sure you'll get used to it over time.

3. Following the Lyrics While Listening to Foreign Language Songs

Do you like listening to music in a foreign language? If you like it, you are lucky. You can discover beautiful songs about the language you are interested in and try to understand them with the words you learn. For this, you can also benefit from mobile applications where you can follow the lyrics of the music.

4. Keeping a Journal in a Foreign Language

Everyone says that the best way to learn a foreign language is to think in a foreign language. They are not wrong about this either. Thinking of sentences directly in a different language instead of translating your mother tongue into a foreign language speeds up the learning process. Therefore, keeping a diary in the language you want to learn can help you think in a foreign language and express daily events more easily.​ ​

5. Utilizing Foreign Language Development Applications

Today, there are many mobile applications for those who want to learn a foreign language. With mobile applications that you can easily access from your smartphone, you can learn new words and sentences without delaying your learning request. Let's list a few of the mobile applications you can use to learn a foreign language:

• Memrise
• Duolingo
• Busuu
• HelloTalk
• HiNative

6. Attending Online Trainings

Of course, everyone's language learning capacity and ability is different. But if you spend a little time each day learning a language, we're sure you'll see the difference. With online trainings, it is much easier to spend time in a foreign language and attend courses wherever you are. In this regard, you can benefit from the programs of various foreign language courses or foreign language development applications such as Cambly or Skype Tutors, which have many foreign instructors.

7. Researching Language Schools in the Related Country

Of course, going to language school requires a sufficient budget. If you can allocate such a budget for language learning, you can quickly start researching a language school in a country where the language you want to learn is spoken. Because the easiest way to learn a foreign language is to be with people who speak that language as a mother tongue.

Getting Started with Level 8 Books

Reading a book is also a very important element that expands the vocabulary. And for those who want to read a foreign language book, there are various levels in this regard. In the periods when you are just trying to learn the language, you can start with the books with low difficulty level and gradually increase the level in the following periods. Thus, as you see that you understand what you read, you can be even more motivated.

9. Finding Online Dating

As we said before, the fastest way to learn a language is to talk to strangers on a daily basis and even make friends with them. For this reason, you can get language friends from different countries via the internet and mobile applications. In this regard, you can take a look at applications such as Tandem and italki.

10. Following Foreign Social Media Accounts

Have you ever wondered how many hours a day you spend on social media? Many people now spend a lot of time on social media. If you use social media very often, you can turn an area where you spend so much time into an educational platform. You can follow the social media accounts in the language you want to learn and try to understand the explanations under the posts. This method will also come in handy for learning new words and phrases.

https://raillynews.com/2021/06/yabanci-dilinizi-gelistirmek-icin-neler-yapabilirsiniz/

5 wise and wonderful tips for getting the most out of writing a diary

From stylist.co.uk

Keeping a diary is a brilliant way to look after your mental health and document your memories. Liz Beardsell, who has written over 10,000 diary entries in her lifetime, shares her advice on how to make writing a diary work for you.

Writing about yourself is probably something you did as a child, scribbling down lists of your friends and filling notebooks with adolescent dramas. Thanks to the recent renaissance of journaling, adults are starting to write about their thoughts and feelings again, with many people starting a journal to help manage their mental health. 

Research is clear that writing about your inner thoughts recreationally can be extremely beneficial. One study led by The Royal College of Psychiatrists found writing expressively for 15 to 20 minutes a day over a four-month period lowered blood pressure and resulted in better liver functionality.

Sitting down to write about your feelings might seem intimidating, especially if you’re struggling with your mental health. That’s why the traditional act of diary writing, where you recount events that have happened in your day, can be an easier, more accessible way to create an account of your life that you can look back on. 

One woman who knows a thing or two about writing a diary is podcaster Liz Beardsell. She has kept a diary since she was 12 years old and, at the age of 39, has written over 10,000 diary entries over her lifetime.

“I was quite a shy child so writing a diary was a way for me to express myself,” says Liz. “I can’t remember life without it.”

Liz makes the most of her extensive diary collections in her podcast Diary, She Wrote, where she reads out her diary entries, telling stories about her relationships, friendships and her health. “My diary is like a secret story I’m telling to myself – it’s a real release,” Liz says.

 “Writing a diary has really benefited my mental health because it means I process everything as it happens,” Liz says, adding that another key benefit of writing a diary is that “it gives you a time capsule of your life.”

Now lockdown is starting to lift and we can make new memories out in the world again, it feels more important than ever to document them. Here’s Liz’s advice on how to get the most out of using a diary and becoming consistent with it.

Liz’s advice for getting the most out of keeping a diary

Handwrite your diary, if you can 

The way you write your diary is totally down to you. You could type up your entries in a word doc or use an online diary tool like Penzu. Or, use the old fashioned method of handwriting your entries like Liz, who says that buying herself a new notebook and pen feels like a form of self-care.

“Handwriting slows your brain down more than tapping away at a keyboard,” Liz adds. “When you hit the letters on your keyboard, you’re not necessarily thinking the words through, so handwriting allows me to connect with what I’m writing more.” 

Zoom in on details in your day 

If you’ve spent the day working from home with minimal plans, you might feel like you have nothing to note down in your diary. But, Liz says you should still try and write something every day because you never know where your thoughts might lead. 

“What I’ve found through my podcast, is that capturing tiny details throughout my day is actually what helps differentiate one day from another when I’m looking back,” says Liz, advising that there’s no detail too small to explore.

Liz recommends beginning your diary entry from the very start of your day, but there’s no pressure to track your day from beginning to end. You can zoom in on particular details and events if they feel more interesting to you and explore how they made you feel.

Liz Beardsel has written over 10,000 diary entries over the past 27 years

Try to write a little every day 

While you’re getting into the routine of writing a diary, Liz says you only need to set aside as little as five minutes a day to write your entries. 

“You can even bullet point thoughts and descriptions of your day if this feels more manageable,” she says, explaining that once you’re in the routine of writing, you can work your way up to writing for longer periods.

Liz uses A5 notebooks for her diaries and usually writes for about 15 minutes at a time, filling a page per day. “There are days where something really exciting has happened and I look forward to writing in my diary, so I’ll go to bed an extra hour early to do it,” Liz says. “But there are also more boring days and I never feel the pressure to fill a page. Sometimes, it’s just a couple of sentences.”

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” is her advice. “If you haven’t got a lot to write, it doesn’t matter. There are going to be so many more interesting days in the future that you’ll be dying to write about.” 

Write alone and avoid distractions 

Because writing a diary is time you’re taking for yourself, Liz recommends being alone when you write. “Around 95% of the time I write my diary entries from bed on my own at the end of the day,” she says. She’s also written them from cafes and the beach when she’s been travelling.

The key thing is not where you are, but that you feel relaxed and comfortable. “It’s similar to meditation – you want to avoid any distractions to ensure it’s your own solo time,” Liz says.

Liz finds it best to write her diary entries at the end of the day because she can remember more clearly what has happened. But, if you’re more of a morning person, you could write your diary entry for the previous day in the mornings.

Another important thing when it comes to diary writing is not to put pressure on yourself to make your writing creative and impressive. “You just need to get thoughts out of your head and capture the moment, so don’t worry about your writing style,” says Liz. 

Read back your old entries 

Like most things, diary writing will come most naturally to you when it becomes a habit, so do try and keep up with it, even if you’re struggling to find the time or it’s not quite what you expected it to be just yet.

“I’ve been doing it so long that writing a diary is like brushing my teeth,” Liz continues. “If I stopped diary writing, I know I would feel anxious.”

One of the things that motivates Liz to be so consistent in keeping her diary entries up to date is that, if she doesn’t, her memories become blurred and she is keen to portray them as accurately as possible.

Liz recommends reading back your diary entries if you ever feel like giving it up. You’ll probably realise just how enjoyable it is to have them there and how much you can learn from them. “Reading back over my diary entries allows me to realise which people in my life make me feel my best and which people make me feel insecure,” Liz says. “You don’t necessarily tap into that in the moment.”

Writing about yourself on a daily basis isn’t for everyone, so Liz recommends trying it out for a month and then reading back your entries to reflect on how you’ve been feeling. You’ll also be able to see the effect writing a diary has had on your month. At this point, if it’s something that works for you, you’ll probably be able to see tangible benefits and be more motivated to continue.

https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/how-to-write-diary/533453

Money Diaries: A warehouse worker on €22K living and working in Dublin

From thejournal.ie

This week, our reader is working late shifts and managing health and wellbeing

WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on TheJournal.ie that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.

We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week.

Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a week. If you’re interested send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.

Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes, so let’s be kind.

Last time around, we heard from a finance company employee on €24K in Kildare. This week, a warehouse worker living in Dublin on €22K.

I’m a warehouse operative living in a studio apartment rented with my fiancee, am currently living and working in northwest Dublin city, arriving in Ireland just two years ago found myself having to focus away from a career and properly focusing on settling down in Ireland first.

I started working in distribution services about one and a half years ago, unfortunately, Covid hit Ireland and found myself having to postpone my university studies, and since then have focused on managing my expenses and investing as much as I can.

I get paid weekly, my expenses are primarily limited to basic necessities, such as rent and electricity, I try to avoid spending on things I do not need, used to be a member of a gym however due to the current restrictions resigned myself to exercising at home.

Occupation: Warehouse worker
Age: 28
Location: Dublin
Salary: €22,040
Monthly pay (net): €1,680

Monthly expenses

Transport: €0.00 (On the occasion that I have to travel by bus I would spend on average €10.00)
Rent: €450.00 (my share of the rent, as it is split between me and my fiancee)
Household bills: €35.00
Phone bill: €20.00
Health insurance: €0.00
Groceries: €180.00
Subscriptions: Netflix subscription €12.99 per month. Playstation Network €8.99 per month.

Savings Monthly

€ 200.00 allocated into a low volatile Index Fund for hedging
€ 200.00 allocated into cryptocurrency assets (left staked whenever a coin shows promise, some left in more stablecoins)
€ 200.00 allocated into blue-chip stocks
€ 100.00 (set aside monthly for emergencies)

***

Monday

9:00 am: I am the first one awake, I have a quick breakfast (usually the same every day unless it’s close to grocery shopping days), have some nice coffee, put on my music on headphones, take my sports supplements and begin my workout routine.

10:30 am: After finishing exercising I go on with a computer science course I’m taking for about an hour.

11:30 am: Cooldown time, relax for about 30 minutes reading a bit of the Book of Five Rings.

12:00 am: Around noon I start to get ready for work, set up my clothes, and have a little snack of nuts and a Protein and Vitamin Smoothie, and pack my lunch of rice, breaded steak, a salad, and a sandwich for my second break. (I normally cook lunch for the next two days of work to save time and pack it on the day).

1:00 pm: I leave the house for work. It’s a 6km cycle to the distribution centre, takes me about half an hour at a stable pace (I have done this commute every day since I worked there save for a couple of times when my bicycle had issues), I get to work quite early though, it’s a holiday so there was no traffic, gives me time to change in the locker room and drink some tea before starting my shift.

2:00 pm: From 2:00 pm until 10 pm I am at work, it’s a calm day and all the routes get done quick and effectively. 

10:30 pm: I get home from work. I get a quick half-hour workout and stretch done, grabbed a bite to eat, and then watched Netflix until midnight.

                             Today’s total: €0.00

Tuesday

10:30 am: It’s my day off so I sleep a little more, checked my emails and brokerage accounts. I have my usual breakfast before starting my workout routine. Have a shower and get my grocery list finally ready.

1:30 pm: We head off for a walk, the weather seems to be a bit more agreeable today after all so why not? After that we go grocery shopping, this time spending €21.79. On the way home I grab a kebab meal costing me €9.20. Once home I proceed to study until around 8 pm.

8:30 pm: I start prepping my meals for the next days, cooking dinner while I’m at it as well, after that, I sit down to have some dinner with my fiancee.

10:30 pm: I watch a few episodes on Netflix until around 11:30, then play some games before bedtime, at 1:30 am.

                                   Today’s total: €30.99

Wednesday

9:30 am: Wake up, feeling a little sleepy due to my blocked nose, proceed to have breakfast and morning exercise and lifting, it had helped me breathe better. 

10:30 am: I listen to a podcast as I try some coding exercises. Keeping a routine feels right to me especially during such difficult times when most people find themselves feeling trapped. Oftentimes it’s difficult to stick with it but good habits tend to build up.

12:00 am: Head out for some fresh air, the weather is mixed but it is oh so nice to feel the sun, I then pack my lunch and get ready for work, I have my smoothie, eat a cereal bar, take my vitamins and I’m out the door by 1 pm.

10:30 pm: Get home from work, the day was not that busy but it felt like a long shift, get home, have a nice shower, then prepare some vegetable fried rice, after dinner, I get ready for bed and cosy up reading some Seneca before bed.

                              Today’s total: €0.00

Thursday

10:00 am: I get up after having a rather poor night of sleep, but after having a morning tea and getting some fresh air I am starting to liven up, get my headphones, blast some jams and get a good workout, at which point my fiancee wakes up, prepare her a nice tea, and it’s dancing time! We have tried different types of dancing over time, it feels nice to have more balance and control overall, and dancing helps with it.

12:20 am: I head off to work, on my break I fall into temptation and buy some chocolate and crisps from Centra and Coke too for €4.30 because well, why not!  On my second break, I take the time to do some financial research.

10:30 pm: Back home from love my fiancee cooked a nice chicken roast, then we watch Benidorm until what turned out to be only a couple of episodes spiralled well into midnight, I then head off to bed.

                          Today’s total: €4.30

Friday

9:00 am: I’m up early to get myself some me time, have my yoghurt and grains and meditate for a bit of headspace, organise the room and get a cup of coffee. I had to take the day off to head to the bank, I needed to update my key – deciding whether to cycle or not felt like rolling a dice! One just can’t predict the weather so I just cycle anyways.

2:00 pm: I deal with the bank issue and treat myself to some subway €8.00, since I already know I will have to cycle back under hail, yikes! After getting home I do a workout routine while I’m still on that fast pace, check my assets in crypto and double-check whether I should short some coins and what the sentiment is around staking pools. I then proceed to work on my project for my computer science course for the rest of the day.

10:00 pm: After work is done it’s puzzle time! My fiancee and I grab an old puzzle box we had and have some fun trying to crack these two puzzles we’ve been trying to solve for a while. I then play some strategy pc games until a bit after midnight.

                   Today’s total: €8.00

Saturday

7:30 am: Even though I’m off woke up quite early, had trouble sleeping soundly, rise and get myself a glass of water, it’s pleasant to stay in silence sometimes in the morning, so just enjoy this half-sleep moment to reminisce about whatever I was dreaming, get some fresh air, and grab some tea before doing some stretches, after my fiancee wakes up we make some pancakes with jam and try and figure what’s the game plan for the next week.

1:00 pm: We are ready and head off to the market, usually we typically have two shopping days a week, it’s good to separate the basics and the extras, helps save money too, we get some veggies, fruits, carbs (rice, potatoes) and some milk €19.00. She then reminds me we have to go buy some essential toiletries for the month, ended up going to Boots and getting a nasal spray and something for myself too €14,40 After arriving home she devotes the rest of the day to her work, I go through a lecture from my course and then play some old-school video-games until nighttime.

9:00 pm: I start preparing my meals for the next two days, I try to keep the basics covered so rice is always on my lunchboxes! I prepare some vegetables, some slow-cooked chicken in the oven, and manage to get a few sets while passively watching some Snowpiercer, I always had a thing for dystopian sci/fi flicks! I go to sleep at half-past midnight.

                         Today’s total: €33.40

Sunday

10:00 am: Wake up to the sound of the neighbour’s dog. I am the only one awake so I pray for a bit in silence, have a nice cup of coffee and since there was still some time before work booted up my console to play some Hitman before work, time flies by and around 11:30 get in a quick workout before getting ready to work.

1:15 pm: I leave for work a bit later than usual, no bother though, as Sundays are a breeze to cycle, change between a couple of different tasks at work, Sunday is not as busy so once one route is consolidated I move on to something else, keeps work from being boring,  after everything is done I manage to go home earlier than I expected (thankfully!). 

8:30 pm: I get home and get to work on greek style wraps with pork, vegetables, yoghurt and garlic sauce, a decision that I would come to regret later! After dinner we watch some Netflix, my stomach starts to feel a bit disagreeable so I just drink some tea and head off to bed, do a couple of exercises for my course and then fall asleep.

                          Today’s total: €0.00

Weekly subtotal:  €76.70

***

What I learned –

• Your best asset is yourself, so it’s important to make yourself employable with valuable skills. This exercise made me realise how much extra time have been spending on entertainment and how to better manage my free time. Because as the saying goes, time is money.

• Reading about other people’s stories and looking back on my own week made me realise that it’s important to also spend time on yourself and your own wellbeing, health is wealth. As well as keeping my compounding consistent.

• Often whenever I am not engrossed in my routine and focused it gets easier to be distracted by all the noise and be financially inconsequential. This exercise helped me shed light on those occasions.

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/spending-money-finances-broke-5462835-Jun2021/

How keeping a diary can help adults learn a foreign language

From theconversation.com

Most of us assume that learning another language is very difficult. You need special skills to remember both vocabulary and grammar rules and, at the same time, must be able to converse fluently with a native speaker. So how do we actually learn a language? What is the best way? And how can teachers help learners to remember the sometimes complex elements and characteristics of another language?

Adults learn explicitly. That means they want clear explanations, and they also need to clarify things they are uncertain about. Adult learners analyse elements of a new language and make links using their own existing language knowledge. Everyone has, and uses, these highly developed explicit learning processes which have often taken a lot of time and effort to develop.

But students need techniques to overcome learning challenges, including those presented by COVID, which ended face-to-face teaching, and Brexit which has made trips abroad and training placements much more difficult.

Through our research, we found that keeping a diary turns good teaching and learning practice into something more concrete and immediate by allowing students to replay their learning steps in their written entries.

A teaching toolkit

Our study examined a group of language learners studying Spanish as a foreign language in evening classes at a Scottish university. We wanted to find out how they explained and clarified the new language they were learning using their existing language (English). What did they focus on as they were learning Spanish? What language characteristics drew their attention? How did they explain what they were learning to themselves and others, and what links did they make with their mother tongue?

Working with three classes made up of 38 learners, we introduced learning diaries to the classroom as a task for the end of each language lesson. Students had to answer two questions: what they had learned in the lesson, and what differences and similarities had they noticed between their mother tongue and Spanish.

The questions remained the same for all their entries. Students were free to comment, analyse and reflect on the substance of the lessons. It was up to them to choose what to discuss in their diary – there was no effort on the part of the teacher to draw attention to specific linguistic or cultural elements of the language.

After using the learning diaries for a set period, a focus group interview was arranged to quiz students about the impact of these diaries. Chiefly we were interested in whether they felt using the diary had altered their performance and improved their confidence in speaking the new language.

Using a diary after each lesson helped students consolidate what they had learned in class and reflect on the new language connections they had made

rawpixel.coml/Shutterstock

How was it for you?

Students’ learning diaries revealed how they used their analytic language ability. They identified common language errors that (mainly) English speakers make in Spanish. They described how the language worked in Spanish, as well as in English. They also noted and translated grammatical rules that apply in both languages, and also how things differed between the two:

In Spanish ‘me gusta/n’ means ‘it is pleasing to me/they are pleasing to me’. Or literally, ‘to me it is pleasing’, the it/them being the object of the sentence. This is quite a difficult concept to understand.

Students seemed keen on writing a diary about their learning and understanding; they enjoyed learning by making connections with their mother tongue. According to their accounts, these connections helped them memorise what they were learning. The content of their diary entries was good for sparking discussions in the classroom and talking about how they learned things:

The diary … helped me memorise colours in Spanish and improved my chances of getting a Spanish reply when I [repeatedly] asked myself, ‘what colour is that?’

But we were surprised to find that students did not reflect on cultural matters in their diaries. Lessons had purposefully contained cultural elements from all over the Spanish speaking world, from the Mexican Day of the Dead to Easter celebrations in Madrid.

The students’ reflections seemed to cover only the linguistic spectrum, focusing on distinctions between languages, such as the existence of genders in Spanish, and how you could guess the correct gender of a word. It appeared that the diaries were used specifically as a simple tool for tightening the nuts and bolts of language learning.

Their answers to the first question (about what they had learned in that day’s lesson) revealed very few similar answers across the three groups, which we were not expecting because each lesson had specific learning objectives. These were shared at the beginning of each session as a matter of good teaching practice. This result alone made us think about how personalised language learning becomes as students progress. Learners, it seems, take away a range of different elements from each lesson, which are simply not predictable.

Using these findings about how students analysed and reflected on language could help shape teaching and learning in future. Specifically, we can see that learning diaries allowed students to explore their own analytic skills, become aware of what particularly drew their interest, and illuminate how they reflected on their own knowledge to advance their comprehension and learning.

By the end, the students were keen to continue keeping a diary. They found it a really helpful way to make sense of language connections and memorise new Spanish words as they progressed. For the teachers involved, the diaries provided an excellent starting point for class discussions, and offered a practical toolkit for language teaching.

https://theconversation.com/how-keeping-a-diary-can-help-adults-learn-a-foreign-language-154597

How Journaling Can Help You Sleep

From psychologytoday.com

By Michael J Breus Ph.D.

Writing your thoughts in a journal can be effective for processing feelings

As a kid, did you ever keep a journal or a diary? Well, sleep journaling is something a little different.

During childhood, we may have used journaling to write about our everyday lives and experiences, including our dreams, goals, and worries. Perhaps it gave you some peace of mind to internalize what you were thinking and helped you make sense of things as you grew older.

Even beyond our childhoods we often grapple with anxiety, worry, and racing thoughts. These thoughts can be overwhelming and may inhibit our day-to-day lives as well as negatively impact our sleep. But they don’t have to.

Writing your thoughts in a journal can be a very effective way of processing your feelings. Not only that, but journaling can help you recognize unproductive or negative thoughts and behaviours, and help you respond to these behaviours in a more constructive way. And when you can handle life’s stresses in a positive way, it’s much easier to sleep well at night.

Source: deposit photos

What Is Sleep Journaling?

Sleep journaling is simply the act of recording your thoughts and feelings a few hours before you fall asleep each night. It may sound similar to keeping a sleep diary, sleep log, or dream journal, but there are key differences between them.

Sleep diaries and sleep logs are intended to keep track of your sleep habits rather than your thoughts. A dream journal is exactly what it sounds like: a written account of your dreams or nightmares. All these activities serve their own purposes and can be very helpful for better sleep depending on your needs.

There is no right or wrong way to approach bedtime writing — as long as you’re able to practice mindfulness and write what you feel, you’re off to a great start. But if you’re not sure where to begin, there are easy ways to help yourself get into the habit of writing.

What Do You Write in a Sleep Journal?

Each person’s circumstances are unique, so it’s important to centre your writing around your specific experiences and be as open and thorough as possible. Even with this in mind, you may still be wondering how to organize your thoughts on paper. Following a writing prompt can be a very helpful way to do this — writing prompts encourage you to think critically and really ponder your thoughts, rather than just idly jotting them onto a page.

If you’re not sure what to write, try some of these suggestions.

1. Vent Your Day’s Worries and Frustrations. Anger, worry, and frustration are natural and healthy responses to life’s stresses, but it’s important to release them in a healthy way. Journaling is an excellent way to blow off steam and let go of some of the anger you may be feeling. Writing down your angry or unpleasant thoughts can help you make sense of them as well as provide a sense of catharsis you can’t get from bottling up your emotions.

It’s also worth documenting troubling experiences here so that you can examine why they’re affecting you, and how you can respond to or move past them.

2. Keep a Gratitude Journal. On the opposite side of the coin, you can keep track of things that make you happy. Reflecting on what brings you joy can help put you in a more positive mood, which can also benefit your physical health, your mental health and lead to better sleep.

Consider a positive experience or event that has happened recently, and be sure to note why it brings you happiness. Some extra positivity in your life can really go a long way in helping you get a better night’s sleep.

3. Make a To-Do List. Writing out a to-do list may seem overwhelming if you’ve got a lot on your plate, but it really is helpful for quieting anxious thoughts and helping you clear your head each night.

THE BASICS

Begin by compiling the unfinished tasks you need to address tomorrow, big or small. Not only does this provide you a clear list of intentions for the following day, but it also helps you keep track of your progress and removes the anxiety of pondering all these tasks as you’re trying to wind down for bed.

You can follow these prompts as much or as little as you want — the important thing is that you are writing.

Note: If you are making a list of things to remember or a gratitude list, you can do that in bed or right before bed. But if you practice journaling as described above, try to do it right after dinner or two to three hours before going to bed so you have plenty of time to process.

It may not always be an easy habit to get into, but journaling before bed can really make a difference if you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep. If you’re preoccupied with night-time worries, give it a try. Good sleep and renewed peace of mind could be just a few minutes away.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/sleep-newzzz/202106/how-journaling-can-help-you-sleep