A year worth of reflections - A free printable activity
This post is a little late due to travel back to Hong Kong after spending the holidays with family in the UK. But, hey, better late than never, right? So here’s your freebie for the new year – A year worth of reflections – A free printable activity
Start this new year with an empty jar or box. At the end of each week, write something positive that happened during the week. Cut it out and pop it into the jar/box. At the end of the year, empty the jar and read all the positive things that have happened to you.
You can start this activity at any time of the year and not just at the beginning of the new year. The idea is to help you to concentrate on the good things and help you to make nice memories. This is a great idea to do with children and teens too. In fact, it is perfect for the whole family.
After writing down something special about the week, cut it and add it to the jar.
Watch as the jar gets fuller and fuller of those special moments. At the end of a year or when you are feeling a little low and need a bit of a pick up take out the paper and read about all those special moments.
What are some key benefits of writing about something positive once a week?
Writing has so many benefits, and here are a few that can have a positive influence on your mood.
Happiness may be enhanced by writing
Taking time to reflect on something good that occurred during the week may help you to feel more positive, happier, and calmer about anything negative which may be happening. When we think of the negative things that happen, we often tend to overthink them, so it’s helpful to write down the positive things that have gone right.
Writing can help to clarify your emotions
When we are stressed or busy, it can be difficult to understand what we really think about something. Even something good has happened. Putting your thoughts and feelings into words can help you to process these feelings better. The more you practice thinking about the positives in life the more control you will have over the negative emotions.
Writing gives you a personal record of positive things in your life.
Every week by writing something positive, you will create a comprehensive record of all the positive things that have happened. You can look back on this next time you are feeling down, or if you need a quick boost.
Writing can help to sharpen your memory
Writing helps you to store positive memories and feelings and brings them back exactly how you felt when the positive experience occurred. As a result, you can relive the memory over and over for longer than you would be able to without writing it down.
Self-reflection can be achieved through writing
Life can become so hectic that we can forget to stop and think about the positives that are happening. if you don’t stop and reflect every now and again you will lose the connection you have with yourself. Taking time to self-reflect will help you take a break from the fast pace of life to focus on something positive. 5-10 minutes once a week while taking a warm bath, at the gym, when out for a walk, or while eating dinner is a great time to reflect on your week. Once you have got used to writing one positive thing that has happened during the week and you might want to start thinking about two or three positive things.
So why am I sharing this with you?
Well, I think it is important to remember all of the good things that have happened to us. Life can be so hectic and busy, that we often forget to focus on the positives. So, I am setting myself a goal to do this activity every week for 52 weeks.
I would love to hear how you get on. Feel free to comment below.
What are some of the positive things that have happened so far this year?
What are some of the things that you would like to achieve within the next year?