Truth be told, you don't need more than a pen and paper to practice journaling and reap the stress-relieving, mindfulness-promoting benefits [1]. But, journals specifically catered to self-care, wellness practices, and gratitude with prompts and insightful exercises may help you keep the habit. They also make beautiful, thoughtful, and caring gifts during this unprecedented holiday season.
From books to document your meditation practice to planners that track both to-dos and feelings, here are seven worth wrapping up.
Wilde House Paper Night Journal
Paired with some sleepytime tea, Wilde House Paper Night Journal [2] ($25) is the perfect gift for your loved one who wants to work on unwinding before bed.
Papier Wellness Journal
Papier's Wellness Journal [3] ($33) starts off with a kind and gentle reminder that practicing mindfulness is about practice — not perfection. The 12-week journal is filled with sections dedicated to outlining "feel-good goals," and your progress toward them, sections to jot down nourishing meals, and reflection pages.
A Life of Gratitude Journal
Accented with colourful illustrations, the A Life of Gratitude Journal [4] ($15) helps users focus on the present — and finding joy in those moments — through prompts, exercises, and introspective questions. One example? "How does the colour red make you feel?"
The Habit Nest Meditation Sidekick Journal
Through insightful and educational sections about the benefits of meditation, instructions on guided meditation, and more, The Habit Nest Meditation Sidekick Journal [5] ($29) helps users expand, commit to, and document their practice. For example, the top of each page features a section where users write down how long they meditated for, how they felt after, and how they can improve their inner dialogue.
The Happiest Gratitude Journal
The pocket-size The Happiest Gratitude Journal [6] ($10) sets you up for a cheery 30-day challenge of documenting things you're most grateful for, along with writing down acts of kindness and self-care sessions.
Self-Care Check-In: A Guided Journal to Build Healthy Habits and Devote Time to You
The Self-Care Check-In: A Guided Journal to Build Healthy Habits and Devote Time to You [7] ($11) guides users through activities and prompts split up into three well-organised sections — reflect, focus, and do. The goal of the journal is to use self-care as a method to solve problems and issues plaguing us, rather than escaping them.
The Self-Care Planner by Simple Self
Wellness and self-care is at the heart of the The Self-Care Planner by Simple Self [8] ($40). Right next to sections for your daily personal and professional tasks, you'll find areas to jot down your mood, how many hours of sleep you got, your meals and water intake, what you're grateful for, and more.
Click here for more health and wellness stories, tips, and news.