2024, may 26

when i’m facing a busy work marathon, i start my day with an intention-setting walk. during this walk, i ask myself a series of questions to help ease the pressure and make my day lighter while still making progress on what’s important.

i usually do this intention-setting via voice messaging with my best friend. but of course, there are many ways to do it: by journaling, talking to a colleague, talking to chatgpt, or simply doing it in your head.

questions for intention-setting

• what motto or mantra can guide me today?

  this could be something like:

  — ‘i’m done when it’s good enough’ (not perfect)

  — ‘focus on one step at a time’ (rather than the whole mountain to climb)

  — ‘any doubts are staying outside today, and i can check in with them tomorrow morning’

• what’s one thing that will help me stay focused today?

  this could be something like:

  — check my phone only in the breaks

• what’s one thing that can make my work more enjoyable and effortless today?

  this could be something like:

  — work in bed, snuggled up in a blanket

  — for the mini-essay, write down just your main thought (rather than ten thoughts)

• what can i declutter from my day today?

  this could be something like:

  — no need to squeeze in the gym today. put the gym on my not-to-do list.

  — the dishes can wait today. put the dishes on my not-to-do list.

• what permission do i want to give myself today to make the day even easier?

  this could be something like:

  — order food instead of cooking

  — allow myself to be hurting and complaining (rather than trying to be delighted only because i chose this work and it’s my passion)

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2024, may 9

creative writing for mental health

almost every night just before sleeping, i write down a few good moments and visual snapshots of the day in my bedtime diary. this practice helps me take something pleasant into my sleep and gives me something joyful to think about when i wake up. i developed this routine when i was struggling emotionally and i desperately needed something to shift my mind at night (for the night is dark and full of terrors). over time, i've noticed that not only does this practice nourish my mental health, but it also enriches my creative writing. many of the snippets i create at bedtime find their way into my other texts. though it is very important for me not to aim for producing valuable snippets of writing because that shifts away from the original purpose: to capture and create a pleasant good night feeling.

prompt 1: good moments of the day

• write down 1-4 moments that were good (enough) today.

• this can be a moment when

  you felt a connection

  you experienced flow

  you accomplished something

  something made you smile or laugh

  you felt like life is doing you a favor

  you felt relieved

  you felt joy

prompt 2: sensual details of my favourite vibe today

• write down a kind of delicious vibe or mood from today that you‘d like to carry with you into your sleep

• capture the sensory details associated with that mood:

  visual details

  sounds

  scents

  flavours

  tactile feel

  bodily sensations

prompt 3: visual snapshots of the day

• capture 5 visual snapshots of the day. they can be very small, as long as they feel beautiful to you.

  example: ……jacaranda flowers float on puddles, some final leftovers from spring in november. at home, my sunnies cast a coca-cola-colored shadow on the wall, and i let myself fall into bed where dark blue siesta sleep starts creeping into my tired muscles. later, a waiter sets a sizzling plate on our table, and its steam fills the air, blending with the light of red lanterns… (excerpt from my bedtime diary)

prompt 4: first thoughts when waking up

• complete the sentence:

  »tomorrow when i wake up, the first thing i want to think of to buoy my mood:…«

  what else?

  what else?

  what else?

  example: »i want to think of my new running shoes, remember that i cleaned the kitchen, and look forward to the global conference on friday…«

note: it can be pretty mundane. this might be the least poetic prompt — but who knows. a lot of times i only see the poetic aspects in hindsight when i scroll through all my diary entries.

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2024, april 25

last year, i hit a point where it felt like my focus on future planning and goal-setting started taking a toll on my mental health. it pushed me into some kind of neoliberal grindset. i realized, i needed to refocus on the here and now—on what was good or good enough in my current life, rather than what i wanted to achieve in the future. so, i put together a list of 21 questions to help me shift my view. during my morning walks, i would reflect on one of these questions. i’m sharing these questions here in case they might help you too.

sometimes, these questions are exactly what i need, but of course, they don’t work for every situation for everyone. sometimes, they even add pressure or nourish a toxic positivity mindset. for me, though, they’ve been a real help in letting myself lean back into the present.

1. 5 visual details you will enjoy remembering from your current life.

2. 3 traits of your current personality that you’re pleased with.

3. what is simply good in your life right now?

4. 5 experiences or memories that you have with loved ones or friends that you cherish, but that you might not think to appreciate on a daily basis.

5. if you had seen scenes from your current life in a film trailer ten years ago, what would have excited you about your future life?

6. 3 quirks about yourself that would make you endearing to an audience if you were a character in a book or movie.

7. 5 small pleasures that you’ve experienced lately, but that might get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

8. 3 flavours that capture the good parts of your life.

9. 3 things you want to celebrate about the progress you’ve made this season of the year.

10. 5 moments when you felt truly present and fully engaged.

11. 3 scents that remind you of the good parts of your life.

12. a couple of years from now, what aspects of your current life will you look back on with envy for your past self? (envy in a kind and enjoyable way)

13. 3 small acts of kindness that you’ve witnessed or experienced recently.

14. 3 accomplishments or experiences from recent years that once seemed impossible.

15. 3 words that describe the good parts of your life as a texture.

16. 3 scenes from your current life that feel cinematic to you, as if you were a character in a movie.

17. 3 moments in your recent life when you felt connected to something greater than yourself.

18. 3 things you’ve done recently that first scared you, but turned out to be good.

19. if you saw your life from the outside, what would spark envy (in a kind way)?

20. one favor that life has done for you recently?

21. 3 things you would say in a love song to your current life.

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2024, april 16

journaling session | \~60 min

on my birthday i love doing this journaling session to envision the delicious beauty of the new year i‘m entering today. you can do these prompts even when it‘s not your birthday. or in other words, it might be your birthday every day.

warm up | 5 min

• jot down moments from the past few days you wish to capture in a mental snapshot.

takeaways | 5 min

• what do you want to bring from your ending year into the new one?

• insights, relationships, people, habits, developments, ….etc.

goodbye ! | 5 min

• list 3 things, areas, habits you’re leaving behind in your past life and not taking into your new year. thanks and goodbye!

your deliciously beautiful year | 15 min

• imagine in ten years from now, a friend asks you about the best year of your life. alongside your other favourite years, you‘ll mention the age you are entering today. “xx was a highlight year, i love diving back into its memories.”

• what made this year stand out deliciously beautifully?

hidden desires | 10 min

• suppose there’s a part inside you whose longings you’ve been ignoring without knowing any better. a part that wants to be heard.

• what does this part seek from life? what does this part wish for you in life?

• envision your new year fulfilling these hidden desires in the most pleasant way. what do you see? what difference might that make?

what‘s good right now | 5 min

• back to the present: what elements make your life good (enough) as it is right now?

dream slices into reality | 5 min

• imagine incorporating a slice of the dream life from your deliciously beautiful year or hidden desires in the upcoming weeks.

• what small aspect of this dream do you want to weave into your everyday life?

• this could be a habit, a moment of joy, a perspective shift, ...etc.

permission | 3 min

• what permission do you want to give yourself for your birthday today?

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