This week, I want you to journal for at least thirteen minutes daily. You can write in, or on anything you want—an actual journal, a legal pad, a cocktail napkin, it doesn’t matter. But you must do it by hand. No typing.
Admittedly, I am terrible at journaling. It’s just something I don’t do well naturally. But it can be an extremely effective tool for developing mind fitness. It allows you to transfer the stream of information we call “thoughts” from something metaphysical to something physical in the form of the written word. Doing this lets you more objectively view your thoughts and no longer identify with them. I suggest you read what you wrote daily and look for unhelpful patterns. What are you thinking over and over that doesn’t serve you?
Lastly, you might be asking, why thirteen minutes? I’m doing this for a few reasons. First, life doesn’t always happen in multiples of five or ten minutes. So we shouldn’t train that way either. Second, thirteen is a number that many people consider unlucky or scary. We see this in elevators and airplanes where there’s no thirteenth floor or row. Of course, we are just calling the thirteenth thing the “fourteenth.” This means we aren’t scared of the concept of thirteen but of the symbol. We fear this—13—a straight line and a bumpy one. Part of mind fitness is realizing how nonsensical that is and not becoming one of the inane who goes along with such idiocy. Be not dumb.
Level up your mental health:
Subscribe to the RARE SENSE Substack.
Subscribe to the RARE SENSE podcast on any major streaming platform and leave a five-star review if you love it.
Subscribe to the RARE SENSE YouTube channel.
Take the RARE SENSE Challenge.
Connect with me on all major social media platforms @thischrisirwin.
Invite me to speak about mind fitness to your organization by filling out the RARE SENSE contact form.
You can also support my work by purchasing RARE SENSE gear or sharing my content with others.
DISCLAIMER: RARE SENSE content is not medical advice. Nor does it represent the official position or opinions of any other organization or person. If you require diagnosis or treatment for a mental or physical issue or illness, please seek it from a licensed professional.