BEST Journaling Topics BEFORE Your Vacation
BEST Journaling Topics BEFORE Your Vacation
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As you focus on getting the hotel room with the correct size beds, the dinner reservations somewhere the kids will actually eat and doing your last minute purchases on Amazon, you may also have some hesitations in the back of your head about HOW everyone will get along on the trip.
Maybe tension has been high with one of your tweens or your spouse has been working so much that you hardly talk. Perhaps you have been frazzled and rushing around and need to apologize for your tone. You can just feel how “disconnected” the family has been. Your anxiety is up - worrying about everyone enjoying the trip and being able to get along. You know there are unfinished topics that need to be sorted out. You really hope that everyone can get closer on this trip and relax. There have been so many distractions and reasons you may not be able to actually unwind when you arrive on your trip.
With some planning and time in reflection, you can feel clear about how you are doing, how the family is doing and what you wish for on this trip. Journaling is a wonderful way to break it all down. When we write we allow ourselves to pour out the thoughts and the feelings. We release the tension behind them. We get to process what it is that is bothering us and start searching for solutions.
Journaling Before You Go on Vacation
I prefer to type out my journal entries if my thoughts are particularly scrambled and I can type faster than I can write. However, seeing it on paper in my own penmanship is powerful when it comes to the heavy or emotional stuff. Some journal entries are paragraphs, others are just a list of unanswered questions. Writing about it allows me to separate from the thoughts and decide what is most important to deal with.
The hope of most families is that the upcoming vacation will give us a RESET! We need to “vacate” our stressful lives and start over. We need a
family makeover. We need to strengthen ourselves. We want to renew our marriage. We want to rest and
find tranquility.
“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.”
- Psalms 23:2 NLT
Your upcoming trip can be all of that. Let me share some quick journal prompt questions with you and you can process through these questions. You can determine what you need to let go of, what you need to forgive, when you need to listen more and how this trip can bring your family closer together.
Need a cute journal notebook? My daughter and I designed this
Palm Tree Journal Notebook
(less than six dollars on Amazon Prime).
#1 Journaling Prompt - Identify where things are stuck
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
- John 14:1 NLT
Sit and write about the past few weeks, where has there been tension?
Who has been angry?
Who has been disrespectful?
Where has there been conflict?
What is underlying the tension?
Is there deeper pain?
Is there a need for forgiveness?
How can you relate to one another better and clearer?
#2 Journaling Prompt - Gratitude
"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever."
- Psalm 86:12
Sit and write about the times you have been grateful in the past few weeks.
Have you felt blessed?
Have you felt God’s presence in a situation?
Do you see the goodness?
Are you appreciative of someone’s gesture?
Did you express it?
#3 Journaling Prompt - Future dreaming
“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'”
- Jeremiah 29:11
Sit and write about your wishes for the future.
Where would you like to be in 1 year?
In 5 years?
What would have to change to get there?
Who do you need to work with to accomplish that?
Have you shared these with your spouse?
Are they the same goals as his?
As you take this precious time to journal before the trip, you will feel more calm and confident about tackling family dynamics and how to get the most fulfilling experience out of this trip. Return home rested, recharged and connected!
Upcoming book by Kathryn Gardner ~ Find Tranquility on Your Family Trip: Rest, Recharge and Connect on Your Family Trip. Plus 100 Christian Family Travel Activities
So glad you are on this journey with me to go from stressed to refreshed!
Find your tranquility today!
Be well and God bless,
Coach Kathy
Kathryn Gardner, mom of 2, police wife, and Therapist specializing in the wellness of moms & Certified Health Coach moved with her family to Tampa, FL to be near the ocean and explore the health benefits of nature. Her passion is
helping stressed moms find tranquility! Check out
TranquilityMoms.com
for the latest blog post and YouTube video. She posts encouraging messages on Instagram and Facebook.
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