Everyone can benefit from jotting things down. For me, it’s a simple to-do list. Getting it into words lessens the mental load. Similarly, journaling is a powerful tool that can help dancers track habits, identify patterns, and optimize their physical and emotional health. In support of a happiness-health connection, journaling offers opportunities for reflection and learning.
Guided journaling, in particular, is fundamental to The Healthy Dancer®. The practices promotes an understanding of how our bodies respond to different foods (and our relationship with food). But with so many types of journals, it’s tricky knowing which can be right for you. In this blog post, we’ll explore two guided journaling practices, and how each can support you as a dancer.
#1: Food and Mood Journal
A Food and Mood Journal can help dancers reconnect their food choices to their
mood, energy levels, performance, and overall relationship with food. By creating a mealtime experience, we focus on body attunement to identify feelings of hunger before a meal, fullness through the meal, and satisfaction after the meal.
Key Components of a Food & Mood Journal:
While a food and mood journal can increase overall body awareness and further help alleviate behaviors like “emotional eating,” it can also be a slippery slope into obsessive food tracking. If using your journal to record numbers like calories and macros, reconsider your intent. A licensed dietitian can help you realign your food and body goals to support more sustainable (and less time-consuming) habits.
- What You Eat: Pick a few meals or snacks, including the time and components.
- Cravings: What foods are you in the mood for? (here’s an article that deciphers between food rules and preferences).
- Hunger and Fullness: Pay attention to your hunger and fullness signals and how your choices can help bring more comfort to the eating experience. Check out this article and tool to assess your hunger and fullness.
- How You Feel, Emotionally: Note your mood before and after eating. Are you feeling anxious, stressed, energized, or content?
- Physical Sensations: Any physical effects like digestive discomfort or energy crashes? Perhaps you feel more sustained energy.
If your food and mood journal feels stressful, take a break! It shouldn’t be a daily practice. You can use a food and mood journal as a weekly (or even monthly) check-in. To learn more about food journaling, click here.
Mind and Body Journal
While a food & mood journal centers on the impact of what you eat, a mind & body journal takes a more holistic approach. It includes deeper reflections, particularly in areas like your thoughts and emotions-— a look into how these support your training, sleep patterns, and even body image.
Key Components of a Mind & Body Journal:
By understanding how your body responds to different workouts, sleep patterns, and emotional states, you can fine-tune your training. You might notice that you perform better when well-rested and hydrated. Utilizing a journal can help to increase your awareness of the here and now. Here are a few starting prompts:
- Body Appreciation: using compassionate curiosity and gratitude, what aspects of your body help you navigate the world as a human and dancer?
- Stress Levels: are you feeling focused, overwhelmed, or anxious before and after practice?
- Sleep and Recovery: how might your sleep patterns, including quality and duration, affect your physical performance or mental clarity the following day?
- Movement & Performance: Write about your physical practice—what went well, what felt challenging, and what your body needed on any given day.
Which Journal is Right for You?
Both journals can be incredibly helpful tools for dancers, but which one you choose depends on your current needs. Use a Food & Mood Journal if trying to optimize your nutrition, manage emotional eating, or address specific energy or digestive issues. Use a Mind & Body Journal if wanting to take a more holistic approach to tracking how your mind and body work together to support your dancing. Many dancers benefit from using both journals in tandem.
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to journal. Jotting down your thoughts can help to relieve your mind, making room for your work in the studio. Ultimately, journaling is about self-awareness and self-care. These are valuable tools for helping you become the best dancer—and the best version of yourself. Here are a few prompts to get started:
- Write a letter to yourself from a decade ago. What has this past decade taught you?
- List 3 ballet exercises that you currently enjoy doing.
- What’s a childhood food memory that makes you laugh?
- What’s your biggest dance goal?
- Sit down and take 3-5 deep breaths. Describe this experience. What’s the first thing that comes to mind?
