Guided Journaling Workshop

Session 1 : The "Circle of Control" Visualization
A grounding visual to help participants separate real control from imagined pressure.

• Inner Circle: Write or draw things fully in your control (your words, reactions, breath).
• Outer Circle: List things you constantly worry about but cannot change (others’ behavior, future events, outcomes).
• Creative Release: Shade, scribble, or pattern over the outer circle to symbolically “reduce the noise” of the uncontrollable and return focus inward.

Session 2 : The "Funnel of Truth"
A clarity tool that separates facts from assumptions, helping reduce emotional overwhelm.

• Dump (Top): Write the raw story as your mind is telling it.
• Filter (Middle): Draw a mesh and test each part — is this 100% proven fact?
• Distill (Bottom): Keep only the true, objective facts.
• Residue: Notice the beliefs and assumptions stuck in the filter and reflect on why your mind created them.

Session 3 : The "Jar of Life"
A priority-setting exercise showing how to organize life around what matters most.

• Rocks: Write your 3 major priorities or non-negotiable goals for the month.
• Pebbles: Add the smaller but meaningful routines and responsibilities.
• Sand: Note the daily noise and distractions.
• Packing: Draw the jar and place items in the correct order (rocks → pebbles → sand) to visualize what needs focus first.

Session 4 : The "Mental Backpack" Unpacking
A reflective exercise to understand emotional overload and distinguish your responsibilities from others’.

• Inventory: List every worry, task, or emotional weight currently on your mind.
• Sorting: Place only your actual responsibilities inside the backpack outline.
• Unloading: Put everything that belongs to others or is out of your control around the bag.
• Release: Draw arrows pushing these outside items away to create mental space and lighter emotional load.

Session 5 : The "Rearview Mirror"
A metaphor for how much attention we give the past compared to the present

• Mirror: Write the specific past event or regret occupying your mind.
• Windshield: Fill the large space with what’s happening now and what’s coming up next.
• Ratio Check: Compare how much mental space you give each.
• Adjustment: Write a commitment to glance at the past just to learn — not to stay stuck there.

Session 6 : The "Four Burners" Stove
A practical metaphor for limited time and energy

• Audit: Mark each burner (Health, Work, Family, Friends) with the flame size it currently has.
• Fuel Check: Reflect on signs of burnout or exhaustion.
• Adjust: Choose one burner to turn down and one to turn up.
• Delegate: Plan how to manage guilt or expectations around reducing focus in one area.

Session 7 : The "Iceberg of Truth"
A tool to explore what lies beneath immediate reactions and surface emotions.

• Tip of the Iceberg: Write the behaviors or moods you have shown outwardly this week.
• Under the Surface: Fill the larger space with the deeper feelings and needs driving those behaviors.
• The Depth: Add darker shading at the base to represent the core belief influencing your reactions (“I am not enough,” “I fear failure,” etc.).

Session 8 : The "Tree of Identity"
A gentle exploration of what grounds you, supports you, and what you’re ready to release.

• Roots: List foundational values, experiences, and beliefs that shaped you.
• Trunk: Write the strengths, habits, and skills that hold you up.
• Fruit: Map your current achievements or things others notice.
• Falling Leaves: Identify patterns, pressures, or beliefs you’re ready to let go of.

Session 9 : The "Bullseye" Framework
A simple prioritization tool to find your most meaningful task for the day or week.

• Outer Ring: List all “could do” items - optional or low-impact tasks.
• Middle Ring: Add “should do” items - tasks with consequences if delayed.
• Center: Choose one “must do” task that truly moves things forward.
• Arrow: Write the first tiny step to begin this task immediately.

Session 10 : The "Four Rooms" House
Based on the idea that wellbeing needs balance across four spaces — Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit.

• Audit: Write what you’ve done in each “room” over the past 48 hours.
• Identify Gaps: Notice which room feels empty or unattended.
• Furnish: Add 3 specific actions to nurture that room (rest, connection, silence, expression, etc.).
• Renovate: Decide which room is overused and intentionally “close its door” for a while.

Session 11 : The "Balloon & Stones"
A release-based journaling activity to help understand emotional weight.

• Stones: Draw 3–5 stones and label them with current burdens or fears.
• Balloon: Write what uplifts, energizes, or comforts you.
• Altitude Check: Reflect on which stone feels the heaviest today.
• Cut Loose: Draw a scissor cutting one rope and write how you will practically release or lighten that burden.

Session 11 : The "Workflow River"
A visual representation of how tasks flow — and how overwhelm builds up.

• Reservoir (To-Do): Dump all tasks in the top section.
• Rapids (Doing): Choose only three active tasks.
• Jam: Notice if you normally have too many tasks in the “doing” phase.
• Clearing: Move extra tasks back to the reservoir and set a rule: pull in a new task only when one moves to “Done.”