Tips For Making Your OH, MY WORD Practice (even more) Awesome!
OH, MY WORD journaling has been described as a 5-minute active mediation.
Get cozy in a comfy chair, sip your morning coffee or tea, choose an intentional word that describes who you want to be, draw and colour.
In that 5 minutes you’ve interrupted an old, negative, habitual thought and replaced it with a positive new one, created a new neural pathway and begun to rewire your brain.
How’s that for a good use of your time??
OH, MY WORD journaling makes you feel great. There are a few things you can do to intensify your practice and make it even more effective.
6 ways to make OH, MY WORD (even more) awesome.
1. FIND YOUR BEST TIME
My favourite time to do OH, MY WORD is first thing in the morning because it sets the tone for the entire day. But it can be successfully adapted for families (in the evening) and to fit work schedules.
2. USE GOOD QUALITY PENCIL CRAYONS
Use good quality pencil crayons…usually described as ‘artist quality’. These are just more fun to work with! They are smooth and velvety on the paper, they blend well and the colours are particularly vibrant and beautiful. Claire Moore (illustrator of OH, MY WORD) has offered her recommendations. Check them out here.
3. MAKE YOUR INTENTIONAL WORD ACTIVE
When you complete the sentence Today I choose to….. make sure the word (or phrase) you choose is active. Verbs like love, forgive, trust, explore, experiment, create, see, listen are great examples. If you choose a word that isn’t a verb you can make it active by adding ‘be’ (ie be grateful, be peaceful, be vulnerable, be generous, be free, be present etc). Short phrases work very well too when made active like…. go for it, take a risk, speak my truth, stand up. Making the word active catapults you into that state of ‘being’ and super charges the intention and your day.
4. TAKE 3 DEEP BREATHS AND THINK OF YOUR WORD
Throughout the day when you’re stuck in traffic, in line at the grocery store, waiting at the doctor or dentist’s office take 3 deep breaths and think of your word. What I do it is see my word on the page. I take a deep belly breath inhaling through the nose to count of 4 holding it at the top and exhaling to a count of 6 (I exhale through my nose you can exhale through your mouth if you prefer) holding at the bottom and repeat. This has the power to make me super chill in just a couple minutes. Plus, I’ve breathed all that energy and power into my word. Very satisfying. Very uplifting. Very powerful.
5. FEEL FREE TO USE SAME WORD OVER AND OVER
This is the most commonly asked question by OH, MY WORD journalers . Can I repeat a word? Yes…yes…and YES! You can repeat a word as many times as you like for as long as you like. What you do have to do is draw it on a fresh page every day. I’ve repeated certain words over and over and over. The only person that knows when its time to move on is You.
6. WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH – KEEP GOING
We all hit patches when the going gets tough. We’re overwhelmingly busy, dealing with a setback, in crisis mode whatever it is the we feel like we’re struggling in the trenches. Don’t stop OH, MY WORD journaling! Have you ever noticed that when things get challenging in our lives we often stop doing all the things that are good for us. We say things like, “It’s just not the ‘right’ time to…. (go to the gym, meditate, journal, get out in nature, eat healthy food etc….)“. Let me tell you as one whose been there it’s the ‘right-est’ time EVER. Do. Not. Stop. Get something on the page even if its…Today I choose to…breathe. This can be particularly good since when we’re in the trenches we often hold our breath and forget to breathe! I promise it will help.
THE BONUS …..
Colour outside the lines.
Channel your 6-year-old self as you draw your word.
BANISH Anxiety. Find JOY. 5 MINUTES A DAY. ONE WORD.
BUY OH, MY WORD at Chapters/Indigo in Canada
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11 Replies to “Tips For Making Your OH, MY WORD Practice (even more) Awesome!”
Thank you for these awesome Oh My Word journaling tips. I am particularly happy that I can repeat a word as often as I like.
I think putting in five minutes to set the tone for the rest of the day is worth it. Thanks for making this incredible tool available.
I think the best time to draw a word would be in the morning. That’s when the mind is fresh and most active.
The Oh My Word journal is already awesome as it is. These six tips make it super awesome!!
It’s amazing how much of an impact one word can make. I love what a simple process it is for rewiring your brain.
Using Oh My Word is like having a five-minute meditation session. Basically one is able to get all the benefits of meditation for a fraction of the time.
Using the journal together as a family can be highly productive. I always prefer involving my loved ones in most of what I do.
Among the best things about Oh My Word is the fact that it can fit easily with any schedule. It doesn’t even matter if you’re too busy.
I have been a great lover of art and basically crafting stuff. As such, using Oh My Word would be a great fit for me.
I am so enjoying this. I look forward to the morning, to have some ME time! The past three years haven’t been easy. Loss of loved ones, health issues, etc., I completely put my “ Me Time” on hold. Too much going on.
I am very creative, and would nurture it daily. I’ve done very little these past three years. The drought is REAL! The lack of self- care, has caused irritability to fester, like never before.
This journal came along at the perfect time. No coincidences, right?
I have now begun my quest to cultivate time for myself again. It feels amazing. Guess what? My mood has vastly improved. Yes, life is still a bit challenging, but the way I’m dealing with it has changed. Thank you Cheryl, for making this amazing tool available. It’s the best medicine! XO
HI Nancy….I am so happy to hear you are feeling better and have begun reclaiming yourself! You’re not the only one who stops ‘me time’ when things get tough. It seems the first thing most of us do is immediately stop all the things that keep us balanced, centered and clear…we stop all creative pursuits, exercising, meditating, journaling we even stop breathing reverting back to shallow, gulp-y breaths that intensify the heartbreak, loss, difficulty…. We think it’s selfish and not the time for ‘frivolous’ activities when these other things are going on.. When really we need these thing more than ever to help us accept, understand, forgive, have grace etc……. The lessons we learn..right?! I am so happy you are finding comfort in the journal. For me it the was trigger to rediscovering myself, managing my anxiety and finding the joy I was always longing for and chasing. Keep up the great work. May you continue to nurture your beautiful spirit. Cheryl xo