This toolkit was developed by New Leaf Foundation.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS TOOLKIT:

New Leaf’s 7-Day Mindfulness Journal was initially created in 2020 as a resource for youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The journal includes mindfulness activities and writing prompts to help young people wade through challenging thoughts and feelings. Combining mindfulness with art can be a great way to begin to shift out of survival mode, process emotions, and have an outlet to express ourselves.

This journal is designed to give you space to write down your thoughts and feelings. You can print out the pages, type directly in the document, or write your answers down on a piece of paper or in a notebook. The journal can be done over 7 days, but if you miss a day that’s ok!

Why a check-in?
The daily check-in is a mindfulness-based activity. Mindfulness just means pausing to notice what you’re experiencing with a bit of curiosity. At the end of the week, you might see how your moods, feelings, and experiences have changed a little or a lot.

Why a journal?
Writing and creating art can be a great way to express ourselves, providing an outlet for ideas, feelings or thoughts that sometimes run over and over in our minds. The writing prompts might help you to reflect on things you may not have otherwise considered or inspire you to look at things a different way.

Why gratitude?
Our brains are hard-wired to focus on the negative which can sometimes limit our ability to notice and enjoy even small moments of peace or happiness. Especially when times are tough, bringing a little attention to what we are thankful for can help us to get out of negative patterns and thinking. It’s not about pretending everything is good, but seeing the full range of our experience.

Updated January 26, 2022.