Dr. Chatterjee: How to Make 2024 Your Best Year Part II
This post is a continuation of our January 15 post; if you didn’t read that, you might want to start here! In that post, we discussed the health benefits of journaling and provided information from Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast, Feel Better, Live More, episode #413 How to Make 2024 Your Best Year: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Each Day. The post featured his 3 questions to ask every morning, and this post will now reveal the 3 questions he proposes you ask yourself each night.
We know reflection is key to learning. When we assess how our day went, we learn and grow. The 3 questions Dr. Chatterjee suggests you ask yourself each evening increase your self-awareness, which is the foundation to making any change and growth. Answering these questions will also help you see patterns. For example, do you turn to sugar or caffeine when you are tired? Do you skip your daily walk if you have too much work? Here are the 3 evening questions help you reflect and learn:
What went well today?
Our brains have a negativity bias, so it's easy to focus on what didn’t get done. This question starts to change that. We can always find at least 1 thing that went well. Maybe someone smiled at you or let you out in traffic, or despite being busy, you took time to prepare a healthy meal. Once you find one thing that went well, you start to develop that muscle and it gets easier to notice the positives!
What can I do differently tomorrow?
It’s important to note when answering this question: be kind to yourself! This question is not intended to beat yourself up about what you did, but rather to reflect on choices you made that resulted in something that could help you feel better or react differently tomorrow. Ex: I was tired today; I realize I stayed up late watching tv so I didn’t feel great when I woke up and I drank a lot of coffee to give me a boost. So tonight I’m going to bed on time because I know I will feel better. Again, be kind to yourself!
What did I do for someone else today?
We tend to focus on our own struggles, but one of the best ways to get out of your own problems is to turn outward and do something for someone else. The more you do it, the more you remember to include this practice in your life. For example, you could let a car in front of you, or thank your Wegman’s cashier for their service. Remember, there is a lot of research that practicing kindness has a direct impact on your health!
Dr. Chatterjee states that the power of this practice comes from asking the same questions every day. Journaling helps you take control of your life. Remember, you don’t have to write an essay - even taking 1 minute to write down the answers yields benefits.
If you are new to journaling:
Habit Stack so you remember to journal. Find an existing behavior, such as brushing your teeth and stack journaling onto that behavior at night.
Remember to start small! Tiny steps! Start with 1 question. Write 1 word, working up to a sentence. You want to build the foundational habit, rather than going full throttle right off the bat.
Remember, motivation will wane - it always does. Building that foundation is crucial in making new habits stick!
Lastly, you don’t need a fancy journal, but having a special journal does make the ritual more special for yourself. Leaving your journal by your bedside or by your tea kettle will also help trigger your habit.
Happy journaling!