wellness
Journaling as a mindfulness tool: how to start
Brisbane residents are turning to daily notebook entries to anchor their attention amid outdoor routines along the river.
How we reported this
More Brisbane locals picked up notebooks for structured daily entries this month after Telstra's network failures disrupted triple-zero calls and train schedules on 8 July.
The outages left commuters checking phones for updates across the Brisbane River parklands and forced many to reconsider screen-free ways to manage stress during the city's mild winter days.
Brisbane spots for first entries
New Farm Park on Brunswick Street draws early-morning writers who sit on benches near the fig trees before heading to South Bank Parklands for a second session along the river path. The New Farm Neighbourhood Centre runs a free drop-in group every Tuesday at 7am that supplies paper and prompts focused on breath and body scans.
A 2025 University of Queensland survey found 42 percent of 1,200 Brisbane adults who journaled three times a week reported lower anxiety scores after eight weeks. Local stationery shops sell basic A5 notebooks for $6 near the Cultural Centre at South Bank.
Practical first steps
Start with five minutes each morning at a fixed spot such as the picnic tables in New Farm Park. Write three lines on what the body feels like right then, without editing. Add one sentence on a single sound heard during the session. Repeat the same time slot the next day to build the habit before expanding to evening reviews at South Bank.
Track progress for 14 days then decide whether to join the Tuesday group or continue solo along the river path. Consult a local GP for any ongoing mental health concerns before relying on journaling alone.