The Awesome Human Journal

Great title and cover! Well done with valuable content. I thank NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. I will be purchasing this journal for myself and friends. I liked how it was outlined with space for writing but not just lined journaling areas, there were prompts, tips and helpful quotes. The guidance that Kogan provides was super! Five stars.

I loved the simple concepts presented in this book. The format is easy to use and that is very important. I appreciated that it included the 5 emotional fitness skills of acceptance, gratitude, self-care, intentional kindness, and the bigger why. It was interesting to learn about the skills and incorporate them into my life.

This was a great pick to review from the Netgalley offerings. Nataly makes it so easy to improve the reader's wellbeing and esteem. I was limited by the fact that the review copy was all digital and so could not try it out in practice, but I can see the immense value she brings through the enough and more spaces in the book for the reader to work on self-reflection and fill up their inputs. I loved the illustrations which apparently Nataly did her self - they are very nice.

I think this will be a great self-help book for becoming awesome human beings and not get restricted in realising our potentials, while improving our wellbeing!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. 5 emotional fitness skills of acceptance, gratitude, self-care, intentional kindness, and the bigger why are covered in this journal. I would encourage anyone to reflect on their emotional well-being and find goodness in their life. When this comes out in print I will be buying and gifting this journal !!

Thanks to the publisher, Sounds True, and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit i wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Obviously it's not a book per se but there is a structure, lots of exercises and space to write, plus nifty neuroscience tips that help stick to/reinforce good habits.
Pros:
-you don't need to have read her awesome human book to enjoy this journal. How awesome is that?! (Of course if you want to dive in to the concept, why not?!)
-Labor of love by the other with hand written text and sweet scribble illustrations
Cons:
-hand written text can be an annoyance for some folks. Occasionally a little difficult to read the r's
-some design quibbles but I'm sure it'll be fixed but publication
-it's not out yet so i can't buy it ;)

Oh, what a journey of self-discovery The Awesome Human Journal turned out to be! From the very start, I knew I was in for a unique and transformative experience. Nataly Kogan's wisdom and contagious enthusiasm shine through as she guides us to embrace our humanness and unleash our awesomeness.

This journal is more than just a collection of activities; it's an experiential guide to nurturing our emotional fitness. With science-backed practices like acceptance, gratitude, self-care, and intentional kindness, I learned how to quiet my inner critic and talk back to my fears. The layouts and handwritten text added a playful touch, making the journey even more enjoyable.

Throughout the book, I found myself digging deep, exploring my thoughts, and finding ways to prioritize joy without guilt. Nataly's empowering Notes to Self served as reminders that we all have something unique and special to contribute. I know I'll keep coming back to this journal whenever I need a boost of self-awareness and motivation. It's like having a supportive friend by my side, guiding me to become the best version of myself.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of this book. I’ve been on the hunt for a book that promotes self awareness and helps to put it into practice. This book did just this while educating readers along the way and giving lots of activities and self check ins. There were some activities and sections that really made me have to dig deep. I’ll definitely go back to this book when I’m struggling. The fun layouts and handwritten text were also appealing to me!

The Awesome Human Journal is valuable for anyone looking to improve his/her well-being and self-esteem using a journaling format. Working through this journal will allow an individual to reflect upon his/her day, express gratitude, and learn how to change mindset. Included daily practice pages encourage you to develop self-awareness of your emotions, treat yourself with compassion, express gratitude, use supportive self-talk, and forecast future things to look forward to. This journal is bright and nicely illustrated. Some people may not enjoy the font, as it is handwritten and not typed, but I think that it makes it more whimsical and inviting. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not normally one for journalling, I tend to do it for a week or two and then it finds its way into pile of activities I've neglected and left to gather dust in the corner. However, I have been doing a lot of work on reflective practice at work recently (trainee teacher life) and something about this book caught my eye.

I find journalling, or more specifically books about how to journal fit within two categories:
Self-help guides that engulf you in facts and figures, letting you know exactly why your cognitive pathways are malfunctioning and using words 10x bigger than they need to be.
Self explanatory guides that are a paper version of mansplaining a simple process with no real meaning behind it.
The Awesome Human Journal however did not fit either of these and maybe that's why I liked it so much. There are small sections of cognitive science but written in a user friendly way that feels manageable. It gives enough of the WHY mental health self-care is important without making you feeling like you aren't smart enough to take part.

As I read this as a review copy it was digital, but I was able to take the parts that I found helpful and work them into a bullet journal form (yes I have become one of THOSE people... even if I am about 5 years late). It helps manage my thoughts, look at the bigger picture and take a moment for me. My favourite section is where the author asks you to explore your energy fuels and energy drains. Sometimes it is hard to know why your emotional bucket is empty and here was a nice activity to start piecing it all together.

I think the biggest thing to remember with books like this is that YOU are the one who does the work. They can guide and help you but you have to find a way that works for you. The whole book may not be what you need but I would be surprised if there were not at least parts that you resinate with. Parts of this book, like the 5 emotional fitness skills, are now part of my daily routine, and I highly recommend it.

(I will update with a link when it is on my blog)

The title and cover of this workbook is what caught my eye when I was browsing NetGalley. I am a therapist and enjoy reading self-help books not only for my own interests but also because I’m curious about what’s being published out there for consumer use.

This workbook would be a great tool for individuals who are looking to improve their self-worth and self-esteem, and increase their positive thinking. It’s user-friendly, has good information, and would likely be helpful for many. My only complaint is that the font used throughout the workbook is a little difficult to read.

I really enjoyed this, and plan to purchase a copy for myself and maybe even as a gift for some people I know. I found the exercises simple in a way that made them less daunting as a task. I can't wait to see a physical copy of this book!

I’ve recently been struggling with mental health issues and have tried to focus on reading self help journals and books as a way to help develop tools and skills that I can use to help myself work through issues as they arise. The Awesome Human Journal was one of the books that I used to help build those tools.

The Awesome Human Journal was filled with great beginner tools and exercises to help people work on their mental health. It starts out strong with helping you develop a routine of checking in on yourself each day. The exercises are easily followed with simple instructions and minimal introductions. The book pages are brightly colored and obviously are meant to encourage joy while reading.

The one issue I had was that, as a more scientific and logical person, there wasn’t a ton of explanation of the data behind the mental health issues that each exercise was focusing on helping. This wasn’t really a big deal, since there are a ton of data heavy reads for those who want them. This was clearly designed to be an easy and light-hearted way to check in with yourself and build the basic tools for beginning to deal with your mental health.

All in all, it was a great journal for someone like me, who’s beginning to process their mental health and work towards developing tools.

I enjoyed the format of this book. Seeing the pages written out in someone's handwriting, that wasnt turned into a font to make it LOOK like handwriting was refreshing.

When reviewing the content, I appreciated the concept of emotional fitness. The awesome human challenges were my favorite part.

I found some value in the science that was added, but I felt the rest of the content was aimed toward a younger audience. I'm in my mid 30s and felt this content was meant for someone about a decade younger than me. Like someone who hadnt yet been through serious life experiences.

My recommendation is for this book to be marketed towards 20 somethings.

I liked this a lot! I think it’ll be useful for a lot of young women who are just getting into self-help books. It starts very basic, but gets more in depth as you go. The illustrations make it something that feels easy to fill out and participate with. The title is a little juvenile in my opinion and I’d assume it’s more for teens, but the cover is pretty.

I thought this self-help postive thinking journal was fantastic. I wish my ARC was a print version to get the full scope of the actual journaling. It was full of positive affirmations, quotes, tips and more. I hope at publishing that the font size was increased, it was small! But other than that, I thought this was a great self help journal. I read this on my notebook size kindle.

Highly recommended. I will be asking for this for Christmas.

Thanks to Netgalley, Nataly Kogan and St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

I’m going to steal a word from the title of this book….’awesome’, because it really was! Not only is it colourful, and I loved the font used that resembles handwriting, but it’s full of prompts to help you get the most out of yourself when you’re feeling tired (and so many of us are after recent years), downtrodden or unmotivated. I very much enjoyed reading this, made a few notes, and thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review a digital copy.

I really enjoyed this journal. These aren’t just your regular type of prompts. They are engaging and thought provoking. I found them nerve wracking at first but I gave myself Grace (the book told me to) and stuck with it. Now I look forward to journaling.

An optimistic personal guide to improve emotional well-being. I liked the simplicity of this book and the helpful tips provided.

ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful illustrations! I loved getting to see the journal before purchasing one for myself since I loved the pillars and found the format easy to follow and something I would actually want to journal in!

I will also keep in mind as I think this would make for an awesome present or care basket for friends and family this upcoming year.

This is a great resource for anyone that is just getting into journaling or is already there. It's simple and the prompts will not overwhelm you. It serves as a daily check in with yourself and is beautiful to boot. I definitely recommend.