Journaling 101
I cannot rave about journaling enough.
It can be used for literally any situation or emotion. It’s a great way to get yourself out of your head. Anyone can do it and I hope this article convinces you of that.
Keep reading to learn some benefits of journaling, how to start, types of journaling and more.
Benefits
As I mentioned above, journaling allows you to get out of your head. You’re able to “take out” all of the thoughts and feelings running through your mind. The act of physically writing them on a piece of paper can offer a huge sense of relief.
Stress reduction and clarity of thoughts are huge benefits of journaling.
Journaling can also lead to a better sense of self-awareness. You’re able to pinpoint your behaviors, emotions, likes, dislikes, decisions and more. These types of realizations foster personal growth and development.
It can also have you tapping into your creativity. You’re called to express yourself, brainstorm new ideas and think differently. You may surprise yourself with what you come up with.
Another massive benefit of journaling is setting and tracking goals.
You can look at every area of your life and create goals you’d like to achieve. Not only can you set them, but you can journal often about how to reach the goal, how the journey is going, things to do differently, etc.
How to Journal
There is no one way to journal. It’s about finding what works for you and leaves you feeling your best. With that said, there are things you can do to foster great journaling sessions.
Find a journal or notebook you love. It can be colorful or plain; decorative or simple; big or small. The same goes for what you choose to write with — It can be a pen, pencil, marker, highlighter; It can be colorful or a classic option like black.
Next, think about where you’d like to journal. You can have a dedicated space or you can choose somewhere that makes sense at the moment. The most important aspect is that you’re comfortable and you can have moments alone.
You can romanticize your journaling too – light a candle; make a coffee, matcha or fun drink; play relaxing music.
A great thing to do before getting started is to determine why you’re journaling. Are you hoping to process your emotions? Are you practicing gratitude? Do you want to evaluate your day?
Determining your “why” helps with intention as well as how you are going to write. Are you going to free write? Are you answering or following prompts?
You can find so many prompts online. I find a lot of the prompts I use on Instagram and Pinterest. You can also buy journals that have daily prompts!
When it comes to actually writing, just write. Whatever comes to your mind. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation or how it sounds.
The final step is to reflect. Take a moment to read what you’ve written. Is there anything that surprises you? Does it provide clarity? Does it change how you feel?
Types of Journaling
There are several different types of journaling. Examples include:
Mind Dumps;
Prompts;
Gratitude Journaling;
Dream Journaling;
Affirmations;
Bullet Journaling;
And More.
Takeaways
Journaling is so subjective. What it looks like or means to one person can be totally different for the next. I really mean it when I say it’s all about how it makes you feel.
It can be something you do daily, at the beginning of the week, at the end of the week, monthly, randomly or some kind of combination.
Give it a try – you might just surprise yourself.