Journaling is a practice that has grown in popularity in the past few years. Once a frequently used activity, journaling fell to the wayside due to the rise in technology and the digital age. As the hustle of our busy lives began to encroach on our mental health, modern spins on journaling began to appear.
Bullet journaling, morning pages, one line a day journals, five minutes a day journals, stoic journaling, lined, dotted, grid spaced, blank, doodle journals, work journals; and on and on. The list of journaling practices available on the internet and in bookstores right now are overwhelming, but its a fulfilling realisation that this ethos is here to stay and benefits us greatly.
The question is, how do you even begin?
Tools
Before you begin grasp an understanding of what your journaling tools are going to be. Where do you find your creative release? This may be an experience in trial and error; you may start with one thing and then return to the drawing board, and that’s alright.
Do you need the tactical feeling of pen scratching paper? Is it the typing of the keyboard that gives your brain motivation to continue? Is it the photos you take on your phone that you store as a visual diary of your life? Are you a doodler who needs a blank page to find creative release?
There is no right method, there is only the method that serves you best. Play, explore, and give yourself room to find what suits your season of life best. It may change over time, but the point is that the practice should work for your life.
Just Start
Once you’ve established the medium that you’ll use for your journaling, just begin. Don’t overthink it, don’t filter yourself, just allow your mind to free fall. This is meant to be your escape, an opportunity for you to clear your head and manage your anxiety. Questioning what you write will hinder the experience.
Start Small
Like any other habit, you have to attempt your journaling practice with realistic expectations. Don’t anticipate writing reams and reams of pages on day one. Start with a word, then a sentence, then a paragraph and eventually you will find what works for you. Throwing yourself into the deep end with massive expectations is simply unfair on you, so take your time and explore what’s right for you.
Build a Routine
Once you’ve begun to establish the tools and content of your journaling practice, it’s time to create a routine around it. This is where you progress from simple motivation to discipline guiding your practice. You recognise that this habit is offering something positive to your life’s story, and so you take an active role in ensuring that you complete it, if not daily then as frequently as is right for you.
Create a consistent setting, time, space that is yours and encourage yourself to show up. Remind yourself of the reasons why you chose this practice in the first place and why you are determined to continue it.
Use Journal Prompts
Sometimes we see the blank page and we feel at a loss, unable to comprehend how to begin. Journal prompts are a great way to overcome that mental stumbling block and you can create them off the top of your head, or find great options online. Here are a few:
- What is something in your life that you’re grateful for today?
- Write a letter to your high school self. Add advice, stories, and nuggets of wisdom.
- List ten positive affirmations that you can recite to yourself on the daily.
- Recreate a recipe from your childhood and write about the experience as you create and consume the meal.
- If you could change one thing about your current life, what would it be and why?
Break The Rules
As you establish your journaling practice you may face dry spells. Those little pockets of stagnation that occur when building and maintaining any healthy habit. This is the time to change things up; explore your creativity, change your setting, adjust your perspective. Seek new ways to spice up your writing journey and planning story, you might be surprised with what you discover.
This habit is truly not as complicated as Pinterest might make it seem. There are avenues of exploration that work for each of us; it’s simply about beginning the journey.
So now that you have the how to, give yourself room to take the plunge. When will you start journaling?
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