When in doubt, write it out: The power of journaling
Since we will be talking about journaling, let’s start by imagining a woman sitting by a cup of steaming tea in candlelight, dreamily looking out of the window into a starry night. Spoiler alert: this is not it.
Journaling often has this connotation of an intense introspective process or gets subconsciously tied to little girls writing about their future white-horse-riding princes, but it is actually a tool anyone can use. The impact of journaling goes way beyond just noting down the day's events or daydreaming; it is beneficial to structure thoughts, create clarity, and even create change and adjustments in our daily lives. Do you know the feeling when you're dealing with a situation or a problem, and when explaining it to a friend to get their insights or help, the solution simply pops straight up? This is precisely what journaling can do for you (minus the need to engage a friend in a conversation).
Before I let you in on my favorite ways of journaling, there are a few things to know and remember before reading on:
- Consistency is king, and repetition is queen. Yes, writing is a helpful tool, even as a one-off brain dump. However, just as with everything else – practice breeds progress, and the more consistent you are, the more progress you'll see. It is okay to skip a day and not dwell on it. If it happens – just continue again on the next.
- Don't overthink it. Having a thought-through structure to follow is great, but taking action is better. If journaling means you will write down your thoughts every day as you wake up, or before going to sleep, or whenever on the go, or figure your own rules to the game – excellent! You do you. There is no extra badge of honor for making it difficult for yourself.
- Keep your mind open and trust the process. There are no expectations you should fulfill, whether it is about the form, the extent, the timing, the topics. Just get started and see where it takes you; I can assure you, even if you "just go with the flow", there is no way you can take a wrong turn.
- And finally, remember – it's not stupid if it works for you!
“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than write for the public and have no self. ”
Now, I would like to share my favorite ways of journaling with you. There certainly are plenty more, and as already said – there is no requirement for you to adopt a specific type and rigidly stick to it. Instead, I hope these will serve as an inspiration and perhaps a starting point or a gentle nudge to get you to dip your toes in. For me, these are the main three approaches to journaling that I move between depending on what feels most fitting and helpful during a specific period of my life.
- Gratitude journal. I would say this might be my very favorite one. No specific format is required, and you can completely freestyle it, but most importantly – what you focus on, you get more of. Focus on things to be grateful for, and in no time, you will find it difficult to list only a few. Bonus tip: share this process with a friend and agree to share what you are grateful for throughout the day. You can either text it or make it even more personal via a voice memo. It is hard to describe in words, but the feeling of shared gratitude is inspiring beyond anything I would have expected and just makes one's heart full of the goodness in the world.
- 5-minute journal. If you like it quick and dirty, here you go. You can buy the original one here if you would like to, but just as with journaling in general, you can make this approach your own too. If you do not want to invest in the one linked here, or any pre-produced, you can create one for yourself. Think of 3-5 questions maximum that you will answer in your journal every day, and go with those. You can switch them up over time as well, and you can include gratitude in this version too.
- Future self journaling. This is an approach I learned about from Dr. Nicole LePera, a.k.a. The Holistic Psychologist, and since I believe it is her original one, I will link her article here. This one requires a little more "pre-work" initially; to really sit down, decide on a goal or a shift, and put down your affirmations and desired behaviors, but it has never failed me. My approach was that I typically did a 30-day cycle focused on one specific area and point of focus, like eating healthier and cutting out snacks. When coming back to the desired behaviors after finishing – without keeping track in the process, I have realized I have actually done them ALL. If this needs to be said: I am not saying this to brag; I'm just saying it works.
Do you know any other forms of journaling that have worked for you, or do you just want to share your thoughts and experiences? Looking forward to seeing them in the comments below!
(A disclaimer: Some of the links used here are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you use them for purchase. Nevertheless, I stand by my recommendations and experience shared regardless. :))
