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How do I start journaling?

by | Jul 17, 2023 | Uncategorised | 0 comments

How do I start journaling?

Journaling is a hot topic at the moment…

…but how do you start?

Well, before we look at how you start journaling, let’s look at why you should start. 

Here are just a few of the reasons: 

  • It increases confidence
  • Strengthens your immune system
  • Boosts creativity
  • Improves your memory
  • Helps you achieve your goals
  • Improves mental health
  • Increases emotional intelligence
  • and so much more.

All this sounds good doesn’t it? That’s a lot of benefit for just a few minutes writing a day. But how do you access all these magical benefits? Well, it is easier than you might think. 

I write a diary isn’t that the same thing?

Well, no, it isn’t. When you write a diary you write down all the things you have done in a day. You might include how you are feeling, physically and emotionally, but it is an account of a section of your life. Journaling is different. You might not write about anything that is happening to you, or you might. You will more than likely talk about how you are feeling, but it isn’t the same style of writing.

Journaling is a process

When you sit down to journal the idea is that you write and write without filtering what you write. You don’t worry about what you write, what other people would think if they read it, what your handwriting is like, spelling and grammar, you just write. 

When you write in this way your brain accesses information in a different way and you stop writing things that you are aware of and begin to access things in your unconscious mind.

Journaling

But I don’t know how to start!

That’s ok. There are tools that can help you to get started. Many people use journal prompts when they first start journaling. You can find lots of examples of journal prompts if you do a quick search online or you can create your own. Prompts such as: How am I feeling today? and What am I most angry about right now? can be useful prompts to get you started.

You could also join my journaling membership, A little word told me… , and I will guide you on your journaling way.

Journaling

Ways to start

  • Prompt journaling – using a prewritten prompt to get you started.
  • Gratitude journaling – writing a list of all the things you are grateful for everyday (try to write at least 5 things every day).
  • Reflective journaling – writing about all your thoughts and feelings and getting them out onto the page so you can process them.
  • Creative journaling – which involves art techniques along side written entries to encourage creativity.
  • Bullet journaling – this is a way to organise yourself where you create lists and use specific symbols to categorise items.

 

The key to successful journaling, for me, is carrying on writing when you feel like you have nothing else to write. Don’t stop writing, even if you have to say; I don’t know what to write, I can’t believe I’m writing this nonesense, I don’t think this is going to work, what a load of rubbish…” for a few lines. Once you get past this stage, that is when the magic happens. That is when you break down the wall between your conscious writing and real self discovery.

Are you going to give journaling a go? Let me know how you get on. I love hearing about people’s experience with this powerful technique. 

 Read more about the benefits of journaling: 

Journaling to preserve memories

Journaling for adults with ADHD

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