Struggling with a Journaling Practice? Try this…
Journaling can reduce stress, improve your emotional health and boost creativity.
I hear a lot of people say, “I would really like to journal, but I never know what to write” or “I wish I had a journaling practice, I know it’s supposed to be good for me”. If this is you, here’s a couple things that may be extremely helpful to get started:
Set a specific time during the day
I begin my journaling practice right when I lay down in bed for the night’s sleep. It is the absolute first thing I do, once I’m in bed. There’s no debate. I keep my pen and my notepad right next to my bed. I hop in bed, get cozy and begin to write. I don’t stall or delay this process. If you cuddle or begin reading, you’re bound to fall asleep. Insert discipline here. Suggestion: Shoot for 7 days in a row to start!
Create a system or pattern for your journaling practice
Every time I pick up my notepad, I write the time of day. I use this to keep myself honest on my bedtime and I look back on the month or the year and see how consistent I’ve been on getting myself to sleep at an appropriate time. Next, I write the date: month/day/year. Then I write the day of the week. For example 8:34pm, 3/14/23, Tuesday. Writing the time, date and day seems to firmly place me in the moment. I find it great for record keeping and later reflection. Next thing I do is give myself a Mind score and a Body score. I reflect on my day, how my mood was, how my body felt and give myself a score on a 1–10 scale. 1 being very bad, 10 being exceptional. Just below this score, I provide a brief explanation of the numbers. For example, Mind: 8 Body: 5, I woke with a headache that went away as the day progressed, back was a bit achy, but my brain and mood felt stable. I do this same sequence every single time. It’s my system and it works for me. Please feel free to borrow it, make it your own.
Writing practice: Reflect on the day
I enjoy looking back on my day and remembering what I did, who I saw, and writing anything of interest or some things that might stand out to me. I try and keep this low pressure. Sometimes I explore a topic that I am working through or a decision that I’d like to make or I may write a “Worry Script”, which is a tool I use to deal with uncertainty or anxiety. (I will explore and explain Worry Scripts at another time).
The entire writing practice is a paragraph or two. Not a novel. Short and sweet. This typically takes 6–10 minutes.
Helpful Tools: Writing prompts
The following writing prompts can be used as your entire journaling practice, if you feel stuck or don’t know how to get started. Writing prompts can provide a jump start to a great journaling practice that allows you to focus on gratitude and self love and keeps you hopeful for the next day. I always write the prompt and then I allow myself a few sentences or phrases that align with how I’m feeling. I do this at the end of my journaling practice:
I am looking forward to…
I am letting go of…
I am grateful for…
Finally, I end each journaling session with a reflection and answer these three prompts:
3 things I loved about today…
2 things I look forward to tomorrow…
1 thing I love about myself…
If you’re longing to begin a journaling practice, I am hopeful the above steps can help you get started. The best day to get started is today.
Thanks for reading. Please clap or share if you dig it.
