You may have heard about journaling before and been curious about it. So that’s what we’ll be talking about today! There are so many different ways a journal can benefit our mental well-being. Today we’ll be talking about the benefits of journaling, how to start journaling and different ideas that you can write about in your journal. See if any of these ideas resonate with you and inspire you to start your own journal!
The Benefits of Journaling
Journaling is something anyone can do and you don’t need to be an excellent writer to start. In a nutshell, journaling is a form of self-discovery and self-care. It can help organized cluttered thoughts, can help you gain insight into yourself, your emotions, your dreams, and more. You can find that it’s an extremely helpful stress relief tool and a soothing ritual that you can do.
I’m not really sure there’s a downside to journaling unless you consider taking time aside to journal as being a downside. With journaling, you have everything to gain and nothing or at least next to nothing to lose. Not to mention, it’s just a lot of fun to shop for journals. At least for me 🙂
How to Start Writing a Journal
The best part about journaling is that it’s completely up to you what you want to do, what you want to write, what you want to write in, etc. In fact, it can be a little overwhelming so let’s break it down.
First things first, why do you want the journal? Are you wanting to use it to sort through your emotions? Are you wanting to help motivate yourself to reach your goals? Are you hoping to get more organized? These are important questions to ask because it can help you decide what journal to get.
You may decide that you would prefer keeping a digital journal and typing out your thoughts using documents. You also have the option of picking a variety of different and fun physical journals to write in If you prefer the pen and paper method. This is my preferred method because I find the act of writing to be very relaxing. Plus, I have a slight addiction to purchasing journals and have purchased tons of journals throughout the years.
You can also choose how often you want to journal. You can choose between every day, weekly, biweekly, monthly, or just whenever you want to. It’s really up to you what you find is best. I personally like to journal whenever I feel the need to rather than have a schedule, but I know some people do prefer having a schedule to help declutter their minds.
Different Journaling Ideas
Let’s say you have your journal and you’re ready to go but you have no idea what to write. This is totally normal! A blank page can be overwhelming because it’s completely limitless possibilities. A blank canvas often feels the same way when I’m painting. I feel like I have a clear vision in my mind but as soon as I see a blank canvas, my mind goes blank. Hopefully, this list will give you some ideas of what you may want to write.
Analyzing your emotions
I mentioned before that journaling is really excellent for analyzing your emotions. If you find yourself struggling with grief, anger, negativity, anxiety, or a mixture of unpleasantness, journaling can be very useful. You may be feeling overwhelmed by all the emotions you’re experiencing. Journaling your thoughts and how you’re feeling can help sort your thoughts and relieve the burden negative emotions can bring.
In a journal you can be completely honest without the worry of judgment, so say how you really feel and allow yourself to release your thoughts and emotions onto the paper. You may gain some perspective, feel like a burden has been lifted even a little bit, and begin to heal.
Even writing a letter to someone you’re upset with in your journal can greatly help you. You may be upset or angry with someone for something they did. Writing out how you feel can help you decide what exactly hurt you and what you want to talk about with the person you’re angry with.
Writing Down Your Goals
A journal is really great for writing down your ambitions and what you want to accomplish in your life. You can write down certain goals that you have and the steps you plan on taking to achieve those goals. You can even schedule out each step to help you along the way. I personally love writing down my goals and steps I plan to take to achieve them. I find that it makes my goals feel closer to me and more achievable.
Discuss Challenges
We all face challenges in our lives whether it’s a relationship issue, a work issue, or a personal issue. Write down what you find challenging and what challenges you’re currently facing. Write down your thoughts and feelings about each challenge. Consider if you feel like there’s a way to overcome this challenge or if it feels like something you need to wait out.
Write Down What You’re Grateful For
Gratitude always goes a long way and there’s a reason it keeps coming up in my blogs. Writing down what you’re grateful for can be extremely useful an encouraging positive thoughts and enhancing your mental well-being. Consider starting or ending each journal entry by listing a couple of things you’re grateful for. This will help you find more in your life to celebrate.
Stream of Consciousness Writing
When in doubt, just write. Sometimes we just feel overwhelmed without any specific cause. In times like these, writing in a style that is called a stream of consciousness may be the ticket to help you organize or let go of your overwhelming thoughts. This style of writing means that you write without stopping for a certain amount of time whether it’s 5 minutes or 20 minutes. You can pick the amount of time that you think is necessary and just keep writing. You’ll be surprised by what you discover about yourself during these streams of consciousness.
Discuss Ideas for Self-Care
I mentioned that journaling is a form of self-care and it is. Taking time out to learn more about yourself, help yourself achieve your goals, and reflect these are all great ways to focus on yourself. You can always take a step further and discuss ways to better take care of yourself as well. For example, if you choose to journal each week, you can discuss ways you plan to take care of yourself during that week and what you did last week to take care of yourself.
Reflect on Your Week
I know I said to reflect on your week, but you can reflect on your month or over a couple of months or whenever you want. The idea is to reflect on your overall mental well-being throughout a certain time period. What challenges did you face and what were you able to do to overcome them? What did you do that you’re particularly proud of? Write about some great things that happened. Write about what disappointed you. Talk about the ups and downs and everything in between.
All right, we have had a long discussion about journaling and I hope you try it out and see how you like it. I recommend giving yourself 3 to 5 journal entries before calling it quits. You may find that it’s a really healing and positive ritual that you can do whenever you want to.