A journaling book is like an open-ended canvas filled with possibilities. If you’re new to writing, it may seem overwhelming and leave you wondering where to start and what to write. The best part is there are no rules when it comes to journaling. You can find the right approach to journaling yourself and continue practicing daily.
Journaling is a personal experience that is free of judgments. Avoid the urge to make your writing sound great. No one else is going to read your journal except you. Grab a pen, eliminate the urge to edit, and let your thoughts flow.
How to Start With Journaling
Have a clear ‘why’ in mind. Journaling offers ample benefits, so it will be easy to find reasons why you want to journal. For me, the top reasons are productivity in my work and decluttering my thoughts.
You may be looking for a new outlet for your creativity, altering how you care for yourself or looking for a way to deal with negative thoughts. Knowing why you’re getting into the journaling craze will motivate you to remain committed. Once you’ve identified your goal, you will find journaling impactful and fun.
Don’t journal on your smartphone or any other electronic medium; get a dedicated journaling book. Something magical happens when we write with a pen in a physical notebook. It allows us to learn and remember facts better, process emotions, and make us accountable for reaching our goals. If you prefer pen or paper, choose a journal that prompts or a lovely blank journal that you want to keep in your office.
Different Ways to Use Your Journaling Book
Self-Care Journal
Self-care journal is extremely useful. It can make you happy, reduce stress, clear thoughts and emotions, and helps you understand yourself deeply.
Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling is a simple and efficient method to incorporate into your routine. It’s not a surprise that gratitude helps improve overall well-being and happiness.
Make a list of five things you are grateful for, however small they seem. It could be a person, your pet, your belongings, any healthy body part, or any memorable experience you had. Repeat this every day, but try not to repeat anything you have already mentioned. It will encourage your brain to look deeper and wider for positivity.
Mindfulness Journal
You can identify your emotions, accept them or create an action plan to deal with them. Every negative emotion is not likely to require or even be solved; however, writing it down can help you identify effective ways to handle it, which you can then add to your arsenal.
Brain Dump Journal
A brain dump journal can be a simple and efficient way to deal with mental clutter. You should take 10-15 minutes to write down every thought you have in your mind.
Note everything you’re thinking about at the moment, even if it’s not to be important or relevant to your journal. You’ll feel calmer and calm afterward because those thoughts won’t be floating around.
Journaling for Productivity
Future-self Journaling
Retrospectively examining your current self while making goals to be the best version of you is the basis of future-self journaling. Write the version about the person you’ll be in five years. Be real about the person you want to be and what you can achieve, and write using the present tense. What is your current situation? What’s your outfit? Are you where you are? Who are you? To get one step closer to your ideal self, begin showing up as the person you want to be now.
Bullet Journaling
Bullet journaling brings endless possibilities. It doesn’t matter if it’s your daily routine, financial goals or positive body affirmations, people you’d like to be connected to, meal scheduling, sleep, or mood. The journal will help you keep track of the things that matter to you and you only.
Write down your goals assigning a deadline to them. Now, brainstorm ideas about what will take you toward your goals. You will be able to track your progress and be accountable. With journaling, you can also identify the areas you are lacking in and work to better yourself.
Manifestation Journaling
We are often stuck in things, people, or situations that hinder us from realizing our goals. By writing down what’s not serving you anymore on paper, identifying the areas of your life that drain your energy, making an intentional decision to release them, and letting go of their influence on yourself and how you live your life. Let go of the toxic elements that you’re attached to. Let yourself be open to creating new connections, opportunities, and convictions that benefit you and align with your goals to manifest.
How to Form a Habit of Journaling
Each year, we set resolutions and are reminded that committing to them will require effort and consistency. It takes 66 days, on average, to establish a habit. So please take note of writing your entries regularly regardless of whether it’s daily, every other day, or even once per week.
It is your choice to experiment with the ideal timing. You can start early every morning for a couple of days. If it doesn’t feel right, you can open your journal in the evening or whenever you feel like writing. Eventually, you will start loving these 15 minutes you spend with yourself journaling.
Whatever frequency or time of the day you choose, set goals for your journaling routine which you can keep up with. Please don’t make a strict timetable making journaling feel like a tedious task. Journal when you are feeling excited or have a nagging thought.