Hey you,
I hope you have been well?
Today, I will be talking about how to start a journal. If you want more information on what journaling exactly is, the different types of journals and what you need, click here. In this post the focus is on the importance of journaling and how to turn journaling into a habit.
The importance of journaling
If you’re an overthinker like me, someone who spends a lot of their time reflecting on the things of life, how to do better, ideas that might lead to the next jackpot in life, journaling is quite essential.
The importance of journaling is that you are processing your thoughts in a healthy way. By writing down the thoughts that are flowing through your mind, it becomes easier to know which things to pay attention to and which things are lies and which things are truth, for more on this topic, I have a post on self-love.
Benefits of journaling
Journaling has many benefits, but one of the major reasons why I believe journaling is good for you is being present.
When you look at all of the things that are happening around us, you will realize that it’s going really fast, often too fast to keep up with, but then when you think about it: who are you trying to keep up with? On who’s pace are you trying to live your life?
How to start a journal and make it a habit
Define the purpose of this journal
To start a journal, you need to have a clear view of what you’re going to use it for. You have to define the why of your journal and set time aside to write out that vision as well.
Create a writing routine
It’s important to set some time aside to journal every day. To start a journal, it’s important to realize that you can’t rush it. Whenever you try to rush life, you’ll find yourself feeling overwhelmed or anxious. So, make sure the time you set aside to journal, you’re distracted by other things.
Make sure you journal regularly. Try and even write one sentence a day. Build it up from there. Start with something easy such as answering the question: “how am I feeling?”
Use journal prompts
Sometimes it’s a struggle to know what to write about and when this happens, it’s easy to give up on journaling all together, but don’t.
When you start a journal, journal prompts do come in handy. Try journal prompts, if you want to know what journal prompts are, read this post.
Tips for journaling
- Don’t complicate it; don’t put too much focus on the structure of journaling, rather than just writing what’s on your mind.
- Savour the moment you start a journal. Everyt time you write in that journal, embrace the moment.
- Keep doing it consistently; even when you don’t feel like it, write at least 1 sentence a day, if you do miss a day, make sure you don’t miss 2 days
- If writing daily is hard, schedule it in weekly. It’s okay to build it up, don’t forget you’re trying to create a habit, not a temporary fix.
- Make it fun; add stickers or colour or draw in it as well, make the experience to journal nice according to what sparks your interest most.
Let go of judgments and doubts (write for your eyes only)
It’s your journal. No one is going to read it, so you can write in it how you want to write in it. Make sure that you’re honest and free while you write, everything that you try to keep in your mind what isn’t supposed to be there, will cludder your mind. The mess in your mind will not help you forward. So, just write and enjoy yourself, cry if you need to cry, laugh if that’s what you feel like doing.
To start a journal is to start a personal journey. It’s not something that’s for group purposes.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you have please don’t be shy and leave a like or a comment! 😉
If you want to read more posts, click here.
If you want to follow my day to day journey, follow me on Instagram here and on Pinterest here.
Big love,
Joy
