How To Journal For Self-Growth And Improved Mental Health: Learn The Art Of Journaling
Journaling is a common habit of almost every successful person, and it has many benefits. Writing down your goals and ambitions makes you feel more accountable and dedicated to achieving them. Additionally, writing your thoughts and feelings helps you to connect with yourself, understand your emotions, and prioritize your feelings, which improves your mental health to a great extent.
It has been a month since I started journaling my thoughts in my journal every day. Personally, for me, journaling daily is an achievement in many ways, and that is why I wish to help you develop a habit of journaling.
Journaling is an intensely intimate and personal process, and everyone has their own way of journaling and letting out their emotions. There is no perfect or wrong way of journaling, and it is important to discover your own style of journaling. In this article, I am going to share my personal journaling experience and tips, along with some ideas that you can use to begin your journaling journey.
Common Mistakes I Made And You Must Avoid While Starting Journal Writing
Overthinking and Exaggerating Feelings
I started writing in a diary when I was 12, but I found myself only writing on special occasions when I was extremely excited or upset. These entries would often end up being very long, and I would ramble on until my feelings became exaggerated and overwhelming. This negative overthinking made me hate journaling. To journal effectively, it’s important to write mindfully. If you judge what you write and fill yourself with self-pity or self-loathing, it defeats the purpose of journaling. A victim mindset won’t help you grow. Instead, simply observe your thoughts and feelings, and let them go.
Writing As If It Is Going To Be Published
It can be tempting to think of your journal as a potential published work, but this mindset can create an obligation to be insightful and always make sense of things. This obligation makes the purpose of journaling obsolete. The purpose of journaling is to freely express whatever comes to your mind, without worrying about whether it makes sense or is insightful. Your journal should be a conversation with yourself and a reflection of your thoughts.
Writing Everything Down
“Dear Diary, Today I woke up at this time and then did this and then did that, and then this happened.” I used to write like this in my early teens. When I was younger, I used to write down every single detail of my day in my journal. However, I soon realized that this wasn’t necessary. The purpose of journaling is to declutter your mind, so you should write about whatever is on your mind, whether it’s a recurring thought, a feeling that won’t go away, or a new idea. You don’t need to recall every single thing you did during the day.
Copying Journaling Styles That Don’t Suit You
There are many different journaling styles suggested by influencers, book authors, and coaches. Some people recommend decorating your journal with stickers, using multiple colored pens, or following a specific format. However, if these techniques don’t suit you, then they’re not for you. You should develop your own journaling style that you enjoy. You can take inspiration from others, but ultimately you should be comfortable and enjoy the process.
Unnecessary Spending On Expensive Good-Looking Journals
There’s nothing wrong with buying a beautiful journal or notebook to start your writing journey. However, you shouldn’t just buy them to have them sit on a shelf unused. I personally enjoy buying beautiful notebooks, but I’ve found that if they’re too nice, I don’t want to write in them and make them messy. This is why I recommend getting a basic journal that you’re not afraid to spoil. Don’t be afraid to make your journal messy — the point is to clean up the mess inside your mind.
Figure Out What Kind Of Journal You Want To Write In
There are many different types of journals available on the market today, including gratitude journals, travel journals, daily journals, ambition journals, food journals, and more. Some people may also be unsure whether they should use a physical journal or a digital one. It is important to take the time to understand what kind of person you are and what your needs are when it comes to journaling. Ask yourself some honest questions, such as whether you need different notebooks for different purposes or whether you prefer using a digital journaling app or a physical paper journal.
For me personally, I find that I am more comfortable typing on my laptop, so I use it for my daily journaling. However, when I want to unwind or have a deep conversation with myself, I prefer my physical journal. I write my bigger goals in both my digital and physical journals. I like digital journaling because it is portable, easily accessible, and offers security and privacy. It is easy for me to jot down my thoughts on my device at the end or beginning of the day, and I can use passwords to secure my journal. This gives me inner satisfaction that nobody can easily read my journal, and I can be honest with myself in it.
On the other hand, handwritten journals have helped me focus better on my thoughts and be more creative. Sometimes, I print my journal entries on paper and stick them in my physical journal so that I can write more about them.
As British novelist Jon McGregor has said and I deeply agree to
“Pen and paper is always [at] hand. Writing on the page stays on the page, with its scribbles and rewrites and long arrows suggesting a sentence or paragraph be moved and can be looked over and reconsidered. Writing on the screen is far more ephemeral. A sentence deleted can’t be reconsidered.”
There is a lot of debate on the best way to journal, but ultimately, you have to design your own style. The key is to continuously experiment and wait until you start enjoying the process of journal writing.
What To Write In A Journal
When you start journaling, you may be confused about what you should write in your journal. It’s difficult to always have something to write about, but while starting, you must write down a few things like:
Your Mission And Vision-
I write my vision and mission very regularly in my journal because it helps me keep them in my subconscious mind, focus on them, and keep reinforcing them.
What You Want To Do Today Or Tomorrow-
I usually like having a separate to-do list to note all the tasks I wish to complete, but I also write down some of the very important tasks to do the next day in my journal. It helps me prioritize those tasks on my to-do list for the next day.
A Brief Review Of Your Day-
If you journal at the end of your day, you must write a brief review of your day. It will help you keep track of your mood and feelings, introspect on your day, and gain insights into what to be done and what not to be done in the future.
Gratitude-
Add a little gratitude to each day of yours, and you will see your life is very beautiful. I believe greatness starts from gratitude, and so all of us must take a few moments out each day and be grateful for what we have and what has been given to us by the universe and the almighty.
Affirmations-
Affirmations are a way of believing in yourself and motivating you to achieve your dreams without external support. It helps you realize your inner power and strength and develop self-confidence and self-faith. Daily affirmations are rocket fuel for yourself and your dreams.
Forgiveness-
Forgiving Others or Yourself. If you have grievances, grudges, or anger, you must release it by forgiving. Forgiving yourself and others will help you feel more at peace with yourself and give you the freedom to live happily. Forgiveness is not just about saying the words. “It is an active process in which you make a conscious decision to let go of negative feelings, whether the person deserves it or not,” Swartz says. As you release the anger, resentment, and hostility, you begin to feel empathy, compassion, and sometimes even affection for the person who wronged you. Write letters to yourself or others talking about the conflict and then write that you forgive them. It will help you release your own burden.
While journaling, sometimes you clearly know what you want to write, but sometimes it’s just you staring at the blank page with your pen in hand or staring at the blinking cursor on your screen, not able to figure out what you want to write. When I get stuck in such a situation, I take the help of the internet and use writing prompts to get ideas to start writing. (If you need more help with writing prompts, mention it in the comments, and I will be more than delighted to help you with that.)
When to Write Your Journal Entries
Some people recommend journaling in the morning, when you start your day, and setting the mood for the day by clearing your mind. Some people suggest writing in the night, before sleeping, or the end of the day, so that you can declutter your mind and introspect and reflect on your day and not repeat the mistakes the next day. Some say you can journal while you are commuting, it will help you save time and multitask. None of the approaches are wrong, you may choose any.
I personally prefer, writing at the end of the day. In the morning, I need time to clear the hazy cloud inside my head through a fresh piping liquid like coffee or tea and come to a conscious state. Evidently, I am not a very morning person. Writing at night has suited me, you must experiment and find what time suits you well.
Pro tips:
Keep a constant conscious smile while writing your journal.
Create a vision board inside your journal. (If you wish to get more info about how to make a vision board you can comment below)
You can personalize your journal with pictures and stickers of the memories of special events in your life. I stick Photos and small souvenirs to retain memories of special events and write about them. It’s not a necessity and you might not be able to do it all the time.
Sometimes I make my lists in the journal you can try it too.
Doodling in your journal is absolutely alright. Make diagrams, doodles, sketches, etc. Whatever helps you express yourself can be added to your journal. As I said earlier, don’t be afraid to make your journal a little messy.
You can write letters to your future self in your journal
when frustrated or furious, you can write all your worries and feelings down on a piece of paper and then destroy it by tearing it down to shreds or burning it. You feel a lot of peace and you are free from those problems. This is an excellent exercise to take out your rage and become calmer.
I am providing some YouTube video links that I found helpful to learn to journal when I started. Feel free to use it.
9 JOURNALING TIPS for beginners by The bliss bean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9efJ868yxo
Try This ONE Journal Exercise to REMOVE Anxiety and Overthinking In 24-Hours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5woKFjz1GM
the ultimate guide to keeping a journal (2023) https://www.youtube.com/watchv=dorBWD8u6Ho&list=TLPQMjkwMzIwMjO-sA9M5z5LSg&index=3
Thank you for reading😊
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XOXO
Priyanshi Sharma
