JOURNALING: Do You Really Need It? This Will Help You Decide!
The pandemic came, and it demanded slowing down. In the beginning, everyone welcomed this notion of being home, working from their comfortable rooms, in pajamas, no strict wake-up calls or timelines. I was the same. It felt like a welcome break to spend more time with family back home. But a month down the line, with finances taking a hit, cash inflow restricting to a bare minimum, the pile of bills looming atop like a mountain, I was slowly losing it. Feeling sad, depressed, with zero positivity left.
Well, this isn’t a story of rags to riches, this is a story of finding an anchor. I needed an anchor that I could hold on to and lift myself whenever I spiraled. That would be there not just when I needed it, but also when I didn’t. Just knowing of its presence was a lift. I read an article about the science of Journaling and thought, why not? I had such a drive to start it and didn’t think much of whether or not I could keep it. So here I am, 100 (continuous) days later, sharing my journey and the impact that Journaling had on me.
The Beginning
When I first started out, I had no idea what I wanted to write. I started with “Gratitude Journaling” listing down things I was grateful for, which, to be honest- were almost none at that time. My negative mindset was so strong, I couldn’t see anything good around me. So, the initial days were quite a bummer. But just writing down even one word, (which made no sense) was something I started looking forward to every day.
Days 1- 10 were spent only figuring out, scribbling random thoughts, writing the day’s chores, writing to-dos, anything. But I got into the habit, and I liked it. That’s when I had some intention of going into it each day. Some days I would look at certain prompts online and write, while some days I would write what flowed in my thoughts. Sometimes when I felt ambitious, I even created some amateur poems. Were all these literary pieces? No, not even a bit. Did this make me feel good? Oh yes, 100 percent.
Deep Diving
This habit of writing a little daily gave rise to starting a few more habits and trying hard to keep up with them too. I pulled out my planner lying in a corner of my house and planned the upcoming month. Goals, action plans, et al. And I did not achieve all those things in the first month itself, but I did in the third. Had I not started, I would still have those things somewhere in my mind but not executed.
What has this habit done for me?
As I said, this is no rags to riches story. Just writing in my diary doesn’t ensure that money will come on its own or that it’s some magic that will take away all my problems and I will lead a carefree life forever. No. Not at all. My finances are still low, I find it hard even now because the situation has gone from bad to worse regarding Covid-19. I still have those super gloomy days.
What has changed, though, is this, and it’s important.
Journaling keeps me sane. I know I can pour my heart out, write, cry, smile and emote anything to it. The diary doesn’t judge me. Whenever I spiral, it anchors me, gives me the courage to lift myself up again. In good times, it reminds me to be grateful. It helps me to keep going at my other habits, to fulfill my daily tasks, to eventually achieve my monthly goals. I have deliberately not missed a single day of writing at least a page these last 100 days and it has worked wonders for my mental health and emotional wellbeing.
So, I would say, try it. Not to change your life, but just to build a small habit in the beginning. When it ends up changing your life, you won’t even know :)
Some reservations you may have-
1. I’m not good at writing, this may not be good for me.
This isn’t a competition. This is like a personal diary. You can write in any language, in broken grammar, in any way that pleases you. The most important part is having some intention when you write. It may just be two lines a day.
2. Journaling is for artsy people. Not my cup of tea.
Do not be even one bit overwhelmed by the beautiful images that pop up when you type Journaling in the search box of any search engine or social media. People do that because even making art is therapy. If you are good at it, go full out and create something beautiful, if you are not, don’t worry. Stick to your plain pages and write in your handwriting, however good or bad it may be.
3. How can writing everyday help my productivity?
It isn’t just writing; it is intentional writing.
You write what you have, what you want, what you feel, what you aspire, and when you do that, you automatically start making smarter choices. It is like feeding the subconscious. You sow the seeds through your writing and reap the productive outcomes in the long run. I built a healthy routine for myself which included daily reading, exercises, mediation, focus on developing alternative income streams, etc. Some of these were lost habits while some were things I kept running away from. But intentional writing helped me make these a part of my regular life and made me much more productive than before.
4. Can’t I just write online, or on my phone?
Well, you can. But I just wouldn’t be able to focus or be accountable if it was online. There is too much noise online, hence I chose a physical book, kept in sight. So I knew I had to put a few lines at the end of the day. You could use any method that suits you. Being consistent and intentional is what matters.
5. I don’t think I will write every day without fail.
Believe me, even I did not. I am someone who hates routine. But this habit formed so easily. One day I was working late and just dozed off of exhaustion. When I opened my eyes, it was about 2 am and I had to get to my bed and sleep properly. But you know what? Just before hopping on to the bed, I realized I hadn’t written in my journal that day. I quickly took out my book, logged in a few lines, and then went off to bed. So this habit won’t be forceful. It would be something you would want to do each day.
Some Ideas to get you started
Normal Journaling then led me to discover more forms. I tried my hand at Bullet Journaling, Gratitude Journaling, Art Journaling, Meditative Journaling, so much more… All forms come with their own charm. You can pick and choose and then stick to whatever you like. Here are some forms you can start with if you absolutely have no idea where to begin.
1. Travel Journal- Start writing about your travels, some anecdotes, some incidents that you wouldn’t want to forget. Add in a few pictures if you like.
2. Personal Diary- Make those ‘Dear Diary’ like posts and start logging in each day’s activities. Don’t forget to be intentional, though. Don’t just write what happened. Write what you felt, what would you change about what happened if it was unpleasant or what would you do to keep repeating such incidents if it was a cheerful memory that brought positive vibes.
3. Art Journal- If you love art, start making a small piece every day and write about how it made you feel or what was the idea behind its creation. It could be a simple drawing, a mandala, a zentangle, or even something crafty.
4. Bullet Journal- This is an advanced journal practice, but also highly effective. You may not want to begin with this as it demands a bit more time, but you may definitely try it out sometimes later.
5. Literary Journal- If you are good with words then write daily musings, small poems, articles using some writing prompts. You can find so much inspiration from this when you look back.
6. Make your mix- Take all these and try to mix n match to create your own Journal style. There is no right or wrong. The liberty is all yours :)
Make that decision-
I feel I have given you enough points to finally be able to make your decision. Let me know if you have and if you need any help in keeping up with the task. You could DM me on my Instagram anytime :) Happy Journaling!
