Journaling - Is it for you?

Journaling - What's the deal?

Do you journal? Maybe you’re like me, well at least how I used to be and never journaled. I never had anything against it but could never get into it no matter how many times I tried. And to be honest, I felt like I sucked at journaling. After hearing the benefits countless times I decided to keep trying and then finally found my groove. In this episode, I share not only the benefits but ways you can finally journal successfully and experience those benefits.

As I mentioned, I felt like I sucked at journaling. Why? Because I could never keep up with it. I worked at it for many years. I heard it was good for me, but always stopped doing it because, well frankly, I just forgot. It was only when I forced myself to create a new morning routine and add journaling into it did I find success. Then I started noticing benefits within the first couple of weeks. Some of the things I noticed were that I had a clearer sense of my life and my emotions. Journaling helped me process everything that was going on. The rough things and it helped me relive the amazing times I had. My sense of well being was enhanced, it made me feel like I was in control of my life, and reduced symptoms of depression. Journaling can also reduce symptoms of post trauma disorder as it helps you with the things you went through. It can help you gain a better memory as you are actively trying to remember the different things you did in the day.

Journaling can be done in pretty much any way that works for you; everybody journals differently. Personally, I like to be in a private area without other people around. Your journal should be for your eyes only, nobody else needs to see it. (except for possibly your therapist if you have one) When I first started journaling, what I wrote was more like bullet points but it gradually changed into paragraphs and pages of writing, you can write in whatever way you want. The most important thing is to be honest and be open, write down your feelings otherwise you’re bottling them up inside and that’s not healthy. Try to write four to seven times a week, if you forget a few days it’s ok, don’t beat yourself up over it, but go back to it. In order to remember doing it, I personally journal at about the same time each day. It’s after my morning workout. There are days that I forget, but that’s ok because I always manage to get back on track the next day. The amount of time you use to journal doesn’t matter, you can take two or three minutes, all the way to an hour if you really want. Just make sure that you take enough time to truly write down your feelings and get your emotions out. Your journal can be anything from a few sheets of notebook paper to a fancy leather bound book, as long as it’s something that you can write your feelings down in.

In essence, journaling has some amazing benefits if you keep it up regularly. Everything from reducing depression, having a clearer sense of self, and overall happiness. The way you journal is up to you. Whether it’s bullet points or pages upon pages. If it works for you, it works for journaling. Also, be honest as you write. It is for your eyes only. So write down your thoughts, your feelings, and get them out of your head and on a sheet of paper. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Lastly, it can be tricky to journal daily. Try adding it to your daily routine so you have it scheduled at the same time every day. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up. Just come back to it and keep going.

I personally use the Priorities of Practice Journal I created a few months ago. It helps me track my gratitudes, affirmations, workouts, journaling and more. If you would like a copy, you can get it by clicking here: PRIORITIES OF PRACTICE JOURNAL

I would love to hear what you think about Journaling and the different ways that you journal! Please send me a message on social media at @Jonesinfor or email me at smj190@gmail.com. Thanks!