It can be hard to believe that this seemingly small task (paired with other practices) could have such a profound impact on a person’s healing and mental wellbeing in general. But when it does, it does. I’ve witnessed my mind unfold and shift with the help of writing. If you want to figure out how to start journaling yourself, then read on. I’ve poured my heart out to give you an honest idea of how this practice can help you.
Contents Of “How To Start Journaling?”
Before we learn how to start journaling, what even is it? It’s “a mental, emotional, and spiritual exercise that helps you build strong “emotional muscles” to deal with life’s difficulties and uncertainties.” The act of consistently writing down can help unclutter and process your thoughts and feelings, so they are less likely to swarm through your mind and body.
There are many different techniques and formats of journaling, depending on what you want out of it. For example, you can build love for yourself and for the world around you with gratitude journaling. Or you can work through past experiences with more in-depth and self-reflective journaling.
Learning The Benefits Can Encourage You To Want To Learn How To Start Journaling
Here are a few examples as to why I encourage everyone to journal:
Mental Clarity
I know how it feels to be sucked up in the emotional twister that is our minds. Journaling helps purge you of this storm, so you can start to see clear skies again. In other words, once you dump out those thoughts and feelings, you can see things more objectively and act accordingly.
Freedom To Express, Without Judgement
If you’ve been like me and didn’t feel safe to speak up or say what you truly felt, this can be challenging at first. You’ll pick up on those moments where you feel the urge to change words to downplay your experience. But remember, the pages of your journal hold no judgement; they are there to provide you with safety and understanding. With time, you won’t feel the need to edit yourself as much, because it’s your experience.
Self-Awareness And Insight
Journaling can help you uncover patterns and behaviours that have kept you stuck. Because of journaling, I have been able to see where in my life I was reacting, not responding. Trust me when I say that, for some of us, it can feel almost impossible to process emotions when you’re feeling emotions. But through journaling, you can step back and see where you need to change, so you can become the type of human you wish to be.
Also, because journaling requires honesty and vulnerability, you are able to see just how unkind you have been to yourself. You can start to unpack why and change that self-defeating habit.
Emotional Intelligence and Resilience
Emotional intelligence helps you recognise how your emotions affect yourself and those around you, as well as how their feelings affect you. And emotional resilience is your ability to adapt to and cope with these sometimes stressful experiences. Before I started building these, I was covertly hypersensitive. There’s a quote that sums up how painful “feeling” was: You’re the “emotional version of being a burn victim. Everything in the world hurts more than it seems to for everyone else, and any ‘thick skin’ you are supposed to have just isn’t there.” Thankfully, these skills can be learned and developed through practices like journaling.
Learn The Types, Before Learning How To Start Journaling
It helps to learn about the types, before learning how to start journaling. I’ll discuss the types I’ve tried and tested:
Expressive Writing
Ah, where it all began. This was my safe haven. I remember feeling so alone and unloved when I was 12 years old and just pouring my little heart out on to the pages of a notebook. I restarted my journaling practice with this classic. You literally purge your mind of whatever is occupying it and write it down. No need for structure or neatness. Just write.
Journal Prompts
We’re getting into more structured territory now. This is similar to expressive writing, but you’ll answer prompts or questions. This helped me start to reflect and uncover issues I wanted to address. Online, I found a huge range of prompts for areas I wanted to work on. From building self-forgiveness to unpacking trauma. Just type into Google ‘journal prompts,’ and see what jumps out for you.
Shadow Work
This is a type of psychotherapy based on the concepts created by psychiatrist Carl Jung. I discovered it when I researched ways to process childhood trauma. This form of journaling connects the practical side of exploration with the spiritual side of the unconscious. There are parts of our past and ourselves that we have repressed. The aim here is to bring all parts into the light, even the not-so-pretty parts. So that you can see “how your thoughts and emotions influence your behaviour” and change for the better.
Gratitude Entries
This type of journaling is specific for building gratitude into your life. There are different ways it can be done. Some jot down a few things that made them feel grateful for the day; others will wake up and write. For me, I do this practice twice a week in the evening, but more in depth (approximately an A4 page worth). I answer a few gratitude prompts (found online) and then free-write at the end. My free-write is where I reflect on what made me feel grateful throughout the day or what felt positive for me. Then I reread through the whole page and truly take it in. If you pay close enough attention, you can feel your heart filling up (cheesy, I know, but true).
Neurocycling
This is a 5-step system I learned once I discovered neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf, and is based on neuroplasticity. This is my current journaling practice, along with gratitude entries and ‘the daily practice.’ Dr. Leaf describes it as a form of “mind management” where you unpack this “toxic tree” (which is the thought you want to deal with) and expose the roots to see what has been driving the unhealthy habits and behaviours. Then you continue through the cycle to reconceptualize these roots and build a new “healthy tree” (which would be the healthier behaviours or the new pattern you want to embrace). This works in 63-day cycles. I do pay to access the full 63 days on the app. I have no affiliation with it; I have just found the practicality and structure of it to be just what I need right now, at this point in my healing journey.
The Daily Practice
I’ve been following this amazing channel called The Crappy Childhood Fairy. Anna Runkle created a free course called ‘The Daily Practice.’ I took it, and I’m so glad I did. I had gotten to a point where I felt I had evolved from just free-writing whatever was occupying my mind, but I still needed a safe place where I could get those thoughts out. This practice is great because it doesn’t require you to dig deep into your fears and resentments (that’s what my Neurocycle is for); its purpose is to give your mind an instant outlet to dump whatever is troubling you at the time. It is then followed by meditation.
How To Start Journaling?
This is probably the main question that brought you to this post right? How to start journaling?
You can read anything and everything about the power behind journaling, but until you put pen to paper or finger to electronic device, you won’t experience any of it. I get it; this can be easier said than done. So be patient with yourself; this is unfamiliar territory, and like any new skill, it’ll take time to develop.
I think it helps to ask yourself, why do you want to journal? Because the answer can help steer you in the right direction when choosing what type of journaling would work for you. For example, I initially chose expressive journaling because I felt like I was suffocating with every thought and emotion my mind was throwing at me, and I just needed it out. Then I moved on to more reflective and explorative journaling.
How To Start Journaling? Decide Where You Want To Journal
Not so much the setting, but the medium. Are you more digital or traditional? I’ve done both. I notice I’m more mindful when I’m using a pen and paper because I feel the pen moving in my hand, and my mind starts to slow to stay at the pace of my writing. But when I’ve been desperate and I’ve had none to hand, typing onto my phone’s notes has been such a relief.
Build A Routine But Keep It Realistic
Like I said at the beginning of the post, it wasn’t until I made this a habit that I started to reap the rewards. So if you want to take this seriously, commit. I don’t want you to feel like this is a chore, so keep it small if needed, but keep it consistent.
I’ve re-evaluated my journaling routine throughout my healing journey because, as I evolved, my routine needed to evolve too. Now, I complete ‘The Daily Practice’ twice a day (each followed by a mediation), then, either before work or on my lunch, I’ll complete my Neurocycle, and finally, twice a week, I complete my gratitude entry. But as I progress, I’ll reflect and adjust.
The above is just an example of how I journal, but it is not the template. We are all different, and because of this, one routine is not better than the other; it is only different. Choose what works for you, your goals, and your life.
Remember this is a personal experience.
Do you think you’ll start journaling? If you do journal, what’s your style and how does it help you? I’d love to hear your story. Leave a comment or just fill out a contact form!
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