5 Tips to Start to WRITE in Your Journal
Journaling is the process of taking pen to paper, or fingers to a keyboard and taking note of personal experiences, reflections and occurrences on a regular basis. It is a personal journey of gaining clarity on a variety of areas in your life you may be interested in exploring. It could be gaining clarity on who you are as a person, understanding your emotions, reflecting back on past experiences, or looking into the future, just to name a few.
Journaling has many benefits when it is added into your daily routine and it can have an impact on how you show up, not only in your personal life but also professionally. Taking the time to journal and really dive deep into your thoughts and emotions will provide you with a better understanding of why you do the things you do. This provides you the clarity you need to become aware of certain things or situations that may be a trigger for you and be able to catch them before they happen or stop and make a change.
Journaling also reduces anxiety and stress by getting your thoughts onto paper instead of them spiralling in your head. When you write about your anxiety or stressors, it becomes easier to differentiate if your thoughts are realistic or if they have become a big story you are telling yourself that is not true.
Here are a few tips to help you start to WRITE in your journal:
W – Where to start
You may be asking yourself, where do I even being? I know - I asked myself this question when I started. The first thing I did was I had conversations with friends and coworkers who have experience in journaling and got their perspective about how they started. Everyone has their own unique way of journaling and there are so many different types and areas to focus on. When I was ready to start my journaling journey, I purchased a pretty journal that I knew I would want to write in. For myself I knew that I would need some journaling prompts to get me started, instead of staring at a blank page asking myself what should I write. I found prompts for the month and made it a goal to journal every day for the month of March. Another option is to purchase a guided journal with questions to get you thinking and become more intentional. Ask us about our Intentional Journal series!
R – Release judgement
This was a huge a-ha moment for me when I started my journaling journey. Your journal is your safe place; these entries do not have to be shared with anyone but yourself. There is no reason to hold back, or judge yourself for your thoughts. Remind yourself to journal from a place of no judgement, this will allow you to have breakthroughs, a-ha moments, and gain clarity on different aspects of your life.
I – Intentions
When I started my journaling journey, one piece of advice that was given to me by a coworker was to set an intention and to come from a place of healing. I remind myself of this every time I journal as I have found it helps remove any pressures or expectations I may have previously set for myself. I also like to start and end with an affirmation, the one I repeat is “I unconditionally accept, love and appreciate myself and who I am.”
T – Time
Set time aside during your daily routine to journal. I have added journaling into my morning routine right after I complete my gratitude journal. Find a time that works for you where there are no distractions and you can focus on your journal entry. Remember to honour this time as yours; set an alarm to remind yourself to take the time and help keep you accountable. Another important note to share is that if you miss a day, don’t dwell or stress out about it. Pick it up the next day right where you left off.
E – End with self-care
Self-care is such an important step in journaling, while journaling itself is an act of self-care, I found it extremely beneficial to end my journaling session with another act of self-care. Journaling can be an emotional process and I found sometimes when I would complete my entry I needed something to pick me back up to my best self. I like to work out after I journal, for others it may be reading a book, going for a walk or dancing it out.
Beginner Journaling Prompts
Here are a few prompts to get you started on your journaling journey!
- What am I most proud of professionally? Why?
- What is your definition of success?
- How can I be a better communicator?
- How am I spending my time on a daily basis? Is there anything that needs to be adjusted?
- What goals do I want to achieve this quarter? How will I achieve those goals?
Let us know how journaling has impacted you in your personal or professional life. Share your story in the comments below.
