Journaling is a method of keeping record of your personal thoughts, emotions, and insights. I’ve heard from so many people that they wish they could get into the practice. But for whatever reason(s), they haven’t been able to. Journaling has played a huge part in holding me accountable to my feelings and emotions over the years. But first, I had to learn to make it work for me—to stop being confined by how I thought it should be. If you want a simple way to create some effective me-time, journaling is a great place to start. And there are some very practical ways to get started and to stick with it.
So why journal?
A Penn State study found that adults with various medical conditions and elevated anxiety who participated in a web-based Positive Affect Journaling (PAJ) intervention for 15 minutes three days a week for 12 weeks experienced decreased mental distress and increased feelings of overall well-being after one month. Journaling is such an effective way to improve your overall mental health and reduce anxiety. And not to mention it’s super accessible in terms of cost and ease.
How to get started
- Let go of your judgments:
Seriously. If you’re hung up on it being a perfect process or if what you’re writing sounds good, let that go. Journaling is honestly what you make of it. It’s a private conversation with yourself (even God or sometimes someone else if you choose). The only rule here is to be authentic and vulnerable enough to open up to yourself.
- Explore what techniques work best for you:
I prefer free writing on a blank page, but I know that’s not for everyone. Maybe you have a lot of thoughts you need to get out (like me) or maybe you have no idea what to say. Consider a journal with prompts to help get you started. It is also super beneficial to practice gratitude and there are journals specifically for that as well. Try a little of everything before giving up on it, maybe you just haven’t found the best technique to keep you inspired.
- Decide how you will journal:
I’m traditional and prefer pen to paper. But maybe keeping a digital journal is best for you. You can find fun templates online or just use a google doc. Some of my friends don’t like writing at all, so they speak their thoughts into their phones. Write or speak in complete sentences or bullet points. You can even doodle your thoughts. The key is to make sure your feelings and milestones are captured somewhere. It not only helps you better process things in the moment, but it becomes a record to recognize progress, setbacks, and even themes in your life. Without the record, it’s so easy to forget how you’ve progressed.
- Find a schedule that works for you:
This is the part that may worry you the most. You’ve probably heard that it’s important to create a routine around journaling, which is true. But it’s most likely not what you’re thinking. In the study mentioned above, it only took 15 minutes, 3 times per week to improve well-being. And I have been journaling for over 10 years, but I’ve never been able to commit to writing every day for a long period of time. To be honest, I sometimes go many weeks without picking up my journal. Sometimes, I do write every day. While I am admittedly not the most consistent with it, I have made it a pillar in my mental health toolbox and it is there for me whenever I need it. I’m not suggesting this as the right way to do things but as a testimony to the fact that journaling can and should work for you. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of loving a solid routine versus needing extreme flexibility, journaling is for you.
In my experience, journaling is worth the initial awkwardness you may feel. Like anything, it may take practice before it starts to feel natural. But if you’re looking for an easy way to carve out 5-10 minutes of your day to focus on you, journaling will always be there. If you don’t have a journal already, find a super cute one you’ll love to stare at, to keep it top of mind. Or just start jotting things down in the notes app of your phone. Whatever you do, try it. And then try again.
SLFSHLY 