A Guide To Journaling—Change Your Life The Way You Want.

Do you want to create the best version of yourself? I suppose you’ve heard of ‘Journaling.’ It is the practice of keeping a journal or diary to express or/and record your thoughts.

Benefits of Journaling:

Well-known personalities like Albert Einstein, Frida Kahlo, Oscar Wilde, Franz Kafka, Maya Angelou—just to name a few, swore by their journals.

Susan Sontag, American Writer & Filmmaker says, “In the journal, I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.”

I am keeping a journal for eight years now, and here goes my experience:

1. Journaling is therapeutic—I’m opening up in a space I’d trust my life with.

2. It helped me connect with my mind.

3. When I read what I’ve written, I am looking at my life as a third person. This helps me analyze the course of my life.

4. I make effective decisions quicker than I’d have made otherwise.

How is journaling important to me, personally?

With countless resources to divert your attention, you are less likely to prioritize the need to spend time with yourself, which can be the root of many problems—physical and emotional. A journal will help you here if you take it as an opportunity to look inwards and self-reflect.

According to psych central, Journaling helps in the following ways:

· Clarify your thoughts and feelings.

· Know yourself better.

· Reduce stress.

· Solve problems more effectively.

· Resolve disagreements with others.

Though there are different types of journals that serve different purposes, the purpose of all is the same—to prioritize YOU.

journaling for beginners:

What should I do to get started with journaling?

1. Decide upon the type of journal you are interested in based on your priorities. Check this out: 20 Types of Journals to Keep.

2. Arrange a notebook and a pen.

3. You can write regularly, at the same time of the day. That way, you are less likely to miss it in the busyness of your day. Early morning or night before sleeping works best, as you are free of any work distractions.

4. Find a quiet corner to write. You surely don’t want a chaotic environment to disturb your flow of thoughts. Plus, quiet space will boost your feeling of privacy.

5. If you are a forgetful person, put a reminder on your phone.

Points to remember:

· You don’t need to write every single day in your journal.

· You don’t need to write about every little happening in your life.

· You don’t need to follow any structure if you wish not to. You are totally free to write however you want.

· You don’t need to necessarily make sense through your writing. Journaling is no test to fetch the best writer in the industry; you are just having a conversation or affirmation with your inner self.

· Don’t let the grammar or language barrier restrict you. Write in whatever language you feel comfortable in when expressing your truest self.

Journaling need not be always an insightful record, it can be just a quick check-in of things. It can also be a self-reminder that no matter what, you are there for yourself.

THE BULLET JOURNAL METHOD:

If you are looking for a type of journal where you can schedule, brainstorm, make to-do lists, add reminders, or track your life in a neat, organized manner, a bullet journal (is sometimes known as a BuJo) is your thing.

Ryder Caroll, creator of 'The Bullet Journal' explains how to get started here:

Journaling continues changing many lives around the world, including me. It’s an excellent practice. But for a chosen few, it can get them into problems. For example: If you are overthinking about your journal and it keeps you from experiencing your life first-hand or you are writing about a negative thought and you are spending your entire time doing that. Such problems are avoidable and totally in your control.

Here’s a tip: Set a timer of one minute on your initial days and work your way up gradually till say 10 minutes. Don’t overdo journaling. Overdo nothing in life, actually.

But, if in the long run, you cannot practice journaling for your good, please discontinue.

GET STARTED WITH THIS JOURNALING PROMPTS:

I want to journal, but I don’t know what to write. What should I do?

Fret not. I have prepared a list of 30 journaling prompts that will give your journaling journey a kick start. Please email me at poojak.writer@gmail.com with the subject "FREE JOURNALING PROMPTS."

Start journaling, if you haven’t already, and take a step towards a brighter you.

Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to the blog for updates on the upcoming blog posts. Thank You.