How to Journal for Wellness

How to Journal to promote a happier, more-grounded self

Journaling is touted as one of the best wellness tips. It can help quiet thoughts that are circular and create a sense of calm and ease anxiety. Also, it can act like a time capsule to where you are at at the point in time of writing. It can track habits and is a great way to measure progress.

               We hear a lot about WHY we should journal, but HOW do we do it effectively? There are a few different methods when it comes to journaling.

They include:

·        Day-to-day

·        Manifesting

·        Stream of conscious

·        Prompt driven

Before we dive into each type, here’s a bit of a reminder. Remember this is YOUR journal. Maintain it in whichever way works best for you to constantly use it. When I first started journaling, I would create arbitrary rules for myself to follow (each entry was it’s own page, it had to be a certain length, etc.) and ultimately, that didn’t work for me. I left a trail of journals with single entries in my wake. Eventually, I accepted that, when it came to journaling, a strict structure did not work for me. Now my entries are however long I feel that day and I consistently use it more.

Now! Back to journaling:

Here are a few options to consider when trying to figure out your journal:

1.      Day- to- day

This style of journaling focuses on what happened during your day. From morning til dusk, it acts almost like a memoir of your life. You can look back upon this and see what life was like during certain points of your life. You will write out what happened throughout the day and how it made you feel.

2.      Manifesting

In wellness circles, the concept of manifestation is very prevalent. What is manifestation? According to Oxford Dictionary “Manifesting is to display or show(a quality or feeling) by one’s acts or appearance”. In journaling, this is projecting what you want your life to be or how you want to feel. This is typically with an “I am” statement.

        For example: If I want to work towards feeling happy in my life, I would write “I am happy with the life I create”

A lot of folks choose to manifest on particular dates such as full moons or the first of the month to set a guide for what’s to come. Please see the disclaimer: This is your journal. Manifest however you want, whenever you want.

3.      Stream of conscious

Stream of conscious is writing what you’re thinking at that time. You write for as long or as little as you want. This encompasses what you think on certain topics, how you’re feeling about your life, and just the rabbit hole that is your mind. I know, personally, I can start thinking about candles and wind up considering a career in sports betting. Stream of conscious writing gives space for all of the ideas in your head to come out without judgement.

4.      Prompt Driven

If you struggle with where to begin, there are many prompt driven journals out in the world! You can find them at places like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or Books a Million. There are smaller creators who make them as well! With this one, finding a journal that resonates is most important. Not all prompts or themes will be up your alley and that’s okay! Get another book and try again. There is no shame in not resonating with something. It is better to go back and find a new journal than give up on journaling all together.

Supplies:

Pens

               Now that we have covered some basic journaling types, let’s briefly dive into supplies. I personally love Le Pen pens; however an inexpensive option is the BIC jumbo packs. Both pens are consistent and write beautifully. The Le Pen pen produces more ink and will slightly bleed through thinner paper. The Bic pens are a tried and true classic and write smoothly with less ink.

               In my journal, which has heavier paper, I use LePen. For work or in a pinch, I use Bic.

Paper:

               What you write on is as important as the utensil you use. Meaning: choose whatever you will USE. I like thick papered, leather bound journals that are unlined. When I started journaling, I consistently kept choosing spiral bound, college ruled notebooks since I was so familiar with them. These notebooks are very convenient for work or school, but I found in creative endeavors, I typically didn’t reach for them. Also, having an unlined journal gives me space to write in creative shapes and make a mess if I’m feeling particularly in a mood.

Conclusion:

Journaling really is one of the best ways to benefit your wellbeing. It creates a safe space for you to write out what you’re thinking and feeling without judgement. The goal is to consistently practice this to feel better about yourself.

Play around with different types of writing and also different supplies! Whatever resonates most with you will lead to a consistent practice. Combining a couple of these ideas works as well. I typically use a day-to-day with a dash of stream of consciousness in my practice.