Journaling For EVERYONE!
- Miss Flynn
- Apr 9, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 8, 2020
Journal Tips for Everyone
I get it...sometimes it is hard to free-write. We often have a hard time keeping a journal because we tend to go off on tangents when we are emotionally charged. On the other hand, some of us don’t even like to write in journals when we are emotionally charged! Putting your thoughts and goals on paper (or any other kind of medium) is truly an essential way to keep track of our mental health, and can be helpful and sometimes necessary for our inner growth.
It is not often that we even have time to journal, but right now we have all of the time in the world. I truly believe that this is an important time for self-reflection and inner growth. For those of you who have tried a few types of journals in the past but didn’t like it or didn’t stick to it, I am going to give you some tips on how to find the right way to record your thoughts, in a way that is tailored to YOU.
PS. I am planning on accompanying this post with a video clip eventually (if I am ever satisfied with it), so keep an eye out! Also, forgive any grammar errors...I am a social worker who happens to love lots of commas!
Structured Versus Unstructured
When many people think of journals, they think of the unstructured, or free write. Almost like a diary, this allows people just to write about whatever is going on in their mind or to record moments to look back on. For many, this is the easiest way to write. For others, this is frustrating and doesn’t really follow a rhyme or reason. Sometimes a person just has a hard time figuring out what to even write about! That’s why a good alternative to free write is guided journaling. Guided journals come in many forms, but typically there is a prompt or questions for you to answer. There are short answer questions you can answer about yourself, such as “what is your favorite song and why”. There are long answer journals that you can typically answer in a few sentences or more. This might include questions such as “if you ever found yourself in OZ, what would you do differently than Dorothy?”
In the video attached, I explain that you can typically buy these types of journals at a place such as Five Below, but you can always make your own with a notebook and do a quick search for questions through Pinterest or Google. I will explain more about this later on.
Past, Present, Future
There are different tenses to write about in your journal. I typically go through all three methods depending on how I am feeling.
When you write about your past, it is a way for you to keep a hold of your memories, whether good or bad, depending on how you think it would best assist you.
Writing about your present is helpful in that same token because you are writing about something that is happening as you are experiencing it. Sometimes that means that the emotion is raw and comes out that way on paper.
Of course, writing about your future is helpful because you are able to lay out your goals, hopes, and dreams. More on that later.
All three are really good to be able to look back on or for other generations to get to know you. I am trying to document a lot about my thoughts, struggles, philosophies, etc. for my future generations to read about me and what I was like. I wish I could have read the journals of my ancestors and direct family members that I have lost.
Formats
You can write a journal like a story, or you can write it like a list. Some people like to use bullet journals for this, but you don’t absolutely have to. List journals can be good for specific topics (see below) such as breaking down steps of a goal tracking things (you can even use chart-format).
Speaking of stories, you can even write a novel or short story as a journal! You can also write your own music or poetry. Writing a letter to someone (maybe someone you have lost) can also be a helpful way to feel better mentally. I also wanted to mention gratitude journals. Gratitude journals are helpful because it is a simple way to jot down some things that you are grateful for. Beyond that, you can actually train your brain to unconsciously look for things you are grateful for throughout your day if you do this consistently.
Journal Topics
You can also get as broad or as specific as you want! Here are a list of just a few topics that you can focus on: gratitude, workout tracking, healthy eating, to-do list, schedules, bucket list, emotion or mental health tracker, timelines, goals, budgeting, memories, venting, etc. Here’s a bonus topic…"what am I going to do once this pandemic is over?!"
Journaling Mediums
It’s not just pen and paper that you can use to journal! Many people use art (painting, sketches, crafts, pictures and photo albums/scrapbooks, etc.) They might use videos (some you might even see on blogs or YouTube). If you are interested in something more creative, you can even make a “vision board” or wish board!
Where to Find Journals
As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, the best place to find journals (especially guided journals) is Five Below. You may be able to order them online, but if not, I would try Amazon. If now is not the best time to be able to buy journals such as these, you can simply create your own journal. Use computer paper, notebook paper, sketchbooks, etc. Be creative! Use stickers, markers, or gel pens!
Remember, if you are more comfortable with guided journals but you are not able to buy one...simply check out Pinterest or do a Google search for some questions or prompts.
The last source I wanted to mention was Journal Apps. There are so many different types out there, but below is a link to a few really good ones:
The bottom line is that now is the time to be productive while the world is at a standstill. There is no time like the present to really focus on self-reflection in ANY form. Good luck and I hope you learn a lot about yourself!
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