Since being at home more, I’ve been SO much more into journaling. It’s become a way to put my thoughts onto paper and have a safe space to discuss my thoughts and feelings. More recently, I purchased a journal with prompts to follow every day which makes journaling even more exciting for me. Through journaling, this is what I’ve learned that you can too!
It gives you a routine.
While it may seem like a task, carving out time out of your day to journal takes less time than you think. I like to think of it as “self-care”, or me-time. Setting a time out of your morning or night-time routine to journal sets you up for your day ahead, or gives you time to look back on the day and reflect. I like to journal at night, it gives me time to put my phone down for a moment and start fresh. It clears my mind, and I can take the time to respond to the journal prompt or just write freely.
You’ll learn more about yourself.
Sometimes journaling challenges you in different ways. Each prompt may vary, just as each journal entry may vary. I’ve written both freely and using prompts, but either way, it makes you think of what you want to get out of it. How did you feel today? What went well, or not so good? By taking the time to write down your thoughts on paper, you get to think more about how you’re feeling or what was bothering you that day.
It gives you time to think.
Taking the time out of your day to journal also gives you time to think and reflect about your day ahead, or anything that just happened. Whether you want to learn more about your feelings, thoughts, relationships with others, or just a reflection of the day, it’s a space for you to break down anything in your life, whether it’s good or bad.
It can become therapeutic, and something you look forward to.
When journaling becomes a regular part of your day, it gives you something to look forward to. Think of it as a form of self-care. It’s a time for just you and your thoughts to be free on paper. You’ll realize it makes you calmer when you’re writing, and that’s something I’ve learned to love about the act of journaling itself.
The journal I’ve been using for everyday prompts is called the Better Every Day journal from a company called “Inside Then Out”. It sells for about $30, and it’s definitely worth the purchase. I hope that whatever journal you get, you find journaling to be just as therapeutic and find a newfound passion for it too.