How to Start a Journal Practice for a Deeper Connection to Yourself
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When I was in the 6th grade, I started a journaling practice. I didn’t really understand why or how to journal, but each night I’d pull out my diary and just pour my heart out.
I’d write about how my day went, a fight I got in with one of my friends, or about my crush who I was secretly in love with.
Journaling gave me so much peace and clarity. I couldn’t believe how much better it made me feel. Anytime I felt stressed out overwhelmed, all I had to do was write about it and I instantly felt ok.
Writing helped me understand my feelings and decide what action to take. It helped me understand myself deeper and love myself more. And now I love helping others do the inner work to love themselves more too!
To me, journaling has always been like magic.
I kept journaling for years. Sometime around high school I let my journaling practice go. I’m still not sure why, but when I let my journaling practice go.. I felt like a piece of me left with it.
In the past year, I’ve gotten back into it and it feels AMAZING! I found my journaling practice, and with it, I feel like I’ve found a part of myself I’ve been missing.
As a self care & mindset coach, I’m so passionate about helping women put themselves first and create that deep connection with themselves.. and journaling? Well, I think it’s the best place to start!
So how do you start a journaling practice?
Buy a journal and pens
Well, the first step is to buy yourself a pretty journal and set of pens. You can use any old journal, but I personally think it’s so much more fun to get one you love.
I use and love these felt tip pens! Using different colors make journaling more fun and visually it helps break up my words to make it easier to understand.
Decide on your why
It’s important when starting any new habit to ask yourself, Why do I want to make this a habit in my life?
There’s lots of reasons people journal. Here are a few of mine:
- It helps me put words to my emotions
- It helps me feel less overwhelmed and more in control of my life
- It helps me relax and listen to my intuition
- It helps me untangle confusing thoughts, ideas, and emotions so I can manage them better
- It helps me know myself and love myself more
As you think about why, ask yourself how your life might be different in 6 months or 1 year if you begin journaling. How will your relationship with yourself and others change? How will your daily mindset be different? What are the possible benefits of bringing a consistent journaling practice into your life?
Knowing your why makes you more likely to stick with it long term and more likely to get more out of the process!
Commit on a time
Finding the time to journal is a struggle I hear many people have. But the truth is, like anything else in life, if you make it a priority, you will find the time.
You don’t need to commit to hours of journaling. Start small with 5 or 10 minutes a day, or commit to writing 2 pages a day. Starting small can help a new habit feel more realistic and manageable.
I personally love to journal in the morning. As a morning person, I feel most energized and clear-headed after I wake up. This is the time I love to practice self care and do my journaling!
So ask yourself, What time of day feels best to me?
It’s also important to remember that while staying consistent is helpful for most habits, there may be days you don’t feel like journaling and that’s ok. There are days I don’t journal and I choose not to feel guilty about it! I love to take an intuitive approach to self care… some days I read a book or I spend time in nature or I drink a fruit smoothie.
Self care looks different depending on your mood- so listen to your intuition and be honest with yourself about that you need.
Different methods of journaling
There are a lot of different ways to journal but my favorite two ways to teach journaling are through 1) stream-of-consciousness writing and 2) using journal prompts.
Stream-of-Consciousness Journaling
To do this, start by creating a beautiful space around you. I love to light a candle or turn on some soft music to set a good, relaxing vibe.
Take out your journal and write the first thing that comes to mind. Let your thoughts, ideas, worries, and dreams pour out of you. The key with this is to not overthink it or worry about perfection.
Remember: Journaling is for YOU. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t even need to make sense. The true therapeutic benefit comes from the process of writing, not the final product.
You can set a timer to write for a certain amount of time, or you can decide on a certain page length. Sometimes I like to challenge myself to write 3 pages without stopping.
This type of journaling is really beneficial because it’s just super raw and authentic. As you write, you’re allowing anything and everything to come up. There’s no judgement or pressure for perfection. It’s just YOU, and there’s so much power in that.
Journal Prompts
My second favorite way to teach journaling is through the use of journal prompts! Journal prompts are a great way to create more self-awareness, ponder questions you don’t normally think about, and explore yourself in a new way.
It’s really a chance to know yourself and love yourself deeper. I love using journal prompts on gratitude, self love, mindfulness, and self-discovery.
I have tons of free journal prompts in my free resource library! Everyone who subscribes to my mailing list gets full VIP access, so make sure to sign up below!
I hope this was helpful and I can’t wait to hear about your journaling practice!