Christie Fogarty
Utilize these five tips if you’re ready to become a journaling pro.
Journaling has many health and wellness benefits, from stress management to mindfulness. Take some time now to incorporate writing into your day-to-day schedule to take full advantage of these benefits in 2020.
5 Journaling Tips
• Make it part of your routine. Find 30 minutes in your everyday routine to make time for writing, whether you decide to wake up 30 minutes earlier or you take some personal time later in the evening. In his TED Talk, Matt Cutts, an engineer for Google, discussed a 30-day challenge in which participants come up with a goal, such as writing in a journal each morning, and try it for 30 days. After 30 days, it very well could become a habit.
• Do it when your mind is fresh. There isn’t a “right time” to write in your journal. You may be a morning person or you may be a night owl, but what’s most important is that you’re writing when you’re most refreshed. Find a time in the day where you’re relaxed and your mind is clear so that you can properly communicate your feelings in writing. When your mind is free of distractions, you will be able to create the best content.
• Start slow and don’t rush it. Write as little or as much as you want in the beginning so that writing in your journal doesn’t become stressful. Life happens, so if you decide to skip a day, don’t be hard on yourself. You can even try taking your journal with you everywhere you go. That way, you can write whenever you’re feeling inspired. Once you find your flow and it becomes routine, start incorporating goals. Writing should be a stress reliever, not a stress inducer.
• Write with a purpose. The universe gives back the energy that you project, so it’s important to write with gratitude. However, writing is all about processing feelings, so it’s OK if your topics aren’t always positive. When those topics arise, do your best to turn the negatives into positives so that you find a lesson in every outcome. When you write with gratitude, it can change your day and help you see the positive side of life.
• Don’t be hard on yourself. Journaling can help you process feelings, so don’t be hard on yourself when those feelings come up. Putting those feelings into words that you can read later can help you process your feelings and assist you in working through them.
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