Journaling Towards Progress
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
Journaling isn’t just for poets and writers… it can be a helpful practice for Y-O-U! Not only is it a liberating feeling to write down your thoughts onto paper, but it can also help you track progress and release stress. If you’re looking for a new self-care practice to help you relax and self-reflect, try journaling!
The benefits of journaling…
Reduce stress
Journaling is a great way to release any stress or pressure that you’re feeling internally. Maybe you’re going through a rough patch and have been feeling a lot of overwhelming emotions, or maybe you’re confused about certain things. Journaling can become a sort of release valve—a way to let out all your emotions.
Here’s a few journaling prompts you can think about when you’re feeling stressed:
Write three things you’re grateful for
Write three things you are in control of
Write three successes from your day/ week
Write three wishes you have
Process your emotions
Whether we like it or not, our emotions often affect our days and actions. Journaling can be a great way for you to write down all that you’re feeling, and allow space and time for you to reflect on and process them. Journaling also allows you to reflect and process in a safe and contained space—you don’t have to include other people into your situation. That way, you can process your emotions in your own way and time. Your overwhelming emotions can then be easier to manage.
Here’s a few journaling prompts you can think about when you want to process your emotions:
What are you feeling right now? List three to five emotions.
The last time I felt this way, I …
What’s not working for me right now is …
What makes me happy is …
What do I need to let go of?
Achieve goals
Journaling your desires and goals can help you keep track of them. When you are aware of what you want to do and achieve, the more likely you are to accomplish them! Make sure that you reflect before writing and are as specific as you can be about your goals.
Journal prompts for goal-setting:
What are three short-term goals that I have? What can I do to ensure I meet my short-term goals?
What are three long-term goals that I have? How can I ensure I meet my long-term goals?
What are my top five priorities in my life right now?
Are my current life priorities aligned with my goals?
Where do I see myself in one year? Five years? Ten years?
Track progress and growth
If you keep a journal, it’s very satisfying and gratifying to look back at past entries and see how far you’ve come! You can see how much you’ve grown and what you’ve learned from past hardships and experiences. We don’t always see our growth, but journaling can help us see those little steps that accumulate to become giant leaps!
Find inspiration
A lot of artists and creatives like to journal because it’s a way to brainstorm. When you let your psyche run, you’re also allowing your imagination to run freely as well. Whether it be writing or sketching, you never know what great ideas may come out of a 10-minute journaling session! Freewriting is a great way to brainstorm and let your imagination run wild.
Not into journaling prompts? Try freewriting!
Freewriting basically is just writing out all your thoughts and emotions, but still with intention. It’s your stream of consciousness. This is a great way for you to really just let out all you’re thinking about and feeling. It allows you to identify things in your psyche that you may not notice in your daily life if you didn’t take a moment to stop and reflect.
Here’s a few tips for freewriting:
Write by hand (pen or pencil, on paper)
Set a timer (start with 10-15 minutes) and write without stopping
Don’t edit what you write. Let your thoughts flow
Don’t share what you write (unless you want to). Knowing that your thoughts on paper will be kept private (FOR YOUR EYES ONLY) will allow you to write more freely!
Different types of journaling
Stream of consciousness
Dream journal
Food journal
Fitness / health journal
Gratitude journal
Sketch journal
To-Do list
