Journaling

Journaling has been a game changer for me through the years. There would be times where I go weeks or months without journaling and when I would start again, I really could tell the difference it made. It helps so much with my mental and spiritual health, being able to get my thoughts and feelings out of my head and onto paper.  

This will look different for each person, some will look neat and organized, some will look messy and hard to read, some will be pages long or just a paragraph. No matter the style you choose to write, it can make an impact. Journaling helps improve our mental health, encourages self-confidence, boost emotional intelligence, helps us achieve goals, inspires creativity, boost memory, encourages awareness and many more. 

There are many different styles of journaling, gratitude journaling, expressive writing, diary style, dream journaling, affirmation journaling, shadow work journaling, brain dump journaling, book of shadows/grimoire and so much more. You can do more than one and have several journals or put it all in one.  

I have multiple journals for each type I choose to do. I have a gratitude journal, a regular/diary style journal, a creative writing journal, poetry journal, brain dump journal, and a grimoire. I don't always write in each one every day but it encourages me to know that when I have thoughts that are overwhelming or thoughts I don’t want to forget, I have a place to go with those thoughts.  

For me journaling has been such an incredible tool in my healing journey, to have a notebook that I have dedicated to be my safe place to fully express and release all my thoughts and emotions. A big misconception that I had to overcome was that journals are meant to be kept over time and reread, that is not true. I have some days where I write and it is so sloppy and hard to read but I was filled with emotions that needed to escape me through way of my hand.  

The great thing about journaling is that you can make it your own, get creative, draw, scrapbook in them, whatever you want. It is an opportunity to let yourself be free from limitations and judgement. Don't worry about being neat, grammarly correct or even pretty, none of that matters, what matters is that you have somewhere to go when you need to express. 

You can do your own research on what type of journaling would suit you best or even more than one. A few descriptions of some of my favorite journaling methods; gratitude journaling, writing 3 things each day that you are thankful for, it can be something simple or complex, this helps set the tone for the day to notice positive things in our lives and world; regular/diary style, writing to your notebook, telling about your day, your thoughts or feelings; creative writing, writing ideas, stories, inspirational quotes, tips for wellbeing and for me I write here about my blog post; brain dump journaling, writing as much as you want, can be 3 pages and just write anything and everything that comes to mind, it doesn’t have to flow together or even make sense, it clears the storm of thoughts swarming and calms the mind; grimoire, writings of your spiritual practices, your realizations during meditations, affirmations, prayers. 

I have found that having this outlet, a place to feel safe with myself and my journal has helped immensely in my healing journey. It has helped me discover things about myself that I was not aware of, helped me overcome traumas, helped me come to terms with situations, and has helped me see myself in a whole new way, as a human with a lot of emotions that just need somewhere to go sometimes. 

I hope you are inspired to start a journal and if you already have one, maybe adding to it or started another one for another purpose. Again, this can have many benefits for our mental and spiritual wellbeing. Give yourself a safe place to go when you need to express yourself or clear your mind, have fun with it, get creative, and don't judge yourself, just write. With all my love and light.