Anybody Can Journal

Journaling is a term thrown around a lot in the self-care community.

It has such a great value to your well-being but is one of those ideas that so many find intimidating.

I know the struggle. I personally LOVE writing (I’m mean I’m doing this blog, right?) and always have loved it since a young age, however when told to write on a specific topic or about myself, I do 3 things:

Blank out. Suddenly I have forgotten how to communicate to the world through written language, despite the 2 finished YA novels and many other started stories/novels, sitting on my desk.

Become incredibly anxious, because I am blanking out and suddenly my whole self-identity is being called into play, or worse I have a deadline and other people counting on this piece of writing.

Suddenly I feel the urgent need to clean the house, reorganize my entire room, try on every piece of clothing I have to see if it fits and I like it or if I should donate it, you get the point.

Honestly, it was this cycle that at first scared me away from Journaling.

I, like many others, thought Journaling was about taking time everyday to right about your feelings or what your are grateful for or your daily, weekly, etc. goals and ambitions.. That Journaling was mainly a to-do list or a hard copy evidence of how boring or busy my life can be. The truth is while this kind of Journaling is helpful to some, it can be a source of anxiety to others, which kind of defeats the purpose really. I mean honestly I don’t need a bunch of bound paper or an app on my phone to judge me for not finding the time for a face mask that week, or not “seizing every opportunity” that month. Some opportunities are not meant to be seized.

To me, Journaling is just get something, anything out on paper. There is no wrong way to Journal. All that matters is that you take a moment to bring something that is in your head out into the world, thus helping your brain take a break. All you need is a writing implement and paper in some form, or a note taking app on your phone and you are good to go. If it feels like work, it doesn’t work!

Ways I Journal:

Tea journal: I found a few months back that I was trying a lot of new flavors of tea and was having a hard time remembering which I liked and which I didn’t like so much. When I would go to buy more tea I would end up purchasing flavors I was really no fan of because once again the name and description appealed to me.(Like it did the first time around.) So I grabbed a cute little bound journal someone had given me, created a little index with basic symbols for Love, Liked or NAH! and started writing down the names of teas as I tried them, rating them as I went along. If I couldn’t decide where a tea fell, I would leave it blank, allowing it a second go around. No big deal. I found as I went along I could see patterns in the kind of teas I was loving or not loving, which also helped me choose new flavors as time went on. I gave myself a reference guide to return too, and gave my head a much needed break from having to remember.

Book Journal: If you are anything like me, and you probably are a little bit otherwise you wouldn’t be intrigued by my blog, you like books. Personally, I love books. I am both ashamed and not ashamed to admit that I have canceled social plans or claimed sickness in order to stay home and read a good book. Books are our way to travel to places we otherwise couldn’t or possibly to revisit places we enjoyed. They allow us an escape from life for a while, and are a great form of self-care. However, when you read as much as I do, sometimes you can forget if you have read a certain book, probably because it wasn’t very memorable. My book journal helps me not only keep track of what I have read, but allows me to revisit the experience of reading a book later on. A simple date read, place read or little notes about the characters and plot twists can help me return to the feelings that the book stirred in me. It can also give me a feel for if things have changed within me since I have read the book. I can reread the notes and be like “Oh my gosh, I really believed that didn’t I?” It can help me recognize growth in myself. Another fun thing to add when doing a book journal is a section for “first impressions”. In this section you can write what you think the book may be about, forecast if you think you will really like it , or maybe love it, or if you may like certain characters by just reading the synopsis, reviews on the cover, what you have heard about the book, and the first 20 or so pages. Heck, even judge the book by it’s cover, just don’t let that keep you from giving it a chance. You would be amazed at how often these “first impressions” can show you about yourself and how you view the world. They can show you the unconscious connections you naturally make whether they are positive or negative. It is helpful to be aware of these things so that you can decide whether it is something you wish to work on changing or something you don’t mind. For example, despite being an English major, I have always associated the term gothic with horror, a genre I tend to avoid, so when people kept recommending Rebecca by Du Maurier, telling me it was one of the greatest gothic novels ever, I thought “Nope. Not even gonna look at that one.” However, a few years and a couple of used book sales later, I gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised by the great writing, and lack of fear inducing activity, that it had to offer. My point being that when we hear, or see certain words or images they may trigger a response in us that we are unaware of, a response that may be unwarranted, that we may want to reprogram.

Common Place Journal: This is probably one of my favorite journals. It was an idea shared with me by a English teacher in my middle school years that I have been forever grateful for. Think of it as a Junk drawer for your mind. When a random thought pops into your head that makes you smile or laugh so hard you can’t breathe, write it in the journal. Find a quote or line in a book that triggers a strong response in you, write it in the journal. Have a great idea for a new fusion recipe or tv show plot, write it in the journal. Have a crazy like seriously WTF thought or question that comes to you 2am when you can’t sleep, (let me hear you in the back!) WRITE IT IN THE JOURNAL! Our minds are amazing , and sometimes very random things, but they also stink at retaining what they decide is not important. I cannot tell you how many times I had the perfect wording for something at midnight then forgot it by the morning. A Common Place Journal gives you a place to write all the randomness down and enjoy it later. It is by nature not supposed to be organized or to make sense. It is there to let you dump things out of your brain. You can also have many at the same time. Currently I have one in the form of a composition book I keep by my bed, a little $1 journal I keep in my car and/or bag and a spiral notebook I keep at work.

As you can see Journals come in many shapes, sizes and intentions. Just find something that resonates with you and journal about it.

Some more suggestions:

Flower/ plant journals: Write down the names of plants or flowers you enjoy or that have special meaning to you. You can write down memories you have associated with them. Maybe places you have seen them. Heck! You can even dry’em and keep leaves and flowers in your journal!

Food journals, not the kind you think!: Keep a journal of your favorite foods, new foods you have tried or important foods to you. Write about when you first ate the food, when you would normally eat the food and/or memories you have tied to it. You would be surprised how many memories, often ones of family or friends are connected with certain foods or drinks.

Movie/ TV show journals: Follow the same guidelines as the book journals, including the “First Impressions”. You will be amazed at how many movies have nothing to do with their movie trailers. For TV shows, it could be fun to write you reactions after each episode to look back on once you get further on in the series. It also allows you to take a quick breath between episodes as you binge watch, allowing you to reflect on what just happened, possibly making your experience of the next episode that much better.

I could go on and on with suggestions, but you get the point. Find something your love or enjoy and write a bit about it. As short as the name of a tea followed by a little heart to pages upon pages about your grandma’s lasagna! If you love what you are writing about it will not only come easy but it will give you a moment of joy as your brain focuses upon that beloved thing or even person. Write when you want to. If you don’t feel it, don’t push yourself.

Journaling is not just about keeping yourself accountable or driving yourself towards a goal. It is about letting our heads take a breath!

A little tip: While many people love the convenience of typing things whether on a computer or on their phone. Studies have shown that physically writing things is far more beneficial to both our memories and emotions. It is the physical action of writing that allows it to truly transfer thoughts from our heads out into the world, especially if they are emotionally tied. So whenever you are able to, try to keep a hard copy journal as opposed to digital. Give your journal a home, somewhere where you know you can grab it from and try to get into the habit of returning it to its home. Trust me it will be so worth it!