Journaling 101
I'm not sure if Guinness Book of World Records would issue an award for journaling, but if they did I think I would get it. I'm not trying to brag but I've been journaling for over 47 years! I started when I was around 6 years old.
Journaling for me is a way to express my feelings without being judged or interrupted or having my feelings trivialized. I’m pretty sure it was a way for kid year old Erika to express how she feels without being reprimanded for expressing how she felt. It was my haven and safe space. It’s been my therapist, best friend, and autobiography.
Anyone can journal about anything
Journaling is a practice I believe anyone can learn to do. So I’m here to share how you can start your journaling practice today!
Over the years I’ve read comments on social media of the difficulty people have starting their journaling practice. I never understood what was so hard about journaling because to me you just…start. I get it though, if it’s new territory for you then you may be overwhelmed as to where to start. I’m here to tell you that you start where you are. That’s it nothing more.
The great thing about journaling is that no one will critique you about your handwriting, content, or grammar. You can write to your heart’s content about what is weighing on your heart.
Did you have a bad day? Write it down? Did you see something that caught your eye? Write it down. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate or anything. Just a thought or a feeling you may be experiencing in that moment.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many journal entries I’ve had where I wrote absolutely nothing or entries that I’ve started where I start off saying “I can’t believe…” WHAT ERIKA? WHAT? Don’t leave me hanging? Haha! But I do…I mean I did. And you know what? I just start a new sentence saying “ I have no idea what I was going to write about” Clearly I don’t take myself too seriously because my journal is my safe space and anything goes.
Starting your journaling practice
Journaling is what you make it. Be as descriptive as you like or not. Your journal entry can be one sentence in your planner. Or it can be pages long in notebook. It doesn’t matter. What matters is what you make of it.
There are various ways you can start journaling. In a calendar, planner, notebook, it can even be a google doc, the notes app, or even the voice memo app on your phone. Just choose something that resonates with you.
I have to confess. I journal about 4 different ways at any given time. Yes FOUR! This year when I became an empty nester I started voice journaling. I didn’t realize how much I needed to talk to someone so I started voice journaling with the voice memo app on my iphone. I also have a Stalogy B6 notebook, a google doc, and a digital planner. Excessive? Possibly…but it’s who I am and I can keep up so that’s all that matters.
All that being said, how would you like to start? Pen and paper, digital calendar, voice memo? Take a look at the list below to get you started.
Here’s a list of ways you can journal:
- Pen and paper
- Notebook
- Planner
- Calendar
- Digital
- Planner
- Notebook
- Calendar
- Audio
- Voice Journal
- Visual
- Art work
- Photos
- Videos/Vlogs
I’ll go into depth in later posts on how to explore those various journaling styles. I will also post journaling prompts for those days you don’t know what to write about.
Let’s give it a shot right now…shall we?
What makes you want to start journaling?
What are you grateful for today?
What made you happy today?
Did you see something interesting today?
Did someone tell you something and you were unable to respond in the moment? What would you say now if you had the chance to say something?
What did you have for lunch?
What has been on your mind today?
What did you say you needed to get at the grocery store?
So you see journaling allows you to start where you are! Now that you’re armed with some prompts will you take a moment today to document your day?