Daily journaling has been part of my life on and on since I was a teenager. It’s helped me to process information, talk myself through things when life got tough, and has assisted in me growing as a person. It’s amazing what you read when you can go back and review the words you wrote years or even decades ago. It reminds me of where I have been and where I wanted to go. So why exactly is journaling important? So many reasons, but here are just a few…
Stress Relief
I am one who tends to turn inward when my stress is higher. And I have found that journaling has been a great outlet for me to get my thoughts out, process information, and sometimes even get to the root cause of why I’m upset. Now when we speak on stress relief, there are many tools out there. Speaking to a therapist, friends or family, going out for a run or workout, or even going for a drive are all things that you can do. Think of journaling as another tool in your toolbox when you need an outlet. Whether you are just typing on your computer or phone or writing in a physical journal, it is a way for you to get your feelings out.
Creativity
As I have written about in my bio, I spent many years as a fitness manager. So my day to day was very task oriented and organized. I was queen about getting things done, looking ahead, planning my budget, and taking on the projects of the quarter. But the longer I stayed in those roles, the less creative I felt. I began to feel like I could never do anything else because I felt like my brain only worked “one way”. And for anyone who has started a business, there are the list of things you need to do, but you also need to figure out what you are trying to say. And I struggled for YEARS on this. So journaling in the last few years has helped me to build my creative brain. I could write through ideas, go back and review and figure out how they could fit into my business plan. It helped give me clarity and direction, something that is CRUCIAL, especially when you work on your own.
Mindfulness
So many of us are sometimes looking to start becoming more mindful but other activities, such as meditation just aren’t our cup of tea. Journaling can be your first step towards making time for yourself. You can write about whatever comes to mind with no on there to judge.
Daily Journaling for Beginners: 4 Tips to get you started
No Judgments
There is no right or wrong way to journal. This is a chance for you to learn more about yourself, so don’t worry about how you do it! You can do it daily, weekly, or whenever you feel the need.
Practice Gratitude
If you are stuck on where to start, daily gratitudes can be a great way to get your brain moving. Take a moment to reflect on the last day or so and write down a few things you are grateful for. This may spur other ideas of thoughts that you want to write about and explore.
Set An Intention
I have used my journal as a way to set intentions for the day or week. I look at it as a way to keep myself focused, but you can do it more as a prompt to help you get started with your journaling too. I’ve also done goal setting in my journaling to help work out things I wanted to accomplish but was still fuzzy on the details.
Free Form
Set a timer and just write down any thoughts you have. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Simply write the words that come to mind.
What I Have Learned From Daily Journaling
I have learned so much about myself! I have learned that there are so many things that I want to do in my lifetime, and journaling has given me an outlet to put it on paper. It has helped me to heal, to listen to myself, to give myself space. And in the spirit of that, below is a small excerpt from one of my entries this week to help express this.
I have begun to eliminate the noise in my world. Less newsletters, less news, less social media, less streaming. Because for many of us of a certain age, we experienced crucial years of change without all of that stuff. When I was in college, my cell phone called and texted. I had school, running, LIFE club, my friends and family. There were less choices of distraction. And with that I accomplished a lot. And as I have been detoxing now, in my 40s, it has helped me to get more clarity on what is important.
What is important to Liz?
- my husband
- my family
- my close friends
- my inner growth and purpose
- my business
- my writing
- my reading
- my cooking
- my travel
- my impact on the world
I hope sharing this helps you to get started with your journaling!
Health and Wellness Coaching, Done Differently
Journaling can be a great tool, whether you are looking to learn more about yourself, need to process something or simply want to connect with yourself on a different level. Journaling is part of many of my client’s personal journeys as we work through their health and wellness goals. If you are interested in learning more about working with a holistic health coach can do for you, book a call with me here. I’m always here to help.
