How to Journal
Here’s the rule about journaling: there are no rules.
I’ve put together some tips and suggestions on how you can enhance your journaling and reflective practice. Take what works for you. Disregard what doesn’t.
Get started. Even if you just reflect for a minute or two each day, small movement can create enough momentum to develop an organic, self-sustaining practice over time.
Journaling resources:
Journal. This could be a paper journal – be sure to select one you’re drawn to; it could be because of the design, texture, colour or size. You could also use a digital notebook such as an iPad or a Remarkable pad. Any of these is completely fine, though you’re encouraged to use a paper journal and a pen or pencil as studies show this method increases brain activity especially for memory recall.
Writing instruments. You can use a ballpoint pen, colourful pens, a pencil, colouring pencils, highlighters, crayons etc.. If you're going down the digital route, your compatible notepad pen is fine. There are apps such as Goodnotes that provide a range of pen styles, colours and writing features.
Self-care. Before you begin journaling, it’s important to create the internal conditions to help you fully arrive into this sacred space. Here are some ways you might achieve this:
Meditation. Meditation is essentially a practice of focus; our ability to give our attention to a single source in the here and now. Our aim is not to empty the mind, but calm it. The richness we’ll gain from journaling is reliant on what’s already in our mind. There’s lots of different types of meditation – and perhaps you already have your own preferred method. One form of mediation that I like is sound mediation because it's a great primer to hear my thoughts clearer. One technique is 'open awareness'. This is where we shift our attention to the different sounds in our environment as they arise. Name the sounds rather than describe them. For example, door, bird singing, car, door closing. Explore various types of meditation and have a go at what you’re drawn to do.
Grounding exercises. An example is deep breathing. For this you could use the ‘box breathing’ technique: Breathe in, counting to four slowly, and feel the air enter your lungs. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Then slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds and then hold for 4. Repeat until you feel centred.
You could also use the ‘54321 sensory method’ where you name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
Preparing your physical space through the 5 human senses of taste, touch, sound, sight, and smell. For example, lighting a candle, or aromatherapy with essential oils; you might wrap yourself up in a cosy blanket, or hug your hot water bottle; perhaps you prepare a favourite hot or cold beverage; or put on some calming, low music in the background. Whatever makes you feel safe, soothed and regulated.
Aftercare is just as important. Sometimes when journaling or reflecting deeply, we’ll experience peak emotional moments. To rebalance, we must come down gently. Before going back into the everyday world and interacting with others, it’s important we check in with ourself by simply asking: ‘What do I need to give myself in this moment?’. You may want to reground with more meditation or breath work, perhaps take a hot bath, eat a wholesome meal, or do some light movement like taking a walk or yin yoga.
Go at your own pace. You might choose one prompt a day, or cover a group of prompts in one sitting, or you may decide to dip in and out. Healing looks different every day, so go with what you’re intuitively called to do.
If you’re someone who loves structure and direction, here are some pointers:
When. You could set a consistent time every day or week to journal. Consider your schedule and the time of day this practice would work best for you: morning, afternoon, or evening. You might take an organic approach and journal or reflect whenever the mood strikes. Moderation is key because you also don’t want to spend so much time journaling that you don’t participate in life as it unfolds or too little time reflecting that you don’t allow yourself to witness life. Don’t worry if you fall out of the practice. Be kind to yourself. On any given day, we can choose to begin again.
Time. You might decide to set a timer for a specific duration e.g. 10 minutes. Some days you will reflect for longer, and other days less.
How. Journal or just reflect or both. You may decide to audio journal, where you record a monologue of your thoughts to yourself. Perhaps you reflect and jot down recurring or poignant words and phrases. You might choose to sketch or doodle. There’s no obligation to fill a page. Remember that journaling doesn’t have to be just words.
Where. You could journal in the same place, or a different place each time; perhaps you’d like to reflect on a prompt during a walk.
What. Prompts are great to help get us started. Anything can be a prompt. These might take the form of words, questions (such as the ones I offer in my 30 Days Through Grief & Healing series), objects, themes, shapes, colours, places, people, events, photos, magazine pull-outs, poems, excerpts, emotions etc. Or you could just begin with the first thing that pops into your head.
Who. Although this is intended as a private practice, there may be someone you feel safe with whom you trust to discuss some of the prompts with. This could act as a doorway to relational healing.
Pace. If you’re journaling, in the first instance, write quickly without taking your pen or pencil off the page. This engages your left brain (the side responsible for the intellectual, rational and analytic thinking) and relaxes your right brain (the part that is fluid, creative and imaginative), allowing you to tap into intuitive, subconscious thoughts. You could also journal at a steady pace, unrushed where you observe and notice your thoughts as they arise. Note what stands out and patterns you spot.
What you do with journaling. It’s enough to just journal or reflect. You can – but don’t need to – go back to read, view or listen to what you’ve produced. If you want to consolidate your journal think about what came up for you, what you learned, how you want to use that information, and what you’ll do differently.
Privacy. Journaling is a solo practice, so I’d recommend doing it in a private, uninterrupted space and having a private journal that are for your eyes only.
Page numbering and indexing. At the back of your journal, you might want to create an index for key themes and their page numbers, so you can refer to them easily.
Performing. Your journal is for you. You’re not putting on a show for anyone, so give yourself permission to be messy, unvarnished, unfiltered. Say what you want, how you want.
Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation
Don’t worry about your handwriting – all that matters is that you can read it or at the very least, make sense of it.
Don’t worry about it being fascinating or interesting. Your journey is not entertainment.
Be truthful. You’re entitled to all your feelings. You’re not hurting anyone by writing down your true feelings. If one of the prompts creates pause, lean in and get curious. There you’ll find wisdom. Accept discomfort when it arises. Your resistance is telling you there’s gold beneath the surface calling to be revealed.
Resolving. Write until it feels ‘enough’. Whatever that looks like for you. Some days you’ll write and reflect loads, and other days, very little. There’s no obligation to complete your thinking or resolve an issue.
I hope you’ve found this mini-guide helpful. I wish you an illuminating and restorative journaling practice.
As ever,
Rebecca-Monique
(P.S. If you’d like to reflect with me monthly, be sure to subscribe to my muse-letter here.)