Today I’m talking about how to create a journaling habit that actually lasts.
Journaling can be many things. For example, you can just write down your thoughts every day or the things you did that day. A bit like a diary. Or you can make a list of everything you were grateful for that day, or you can track your mood. You can plan your days in front. Like what are you going to eat and what are the important events that are coming up? These are many examples of what journaling can look like for you.
Probably when you think about journaling you think about those journals you see on tik tok or Pinterest. Those amazing-looking journals almost look like art pieces. You probably think, “where do I start? I can’t draw like that, this will take hours of my time which I don’t have”. Well, I want to tell you that this is not what it’s all about. It is just about taking a fraction of your time every day to reflect, clear your head, and plan the thing you need to do. This will ease the stress of your day-to-day life and makes you more relaxed.
Benefits of journaling are:
- lowers stress
- improves sleep quality
- forms a healthy habit
- improves self-esteem
- increases resilience
- more satisfied in relationships
- eases symptoms of depression
If you read these benefits I think you want these things for yourself, I know I want them for myself. One of the benefits in the list is “Eases symptoms of depression” this is why I started gratitude journaling every day about 6 years ago. In 2016 I experienced a life-changing trauma that made me depressed. I was very down and my thought became out of hand I needed to find something that reminded me that life is good. That I can be happy with the things I have and enjoy small things again. Then I read about making a daily gratitude list. This was the beginning of my journaling experience. Before going to bed I wrote just 3 things I was grateful for that day. And I kept on going for 6 months doing this every day and I noticed that instead of focusing on the darkness or what was lacking in my life. I started to focus more on the joy, the light, and the things I already had.
Later I also started with a dairy, but I struggled with making it a habit I could do every day. So my question was “How to keep a journal over time”. I did a lot of research about it and tried different things myself. And here are some tips that will help you make it a habit you can keep.
Step one; pick a nice-looking journal, one that you like to have on your desk, and see a lot so you will be reminded of it.
Step two; Write about your thoughts don’t more than 3 times a week. When writing about thought study shows that writing three times a week is actually more powerful than writing every day. When you use your journal also for planning you will do that every day but you mark the day you will write your thoughts in your calendar to hold yourself accountable. You can use mornings or evenings whatever works best for you. For me, evenings before going to bed works best to clear the mind and have a good night sleep.
Step three; Find yourself a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed during the process and can be fully present. Try to choose a consistent space inside or outside your home. If it helps you, you can try to make it a ritual by making a relaxing tea or diffusing essential oil.
Step four; If you find it hard to start writing, start with a Journaling Prompt. You can find hundreds on the internet. You will have a good start and something to think about. You will find out new things about yourself that can be really surprising.
Step five; Feel what you write. Feel the feeling and emotions that come to the surface. By feeling those emotions you can get through the traumas you have and reexperience the good and happy feelings too. This is why journaling helps!
A few months ago I designed my own journal with different exercises, planners, space for journaling, trackers, and motivational quotes. Maybe this journal can help you in the right direction. It is available on Amazon. You can click over here.
If you have a question about journaling send me an e-mail at mail@studioislandbreeze.com maybe I can help you.
Sunny greetss,
Kim