Creating your very own journaling practice … one that you’ll LOVE!

Journaling …

Anybody else think back to their high school self sitting there writing “dear diary” entries when they read that word?

I did for a long time – which is kind of why I was put off journaling for so many years. It felt childish, like a bit of a waste of time, and, to be completely honest it was a bit of a chore! Like, we all have way too much to do to sit and scribble about our day right? Especially when we were there experiencing it first-hand anyway!

You know what changed things for me?

What made me LOVE my journaling practice, and what helped me come to see it as an integral piece in my wellness puzzle - a way of uncovering layers of myself I didn’t realise were there?

It was the liberating realisation that THERE ARE NO RULES.

I don’t have to start with “dear Diary”

I don’t have to write about my day

I don’t have to write a lot if I don’t want to

I don’t have to write! I can doodle, bullet point, paint …

I don’t have to do it every day

This is my practice and I can do it however the heck I want to - so that it serves me and becomes enjoyable.

The other thing that has helped has been creating some “go to” approaches that I know work for me, to help get me started when I feel stuck.

I’ll share them with you:

1. Gratitude practice. Simply noting down what I am grateful for in that moment and why it is special.

2. Pulling a card or choosing a small passage in a book. Gaining some guidance or inspiration from elsewhere and then journaling my own personal response to that.

3. Future writing. Focusing in on my goals and writing as “future me” as if these have already been achieved. Envisioning how I feel having achieved them.

4. Stream of consciousness. Just a big old download! Writing without any need to make sense. No worries about punctuation or grammar. This isn’t for anybody else. It’s for ME. So Im’ma write a whole lot of nonsense that helps me create clarity in my head!

5. Journaling with the moon or my monthly cycle. Our mood, energy levels and desires can change depending on our menstrual cycle and/or the phases of the moon. Tune in to the cycle and journal on key days within this with an awareness of where things are currently at for you

Other things that I think make journaling fun …

Invest in a pretty journal! You don’t have to spend a heap of money, just choose one with a cover that you’re drawn to, something that sparks joy! My current journal is a simple white book with some super pretty watercolours on it in purple hues. Dreamy!

Get a nice pen! One that feels nice to hold and glides across the page. It makes SUCH a difference!

Habit stack. Stack your journaling on to other habits/rituals that are already a part of your day. Maybe you do it after your meditation or yoga practice, or last thing before you go to bed.

Make your journaling session an act of self-care. Light a candle, play some music, grab some dark choccy, and just start!

This is for you, by you.

And I bet you’re going to love it ;)

With love and happy journaling vibes,

Alex x