Mindful Journaling for Beginners

How do you journal, anyway?

Journaling has become a massive trend within the well-being community with journals and journaling prompts flying everywhere to try and help you and as a journal therapist I know the power of a regular journaling practice but I also see so many people a bit lost on how to journal and not sure how it can really help them, if this is you, then keep reading.

Let's start by saying there are hundreds of ways to journal, there is no right or wrong way, there is no answer to "get right", it is simply a mindfulness tool to help you get your thoughts, feelings and challenges out from your mind onto paper.

When you are over thinking, and trying to figure it all out in just your mind, you get exhausted, but by simply writing it all out, gives it all space to looked at in a clear manner, you then have mental space to find solutions, ideas or just to feel lighter after releasing your emotions.

Journal therapy is a little more than simply writing anything and everything in a notebook, while this is beneficial and you feel better for writing it all out, it doesn't create change.

Journal prompts and exercises are there to guide you inwards- for healing, self-awareness and self-discovery with a focused topic (because you know you more than anyone) and then they are used to guide you from where you are to where you want to be. They help you make changes and to take steps taking you from feeling deflated to feeling empowered and slowly changing your life.

A lot of people see and read journal prompts online or in their self-help books but how many times have you actually stopped and dived deep within to ask your heart the question put to you?

Many will simply say

I don't have time to journal

I can't write

I don't know what to write

I cant see how it will help me

What they are really saying is

I don't want to do the inner work,

I'm not ready to face what I'm running away from

I am scared of growth and change

We associate writing with schools, learning, essays and grades, a lot of people hate writing now because of that but journaling isn't about pages and pages of boring subjects, it is a a space where you can speak to your soul, to figure things out, to release your anger, to make plans, to dream...

But how do you start?

Simply take a prompt such as

How am I feeling right now?

and you can ponder it sitting with a cup of tea and your notebook and list how you are feeling, just one word answers.

sad

frustrated

bored

Then you can ask yourself

What is making me feel sad?

Why am I frustrated?

Why am I bored?

Then you can guide yourself through it

How can I make myself happy today?

What can do to stop feeling frustrated?

What fun things can I do today to stop me being bored?

And before you know it, you have done a simple mindful journal therapy exercise

If you get "stuck" on a question, where you aren't really sure why you are feeling a certain way then it is a good idea to just ponder it as you go for a walk, or take a bath, allow the answer to flow from you rather than to sit and think it about it from your mind and get frustrated. In these pondering times, it is a good idea to keep a notebook with you to jot it down when it comes through so you don't forget.

With my Weekly Journaling Emails I invite you every Sunday to take some time to sit with your soul with the journaling prompt and poetic message for healing and self discovery, I also have Digital Journaling Worksheets which you can download and do in your own time

Journaling is a practice to connect to you, to your needs, desires and dreams, to discover who you really are and what you really want, with the space to heal and grow and bloom in your life.

Happy Journaling,

Donna x