You might be surprised to learn the most essential step in your self-care routine should be keeping a journal. Journaling is a mindful practice with benefits that help you navigate emotions, especially feelings that can negatively impact your day.
The best thing about journaling is there is no right or wrong way to journal. One-size-fits-all does not apply to this practice and today I wanted to share 4 journaling types that I consistently keep through my busy schedule.
Why Should I Journal?
The more consistent you are with journaling the more you look forward to doing it. Reflecting on my day, writing down that imaginary conversation I had earlier, and planning my itinerary for the week all happen in my journals. Journaling is my scheduled me time where I unplug my phone, curate a calm environment, and let my thoughts freely flow onto the paper.
How Do I Start Journaling?
Don’t get too caught up in the aesthetics of a journal just yet. Sure, a cute journal will motivate you to reach for your journal but we’re aiming for consistency. My first journal was a simple moleskin journal. It is comparable to a composition notebook, small enough to fit in your everyday bag, and has enough pages to last a while.
Another popular journal is the Lechturum journal. This is similar to the Moleskin journal with various colors and cover options. The soft-cover journals are what I typically reach for however, I recommend either of these options for beginners.
What are the Different Types of Journaling?
Gratitude Journaling
Showing appreciation for even the smallest events that happen from day to day is called gratitude journaling. We live in such a fast-paced society that small wins can easily go unnoticed. Taking the time to notice how good your coffee was this morning or how easy it was for you to get out of bed is showing gratitude. This type of journaling is said to improve sleep, increase happiness and, lower fatigue.
Visual Journaling
If you were that student who drew happy and sad faces in their notebook as an indicator of your feelings, visual journaling is for you. Visual journaling involves different styles of writing and drawings that incorporate a key for easy understanding.
This type of journaling is the most interactive out of the 4 and allows you to be more creative in your approach.
Bullet Journaling
Making to-do lists or grocery lists is my favorite way to be productive and one of the reasons why I love bullet journaling. Bullet journaling helps me organize my thoughts into categories that I can see. The most satisfying thing about bullet journaling is crossing a task off the list.
Bullet journaling also helps you to keep track of things like household duties or assignments that keep getting pushed back. Sometimes I write things down like drinking water or washing my hair. Just a reminder that these things are important and should be addressed at some point in the day.
Free Writing/stream-of-consciousness journaling
This by far is my favorite type of journaling. Free from grammar worries or sentence structure, free writing allows you to write thoughts that come to mind organically. One sentence can be about a show you saw yesterday and the next sentence is about your angry cat. Whatever you feel like writing down at that moment is what free writing is.
Remember, your journal is not being published or graded. Any of these journal types should be personalized to work for you. Some people prefer to journal first thing in the morning, while other people reflect at the end of their day.
Whatever works for you and makes you comfortable should keep you consistent and help you perfect your style of journaling.
I would love to hear what type of journal you use or you think you would gravitate towards!
Until Next Time~