journaling

Journaling

Do you keep a diary or write in a journal?  You may have two or three journals you have either bought, or been given, just lying around your house.  A percentage of those journals just lying around may have writing in the first two or three pages and the rest is left blank.  There are a small percentage of people who write in a journal every day and are diligent in this practice.  Journaling can feel like a chore.  It can be tough to create a journaling routine and carving time out for it with our busy schedules can be a challenge.  Just like meditation, journaling is an important tool to generate awareness and creative flow.  Morning is the best time to write.  You experience more of a stream of consciousness when you first wake up.  That said, how and when you journal is up to you.   I have one student who has a different journal for each thing she writes; one for homework, one for dreams, one for books she is reading and so on.  I have another student who has the most beautiful journals and she writes fluidly in them until they are full.  Then there is me; who has notepads on her desk, journals in her bed, computers on her lap, and a small notebook in my kitchen.  My husband journals on an app called Day One.  It is an excellent mobile app if you are looking to switch to a digital version of journaling.  I still prefer my composition notebooks and mechanical pencils, but I am working on making the technology switch.  

Journaling can provide a deep connection within yourself. Writing can also move energy.  If you are sad and you write it all down, it will not only aid in clearing what triggered the emotion from your mind, but it has also been proven that it can release blocks from your energy field. If you are mad, writing it out can diffuse the anger and even provide a solution to your problem.  

Steps to Journaling

1. Identify your preferred journaling device; app, notebook, diary
2. Identify your preferred space for journaling and time of day
3. Write and stick to it.  Remember it takes 30 days to build a behavior so practice writing daily for 30 days and note in your journal how you feel as you begin to add this practice to your daily life.