Journaling :How to start for beginners

Stress can affect all parts of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune.Learning how to manage your stress takes practice, but you can — and need to — do it. Among the methods to manage it we have journaling.

By emptying your heart and writing down everything you feel without censorship is undoubtedly a real “writing therapy”. Journaling one of the most effective acts of self-care in addition to being one of the cheapest, along with meditation.

WHERE SHOULD YOU START?

The mind is a surprising place. We often don’t know what it may be hiding, until we start to search it from the inside. In other words, to know what to write in your journal, you just have to write something in it, letting your intuition guide you.

Take the opportunity to expel anything that makes you angry or sad, or anything that makes you happy or peaceful. In fact, everything that swirls in your subconscious and blurs in your heart.

WHEN SHOULD YOU TAKE THE TIME?

As soon as you wake up, write some “morning pages”, which brings a certain calm to the rest of the day. They say we would have 45 minutes before ego defenses kick in the morning. Use the authenticity you have in that time frame.

You can also choose to do it before going to bed, just to write down the ups and downs of your day. If you hang on a negative emotion, make sure you find a tool or a solution to move in the right direction. Finish by writing down what emotions you would like to spend the next day.

No need to write long. Just 5 minutes can bring a significant change to your moods. If you do it even longer, 10, 20 or 30 minutes, you will definitely reach an even deeper state of your subconscious.

The important thing is to do a little, every day, in order to create a habit and obtain lasting and concrete results, but without pressure.

WHAT CAN YOU WRITE WELL IN YOUR JOURNAL ?

Cultivate gratitude

The gratitude journal turns out to be an extremely effective tool for achieving all kinds of goals and improving your quality of life. Gratitude journaling even turns out to be a scientifically proven way to overcome several psychological challenges.

 The exercise can also be limited to making a list of things that made you feel good during the day and for which you feel grateful. In fact, all those little extras that give you hope and bring you light: have a good coffee, meditate, walk your dog, see friends…

It is also a good exercise to learn how to appreciate what is going well in your life, until you have a roof under your head and have enough to eat.

Label your emotions in your journal

The healing power of expressing your “feelings” is quite significant. If you are distressed about something, set aside 3-4 days to take notes on it. Exposing your anger, sadness, and other painful feelings helps release their intensity. Journaling bringing you peace of mind.

Expose your dreams on a large scale

Write down your vision for life, your biggest goals, your deepest passions, and the important things that seem to be on the horizon for you. Everything will be refined over time by thinking about it.

Keep a record

Sketch out the most notable ups and downs of your life — which are also likely to make you think and laugh afterwards — along the way. A journal can also serve as a record of your progress towards your life goals, which also has the potential to keep you motivated.

Find solutions

Typically, problems are solved from an analytical perspective in the left brain. But sometimes the answer can only be found by engaging creativity and right-brain intuition.

 Journaling offers the possibility of finding unexpected solutions. For example, when disagreeing with a peer – rather than ignoring it – putting the words to paper will help to understand the other’s point of view, in order to hopefully find a fair solution to the conflict.

A FEW TIPS TO GET STARTED JOURNALING

Create a little cocoon for journaling

Writing in bed upon waking or in a private, personalized space is ideal for enjoying the exercise. Wrap yourself in a blanket you like to snuggle up under.

Take time to reflect

After practice, try to take some time – free from distractions – to think about what you just shared in your journal.

Create a routine

Start or end your day with your journal and a cup of coffee or tea in hand. Gently play your carefully curated playlist. Make journaling enjoyable and relaxing.

Always have your journal handy

Whether it’s when you’re stuck in a line, on the bus, waiting for the dentist, or whenever you feel lost, write.

Keep your journal secret

Confidentiality is the key to letting go without censorship.

Choose a theme

If you lack inspiration, pick a theme for the day, week or month (for example: sadness, change, anger, gratitude).

Forget grammar and spelling

When you compose, let the words flow freely. Don’t worry about the structure or anything. There is no need to “look good” on the page.

Stay authentic

You will see how liberating it is to communicate honestly, as if no one else will read what you share. Try to start a dialogue with your inner child.

start small

Scoring one sentence per day, or even one word per day, is already a great victory. It may also feel less burdensome to start where you are in your life at this precise moment (and not to return to the past).