What does it mean to journal? Journaling is the creative process of allowing your feelings, thoughts, awarenesses, and dreams to freely spill out of you. It can be a great way to get in touch with deeper thoughts and emotions as well as to activate the subconscious mind.
You can journal any way that excites you. You can paint journal, craft journal, nature journal, the fun is in finding what brings you pleasure and opens your mind to let the creative juices flow. Some people doodle or draw, glue different scraps or words, find leaves and feathers to adorn the page, or simply delight in the words coming and spilling over the page. It is to be a release.
There are many mental health benefits to journaling.
1. Freedom- Getting beyond your thoughts. Journaling allows you to go deeper than thinking. It allows you to see how your thoughts flow or where you get stuck. It makes it easier to see negativity and fears that you have as well as your hopes and dreams.
2. Release - By giving yourself time to express without any judgment, you can release tension and stress and constructed emotions. It helps you free your mind.
3. Creativity- By letting yourself play, it brings out your artistic, playful, freer side. It can also help you embrace your reality in a colorful way.
4. Clarity - You will clear away a lot of unnecessary words to find your deeper truths and knowingness.
5. Discipline - You are giving yourself an act of discipline in action. 6. Self Care This whole process is to help you integrate all of you and care for yourself in the process.
If possible, journal daily for 10 minutes. Some people choose a few times a week, but daily helps you release and grow more quickly and it also helps give you the ability to see patterns. It guides you to uncover insecurities and doubts when you find that nothing comes. If you only journal when you know what you want to say, it limits you as it keeps you from stream of conscious reality.
So you want to get started? Here are some tips:
Buy a journal you love and a smooth flowing pen.
Find a quiet beautiful spot.
Maybe have a cup of tea.
Pillows and blanket, be comfy.
Relax in the beauty and write what you feel or see.
Express.
People sometimes are still a bit hesitant once they pick up that pen, thinking that there is a “right” way or “wrong” way to journal. And then they judge what they wrote or prejudge their skill. Remember, this isn’t a test. It’s an experience. It’s an experience to help you center, explore, release and learn. There isn’t a right or a wrong. There’s just you letting yourself explore.
Have fun and embrace all of you that comes and wants to have voice!
