Vol 009: How to Get Into Journaling if You Don’t Know Where to Start.
I’ve been an avid journal writer for as long as I can remember and I know it intimidates some of you. I have poured my best practices into this post so you can start journaling today!
A few weeks ago I had one conversation after another with different friends who shared that they have never really been into journaling. With each confession I found myself so surprised because writing in my journal has been a safe place for me to escape to ever since I was a kid.
I have countless old journals with pages upon pages filled with crushes, health scares, heartache, career goals and my wildest dreams.
In preparing to write about this for all of you I tried to think back to when journaling became such a part of my life. I honestly can’t remember.
It might have been the times when I found myself traveling around the world with my family, without too many friends, wanting to share everything with someone. Or when I first went to summer camp in high school and missed my parents. It also could have been when I started to develop my relationship to God and I wanted a place to explore that and have it be all mine.
If you’re already an avid journal writer then that’s awesome! I would love to learn about your best practices or how you got started in the comments below. If you’re new to journaling or not where to start, I wanted to share some of my best practices and the ways I lean on my journal throughout my life. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest.
How I Journal + Things to Keep in Mind as You Start
1. Who I write to. I find that writing with a bit of a purpose or to someone is really helpful to encourage me to go deep and almost make it like a conversation or way to connect. I start every journal entry with “Hi God” and it has always been helpful. Some people like to write to a loved one that has passed, or their younger self, and some people don’t feel the need to write to anyone at all.
2. Picking your journal. This might seem like a small thing, but I do believe that everything has energy so I am particular about the journals I choose to write in. I want my journal to be something that lifts my spirits a bit when I see it, maybe because of the color or pattern. Or I want a journal that has meaning to it so I might pick something up while traveling to a specific place.
3. When to write. I choose to journal at any time and I don’t have a set practice of when I sit down to write. This is what works for me because I like to honor what I am feeling in the present moment. I know a lot of people love the practice of something called “Morning Pages” that Julia Cameron talks about in her book “The Artist's Way”. The idea is that you create a practice of writing for 3 pages every morning and it encourages you to release any fears, doubts, negative thoughts, or anything that might be flooding your mind before you start your day.
4. What to write about. Honestly, if you know me at all then you already know that I love to talk, so writing out all of my thoughts and feelings is a lot like getting to talk to a friend. I typically want to write in my journal when I am feeling stuck, or when I have just experienced something that I am having a hard time with, and I try to push myself to journal my wins because I do tend to breeze past those more than the tender moments.
5. Learning to self-regulate. The thing I have learned over the years is that journaling is one of the greatest ways that I get to self-regulate. So instead of having to reach for someone else to soothe me during a tough time or help me gain confidence when it’s wavering, I have learned that I can actually do that for myself. It doesn’t mean I don’t need my loved ones too, it just means that I don’t have to be heavily dependent on them because I can self-soothe with writing. The unexpected side-effect of this is that I have actually gained more confidence because I know I can have my own back.
Is there anything that you would add to this list? What are some of your favorite ways to self-soothe, is journaling one of them? I want to hear from you in the comments and if you have any questions or want me to elaborate on anything, just let me know! I love hearing from you and promise we are in this together.
✨ Truth Toolkit ✨
I am learning to love myself in new ways and I am at the part of that journey that feels like the light is starting to pour in a bit. I am so grateful for that. The other night I spent some time giving myself an at-home facial and I absolutely loved it. So many of you asked me for the products I was using so I made a little list in my Amazon shop for you.
What does this have to do with the Truth? When I love and nurture myself more, I am able to show up more authentically and with my whole truth. I hope you find ways to do that for yourself this week. For me it was this delightful facial, what’s it going to be for you? Let me know below.
Thanks for being here with me.
I love you.
Hugs,
Nitika
Also! If you’re reading this just via email and not on Substack’s website or app, you can like the post by clicking the ❤️ at the top of your email and it still very much counts.
Please note that all opinions expressed here are my own and they are used for entertainment and educational purposes, not to ever be a replacement for therapy or medical advice. Also when I link to things I might earn a commission but I promise to never link or share anything that I don’t truly love or find useful.Thank you for supporting my work and see you next week!
such great tips in here -- I am trying to get into journaling more. this is inspiring me to try morning pages again too!!!