Journaling

At the beginning of 2025 my bestie and I did a vision board. We created a visual bucket list for the year that focused a lot on selfcare and mental and physical health as well as new experiences we'd like to try/have. One of the things we decided to include on our vision board was to journal throughout the year. This is something that I have always done fairly consistently for years but my bestie has never made journaling a habit. It is something she is interested in making a part of her selfcare routine but recently when I asked her how it's going, she said that she has a journal but it remains empty. She then expressed to me that she doesn't know how to journal or what to write. The answer - there is no right or wrong thing to write within your private journal. It's for your eyes alone. As I did with my friend - I will share with you my thoughts about journaling and some ideas for what to include in a journal.

A journal can be like a friend - you vent upon the pages of your journal unburdening your mind with anything that is bothering you or with things that you might be uncomfortable sharing with anyone else. It's a way to express yourself completely openly without the worries of someone else's judgement or opinions. I also include things in my journal that are of a positive nature - starting at times with a quote that inspires me or an affirmation for the day. Then I write some of my thoughts. Following that I write the highlights of my life since I last made an entry. It includes things I've accomplished personally - at work, in my relationships, with my selfcare. I make note of experiences I've had that I'd like to remember and things I'm grateful for. I end my entry with a list of the goals I would like to accomplish within the next week or two and any activities I'm looking forward to. Some of the other things I include in my journal are song lyrics that speak to me or motivate me, movies that impact me, the books I read, and I also love to stick polaroid pictures that are related to my entry or ticket stubs for something I attended etc.

One of the things I do for myself is I put the negative thoughts and feelings in a journal separate from my positive journal and reflections. I do this because I don't have any intentions of rereading my negative entries. I put them to paper to vent and express myself freely and never return to that negative place. Some people like to burn their negative entries once their journal is full as a part of their healing process. Another reason for keeping the negative and positive in a separate place is so that when I am feeling low I can return to the positive reflections and be reminded of how lucky I am and how much I have to be grateful for. I also find it a great way to start out a new year - I go back and look at all the moments and accomplishments of the previous year.

Again, there is no right or wrong when it comes to journaling. It's a personal journey and tool for selfcare. I do feel it has many benefits but recognize also that it might not be for everyone. My suggestion - give it a try - express yourself freely - see how it feels. It doesn't have to be something you do on a set schedule. You might only journal once in a while as you feel you need to. It's not meant to be a task! Make it fun and healing.

HAPPY JOURNALING!!!