The Glossed Over Blog

Simple Steps to Start Your Journaling Journey

Getting into journaling is a process that can seem easy to start but in the long run, most people don’t stick with it. It’s a place to be vulnerable with your thoughts and ideas. A journal is supposed to be a conversation with yourself, not an assignment you’re turning in. The best part about journaling, in my opinion, is that you get to explore things about yourself that you might not have known before while also documenting your life. Beginning is the hard part, so here are 6 tips to becoming a natural at journaling.

1. Choosing a journaling style that is productive to you

Journaling can be as unstructured or structured as you want. There are all kinds of ways to write journals. Finding the best path to get the most benefits out of you is key. Here are some styles of journaling to get an idea of how you want to utilize your notebook.

• Free writing or stream of consciousness:
  • This type of writing is a way to clear your mind and create an emotional release. Typically, whatever comes to your mind you write down without worrying about grammar, punctuation, topic or structure. This is one of the most beneficial styles for me!
•  Prompt based:
  •  If it’s hard to get your thoughts out fluidly, I suggest reflecting and responding to questions/prompts. This encourages deep thinking, reflection and focus. It also helps you guide your thought process.
    • Shameless plug, I will be posting journal prompts on Glossed Over’s social media pages for some inspiration!
•  Bullet journaling:
  • Creating lists to share your productivity or habit tracking can be a good way to organize your thoughts. Logging and creating short term planning can put your anxiety to ease while also being aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
• Junk journaling:
  • This style incorporates more visual elements than writing. Junk journaling is essentially collaging with different types of receipts, scraps, doodles, sketches, pictures, etc. This can be an emotional exploration and has lots of creativity involved. It’s a good reminder to yourself that you have an amazing and creative brain, use it!
•  Narrative journaling:
  • Narrative writing is a way to tap into your inner author. This style explores writing your life like a story. Your writing can be a space for memory-keeping, personal essay, reflection, etc.
• Time based:
  • Setting a timer and writing as much as you can be a way to decrease hesitation in your writing. This is good practice for when you are just starting your writing journey. Building consistency is important, so setting aside time to just focus on your writing and time for yourself is essential.
    

2.     Choosing your journaling tools

This is the fun part of becoming a journaling geek! My favorite places to look for journals are bookstores. It also can be a good souvenir to collect journals at different places you visit. Finding the right writing utensil is up to preference. I find that the sharpie S-note gel pen is comfortable to hold and doesn’t smear when you write. You can find good writing pens at any general store or office supply store.

3.      Incorporating journaling in your routine

Finding a time where you can really tap into your expressive mind is important. This time that you are spending with yourself is crucial for personal growth. Most people find that either right in the morning or right before bed helps with mental clarity. I have a very anxious brain so journaling before I go to bed gets all my thoughts out so I can fall asleep faster.

One of the main things that interrupts this routine can be your phone. Allowing yourself to put your phone aside for 10-20 minutes can be more life-changing than you can imagine. I have fallen into this trap of valuing doom-scrolling over time with myself. Something that helps me is powering off my phone and letting it restart while I do a mental dump on my pages. That way I am not distracted by notifications or checking things that can wait.

4.     Letting go of perfectionism

When writing in your journal, it’s a good reminder to tell yourself that you are the only one looking at this. Customizing your journaling habits is up to your preference. Your handwriting, grammar and spelling are not being graded or assessed. Let go of the expectation you give yourself and let your thoughts be free.

5.      Embracing the small steps

Make sure you are kind to yourself in this process. If writing doesn’t come as easy to you as others, then there might be another way to express yourself. It’s a journey to discover. Give yourself grace when you skip a day. Celebrate the weeks you feel proud of yourself for offering time to explore who you are. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, that creates burnout.

6.      Getting past the blank page

Opening a new page can be intimidating. Make sure you don’t set your expectations too high when starting. There will be times when filling a page can be hard. There will also be times when filling two pages takes twenty minutes. Don’t stare at that blank page too long!

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Sometimes journaling isn’t for everyone, but you truly won’t know until you try. Give yourself a few weeks to decide if this is something that is helpful to you. If not, there are plenty of ways to express your emotions. Don’t be afraid to email Glossed Over and share your thoughts or experiences with journaling. I hope these tips help with your journey of self-discovery.

♡ Hattie