My Experience with Journaling
This essay originally appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 1/18/21.
Do you journal? If you would’ve asked me this question this time last year, I would’ve told you that I’ve never been able to get into a consistent habit. I’ve always heard people rave about the benefits of journaling and how it makes you more mindful (which research shows in turn makes you happier), but my “journaling practice” in the past could be described as sporadic at best. Even as someone who loves to write, it just wasn’t a priority for me.
Then, I read a book last September called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and learned about an approach to journaling called the “Morning Pages.” The idea, according to Cameron, is that you write three pages of longhand writing first thing in the morning, strictly stream of consciousness. You just move your hand across the page and write down whatever comes to mind. Cameron argues that all the “angry, whiny, petty stuff that you write down in the morning” is what “stands between you and your creativity.” You get it out of your head and onto paper, emptying your mind and freeing up precious space.
Intrigued, and a little skeptical, I decided to give the approach a try each morning for a week.
Well, one week turned into two weeks, which turned into a month and then another. Four months later, I’m still starting most morning with some type of freeform, stream-of-consciousness writing. Writing three pages takes me about 30 minutes, so because of the time commitment, I don’t put the pressure on myself to do it every morning.
I’ve had some interesting findings along the way. When I start, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to write about for about first 15 minutes. But where it gets really interesting is when I’m filling out the second and third pages.
As Writer Joan Didion once said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” After I run through my surface-level thoughts, I’m forced to really sit with myself and decipher what’s on my mind. I’m often surprised by the situations, fears or stories that I bring up and work through. It’s things I didn’t even know I was holding onto somewhere in my subconscious mind!
After the three pages, I always feel lighter and more in tune with myself. I certainly don’t always come to a resolution for everything I write down, but the journaling allows me to move to a place of problem-awareness/problem-solving instead of problem-storing.
Especially with everything that’s happened this year and last, I’m really glad to have this outlet. As such, I wanted to share with you today in case it sounds intriguing to you too.
The thing about journaling is that it looks like a simple practice on the surface, but it requires a bit of upfront work at the beginning to figure out what best resonates with you. For example, you may like journaling in the morning. Or, you may find it more helpful to do it at night and get all your thoughts out of your mind before trying to fall asleep.
And while freeform journaling is what’s resonating with me right now, it’s certainly not the only option. There are many guided journals that offer a more structured approach, like Heart Talk by Cleo Wade, the One Line A Day: Five-Year Memory Book, the Five Minute Journal, this Daily Pause journal and more.
Additionally, there’s also the option of starting journal entries with a prompt or question. For a prompt that changes daily and is located conveniently on your phone, check out Morgan Harper Nichols‘s Storyteller App. Each day, you receive a phrase or quote in beautiful artform, accompanied by thoughts, an intention and a journal prompt. A lot of people also enjoy daily prompts in the form devotional tied to their faith denomination (I personally love Sarah Young’s well-known Jesus Calling).You could even just use the three questions in the above section and tailor the gratitude question to focus on the day before.
The only prerequisite required for journaling is ensuring it’s something that is helpful and feels good to you. Let me know if you try any of the above or if you have any journaling practices that you love!
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