Journaling is an excellent strategy for self-care – you get all your thoughts and anxieties out of your brain and onto paper, focus your mind, and de stress. Calming the mind in this way is most effective when repeated daily, but many struggle to stick to a journaling routine, so here are a few tips:
- Your journal doesn’t have to just be an account of your daily activities! You can definitely do that if you feel that it is helpful, but your journal can include all sorts of things, such as a list of things you are grateful for, creative writing such as poetry, or even some doodles.
- Change up the journal prompts to keep it engaging. Write about whatever suits you at the time.
- Leave your journal somewhere that you sit every day anyway – this makes it way easier to incorporate writing into your routine.
- Begin by committing a small amount of time to writing daily. This could be as little as five minutes, or even start off by committing to one sentence.
- If you’re stuck for what to write about, you can look up writing prompts on Google or Pinterest for loads of inspiration! Pick one at random and see where it goes.
On average, it takes about three weeks to form a new habit, so follow these tips and soon enough you’ll be journaling every day!
Heather Jackson is a professional Project Manager and veteran of the U.S. Army who is passionate about travelling, reading, and writing