Different Journaling Methods
Journaling can change lives. It can bring so many healthy benefits to your body and soul. So what are some different methods for you to journal?
The Medium
I personally prefer writing on a physical notebook with a pen or a pencil. I know there are excellent apps and programs out there for journaling and note-taking. But I’m biased towards using a good old pen and paper rather than a flashy USB keyboard or computer. For me, writing with my pen and observing my notebook getting filled with words are so therapeutic. The act of writing is in and of itself is an act of healing to me.
The Methods
Here are a few journaling methods that I picked up over the years. Hope they’re helpful to you.
1. Free Writing
Open your notebook. Get a pen ready. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Now start writing!
That’s it. There are no rules here. You just write whatever that comes to your mind. The only rule is that you never stop writing. Don’t worry about the penmanship. Don’t worry about any spelling or grammar mistakes. Keep writing and don’t stop.
The point of this journaling is to jumpstart your creativity as well as to get rid of any fear you have about writing. Try this method when you need some creative juice.
2. Gratitude Journal
What are you grateful for?
This can be a list of things. This can be a paragraph. Think about what you are thankful for and write them down.
Oh! And do this daily.
The point of gratitude journal is to cultivate a heart of gratitude. Imagine that you get to keep only those that you are grateful for today. Things and people you don’t show gratitude for today will be gone tomorrow. If that’s the case, I’m sure there are so many things and people you want to be thankful for! I’m grateful for the air I breath. I’m grateful for water. I’m grateful for my family. The list will go on for a while.
After writing down your list, you should take a pause and meditate on it. Let your gratitude sink into your heart. Don’t rush finishing the journal. Take a deep breath and feel your gratitude. It’s a slow meditative work.
3. Morning Pages
This is somewhat similar to Free Writing. If Free Writing had a time limit. Morning Pages has a page limit. This method was first introduced by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.
The rule is that you start journaling the first thing in the morning. And you start writing until you fill out three pages. Like Free Writing, you don’t worry about any rules of writing. You just keep on writing until you complete your quota.
I really enjoyed this technique. The only setback was that it took quite a while to fill out three pages every morning. So I still do Morning Pages from time to time but I do a hybrid of Free Writing and Morning Pages.
4. Five Minute Journal
If you want to start a journaling habit, FMJ is a great starter kit.
So you start your day with writing down three things that you are grateful for. Then, you go on to write a couple of things that would make today great. And you finish your day journal with a set of affirmation statements. Daily affirmations usually begin with “I am…” It will take about five minutes to do this day section of FMJ.
Before you finish your day, sit down with your journal to complete the FMJ’s evening section by answering these two questions: What are three amazing things that happened today? How could you have made today even better? Again, it will take less than five minutes to finish your evening section.
I think it’s a great journaling method for anyone who wants to start journaling but finds the idea too daunting. It’s a simple yet powerful way to prime yourself for the amazing world of journaling.
5. Bullet Journal Method
Who says journaling has to be done in any format? BuJo is a creative way for those who think outside the box. You can turn BuJo into a calendar, a to-do list, a day planner, a note for brainstorming, a habit tracker, or a recipe for your favorite dish. Truly, BuJo is as powerful as your own imagination is willing to expand. There is a book called Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll. For more details about this innovative journaling method, check this out.
Conclusion
Journaling for me is like a private counselor and a personal life coach that I never had. Just expressing my intangible feelings onto a notebook makes whatever the emotional turmoil I was going through that much bearable. Journaling sometimes showed me a way in darkness. It was like a friend who provided comfort and courage when I felt like my mistakes and shortcomings were too great to overcome. I hope you find journaling helpful and enjoyable as much as I do. Enjoy journaling.
