Everything You Need to Know About Journaling
Posted on December 3, 2021
When I was making my New Years’ resolutions last year, I wrote “make journaling a daily habit.” I had seen a lot of videos about it and thought I would give it a try. It has now become something that I do regularly and with exam season right around the corner, I think it is more important than ever.
Image Credit: verywellmind
Why You Should Journal
Journaling is beneficial in a variety of ways. First, it is good for our mental health. Journaling is a way to get out your emotions that you may not express otherwise. It becomes an outlet to clear your mind, organize your thoughts and reflect on your feelings in a healthy way. This is specifically important for students because it seems like we are constantly stressed out over deadlines and getting things done on time.
Another reason why you should journal is so that you can look back on it. Even after just a year of journaling, I have found it really fun to go back a few months and see what I was doing or thinking about at that period of time. A journal almost becomes a time capsule – and it is really cool to be able to compare what you were doing a few months or even years ago to now.
Different Types of Journaling
Before you start journaling, you should look at the different types of journaling to see which one is the most appealing to you.
The most simple type of journaling is writing about your day. This type of journaling is very straightforward – you simply write down what you did during the day or how you felt. This is how I started journaling and it is still one of my favourites.
Another way to journal is by using imagery like pictures and receipts. This type of journaling is almost like a scrapbook where you tape down memorable things from your day. For example, if you went to a movie with your friends, you could tape the movie ticket to a page in your journal.
A very popular approach to journaling is using specific prompts. Prompts are short questions or topics that help guide your writing and are very helpful when you don’t know what to write about. My favourite place to find prompts is on Pinterest.
Image Credit: Pinterest
List of Journal Prompts
If you don’t know where to start, here are some journal prompts:
- How am I feeling right now?
- What am I most excited about?
- What has been giving me energy?
- What has been draining my energy?
- 3 things I am grateful for
- What is worrying me the most right now?
- What are my intentions for the day?
- What inspired me today?
Journaling Supplies
The great thing about journaling is that you really don’t need much to start – just a pen and a piece of paper! However, if you want to be a little fancier, here are some journaling tools to get you started.
If you want to invest in a good quality notebook, I recommend Moleskine or Leuchtturm1917. Although they are a bit pricey, they come in a variety of colours and have high-quality paper.
My favourite pens for journaling are the black Muji Gel Ink Ballpoint Pens in size 0.38-mm. They write so nicely and are also very affordable.
Some people also use guided journals! A popular one is called The Five Minute Journal. This is a great tool if you are short on time as it already has prompts laid out for you.
When and Where to Start
The best time to start journaling is now! The sooner you start, the more you will have to look back on. As for where to start, that’s up to you! You can purchase a notebook, use an old one, or even just use a piece of paper. The best thing about journaling is that you can personalize it to your liking and use it for whatever purpose suits you best.
