THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A DAILY JOURNALING PRACTICE

welcome to the most tranquil place on the world wide web.

today we’re going to talk about the importance of journaling for growth and self-improvement along with a few tips on how to get started and how to journal successfully and consistently.

before we get into it though, i have a few questions i want to ask you and don’t get mad because i know how you girls like to tussle! (LOL) but it must be said.

when is the last time you finished a journal? like from start to finish? cover to cover? don’t worry… i’ll wait. :)

if you haven’t finished a journal in the last 12 months or less, why? what exactly is going on? you cannot be okay mentally. real shit. LMAO. do you mean to tell me you’re just out here wily nilly raw-dogging life with no self-reflection in the evening? not setting any intentions for your day every morning just out here?! how… help me understand because i am genuinely concerned. GENUINELY… and this is why i decided to write this article because we cannot have you going out sad like this. i refuse to watch you self-destruct because you’re too lazy to have a daily journaling practice. and if you are one of those people who don’t think they are a writer, please spare me the excuses. you don’t need to be a writer to have a consistent and successful journaling practice. you just need to stop making excuses and take yourself seriously because the benefits of journaling are astronomical. 

i’m no scientist or neuropsychologist so i can’t reference any scientific studies on journaling but i do have a handful of friends, family members, and social media associates who have come to me after i gave them a few tips on journaling, thanking me for pushing them to keep at it because it has literally changed their lives. in addition to those testimonials, you are reading the words of someone who was exactly where you are 5 years ago and the amount of growth i have seen in my own life as a direct result of journaling and writing daily is mind-blowing.

that journal you still haven’t finished from 4 years ago? i bet if you go back and re-read that first entry you’ll notice a lot of similarities, patterns and themes that are still lingering in your life now. your frame of mind probably isn’t much different and you’re still struggling with the same shit. when you finish a journal you unlock a new mindset and level of understanding within your self and you just become a better person overall. 

there’s nothing more satisfying than being around a person who has self-awareness and is actively working on improving themselves to become the best version of themselves. there is NOTHING like it. except maybe seeing that growth within yourself. so without calling you out and making you any more uncomfortable, let’s dive right into this article starting with what journaling even is, how to get started journaling, tips for journaling successfully, different types of journaling and then we’ll close this piece with how i created a consistent journaling practice for myself.

you can watch the youtube video on the benefits of having a daily journaling practice here: benefits of journaling every day.

WHAT IS JOURNALING?

journaling is the process of writing in a journal or diary. its a deeply personal process and it can be extremely cathartic and healing for those who do it consistently. journaling is a way for you to be honest with yourself and get all the thoughts and feelings out of your mind and body. it’s great, especially for people who feel like they don’t have anyone to talk to or they feel ashamed to talk about certain things with the people closest to them. journaling is a way for you to confide in yourself and really get to the root of why you feel the way you feel at any given moment. 

journaling is great because it is a tool that allows you and opens you up to self-awareness. it gives you the opportunity to be honest with yourself and there’s nothing to hide. if you cannot be honest in your journal then when can you be completely honest without judgment?

sometimes we are ashamed of our choices and would rather not tell our support systems — this is when journaling is best used and in those moments when you feel alone and like you have no one. god is on the page with you. you are the pen and god is the pages. or you are the pages and god is the pen. the key to journaling successfully is that you need to be consistent. you need to be honest and you need to just write. whatever. comes to mind. don’t worry about grammar and don’t worry about if anyone is going to read it but if you’re that afraid of your journal being lost and found then burn the pages you’d rather no one ever read. at least that way, you will have at least gotten the emotion out of your mind and body and released them symbolically through the magic of fire and smoke.

journaling is also important because when you write and journal you get to document and archive moments in time. how you felt, what was bothering you the day, how you overcame those feelings… sometime life moves so fast that we don’t get the chance to keep up or immerse ourselves in the rapid changes we constantly undergo. journaling helps with that because it gives you a moment to really slow down and check-in with how you feel and as your words, thoughts and feelings flow onto the page, you will slowly realize how beneficial this activity is. not only for your mental health but your emotional and spiritual health, too. and to circle back to the archiving and documentation thread — your journaling today could also help your grandchildren one day. history repeats itself, especially within bloodlines and we all know how hard navigating life can be so why not leave a cheat code for your future legacy?

let’s get into some of the ways you can get started journaling if you are inconsistent or have never done it before.

HOW TO GET STARTED JOURNALING:

just write. start writing and just keep going until your hand hurts and you start to feel better. there’s nothing to it but to do it and the more you psyche yourself out by being concerned with trivial things like grammar or not knowing how to write — the more you will vacillate and the worse you will feel. i don’t say that to be harsh but it’s true. the more we let fear and procrastination rule the way we live our lives, the more unpleasant life can become. it’s an unfortunate and harsh truth but it’s the reality of the situation. 

DIFFERENT WAYS TO JOURNAL:

journaling is a pretty straightforward thing to do. you simply write on paper and express yourself. you express your deepest truths, your fears, what inspires you and anything else you want to write about. it’s up to you and you cannot do it wrong! 

there are, however, a few ways that you can go about approaching journaling depending on what works best for you. the most important thing to take away from this article is to do whatever the hell you want. experiment. explore. have fun and JUST WRITE. 

the first way is what i like to call free writing and stream of consciousness writing. 

• this is when you simply just write the things that come to mind. it doesn’t need to be cohesive sentences either. it can be words and phrases — but the thing about this process is that you shouldn’t think about what you are writing while you are writing. just write and when you read back over it you will be surprised at the things you have written.

• free writing can be scary because its really just a huge BRAIN DUMP of everything that has been held up in the storage of your subconscious mind. some of what you write may be mean things you heard before or some of those horribly mean and invasive thoughts you have about yourself. when we live in our minds without much self-reflection its hard to gauge what all is going on in there but with this brain dumping, free writing and stream of consciousness style of journaling you will really get to the root of why you operate the way you do and over time you will heal and become a more mindful and balanced person. don’t be afraid of the way you feel, it’s okay and i promise you are not alone.

the second way is “morning pages”. 

• morning pages is a style of free writing and brain dumping but you do it the instant you wake up in the morning. and with morning pages you want to just write freely, no thinking and let yourself transition from the night to the morning. this process helps you get into the groove of the day and will help you write down all the knowledge and awareness you have gained in sleeping, dreaming and being awake.

• another thing about morning pages is you want to have a specific journal dedicated to your morning pages and you want to write every morning until the journal is filled up. do not read any of your entries until the journal is complete because like the above style of freewriting, some of the words you write may be a bit overwhelming and as i said earlier, you unlock a new mindset when you complete a journal. so when you do actually re-read your morning pages, it’s a little less triggering because you are so far removed from those emotions, thoughts and feelings.

the third style of journaling is “dream journaling”. 

• dream journaling is self-explanatory and is a way for you to document your dreams every day. through dream journaling, you will really get an understanding of what your subconscious mind is trying to bring to the forefront of your consciousness and over time you will be able to decode the symbolism within your dreams to extract a deeper meaning.

• to dream journal you should have a separate journal dedicated specifically for your dreams. dream journaling is important because as humans we spend 1/3 of our lives dreaming and it’s so important to know whats going on in that realm and how it affects you in your waking life.

the fourth style of journaling is “scripting”

• scripting is the process of writing from the perspective of you after you have achieved certain goals and aspirations. its a way to help bring your manifestations to fruition by tapping into the frequency that it has already happened.

• to script you always want to write in the present tense but the words you write are a future possibility you would like to live or bring to life. for example, if you are on the market for your dream home, you’d script in your journal something along the lines of this: “it’s our first night in our new home. i can’t believe we got everything we wanted! i’m so pleased with the neighborhood and the architecture and can’t wait for the movers to deliver our new velvet sofa. the kitchen is absolutely perfect and i can’t wait to host our housewarming party. it’s perfect for entertaining. we even got a movie room and a pool! those were our biggest wishes and we got them all. this home is everything i could have ever dreamed of and i look forward to all the new memories that will occur here!”

• scripting is a perfect way to assist you in tapping into the feelings that you need to feel in order to really “manifest” your dreams. manifesting is bigger than just writing it on paper. you have to believe what you’re saying and feeling is the secret to getting you to believe in the things you say you want and will help you start to feel more worthy of receiving it. from there, the flood gates open and everything you desire makes its way to you in divine time.

• when you script you’re allowing yourself to have faith that the things. you are asking for and desire in some reality have already become true and all that you need to do in the present moment is arrive at the moment by allowing time and the universe to work for you as you make the necessary moves in your current life to make it happen as well. you’ve gotta meet the universe halfway and don’t expect it to do all the work for you.

the fifth style of journaling is “idea journaling” 

• idea journaling is very simple and self-explanatory. you want to have a journal specifically dedicated to jotting down ideas and moments of inspiration. this is the journal that you want to keep on your person at all times because you never know when inspiration will strike and you have a moment of genius.

the sixth style of journaling is “art journaling”

this term was coined by a friend of mine named sunny and it’s similar to bullet journaling but a lot more fluid. 

• art journaling is when you just do whatever you want. you can write. you can doodle. you can scribble. you can make pockets where you put fortune cookies or quotes that inspired you. its really just making art in a journal. it’s self-explanatory because there are no rules. just do it.

the seventh style of journaling is “bullet journaling”.

• bullet journaling is such a creative way to journal and keep track of your life and habits. it’s colorful and creative but i don’t know much about it (sorry). i have always been intrigued by it but to me it seems a bit overwhelming so i just stick to art journaling. if you google bullet journaling i’m sure you can find a few articles and youtube videos on how to get started and you’ll discover whether or not its suitable for you to get into!

the final style of journaling that i will be discussing today is “reminiscing”. 

• this isn’t an official term but this is what i call it and reminiscing is just a form of journaling where you write down all of your memories. you can either start with the most recent ones or the oldest memories you have and all you’re doing is documenting your experiences. especially the ones that shaped you and who you are today.

• this is important because i feel like many people live lives that are worth telling but because they kept so many secrets or they pass away, there is no one there to tell their stories. it breaks my heart to think that we have so many elders whose lives will be forgotten because no one cared enough to ask them questions about their lives and experiences… and they didn’t have the tools personally to document who they are and their lives.

• by reminiscing, you take matters into your own hands because now you control the narrative and whoever reads your memories will know that it was from your perspective that these experiences were documented.

TIPS ON HOW TO JOURNAL SUCCESSFULLY: 

you’re probably now wondering how to journal successfully and i have a few tips to share on how to do exactly that. 

the key to journaling successfully is to be consistent and do it every day. but to be consistent you must first start with finding a journal that you actually like. you need a journal that will inspire you to want to write in it everyday for the next 3-12 months. so ask yourself, what kind of journals do you like? lined pages or blank pages? spiral notebooks, composition books, moleskins, or handmade? do you want the cover to be plain or colorful? would you like it to have a lock and key so that it can protect your secrets or does it not matter? once you figure out what kind of journal you like, purchase it and then find a pen or pencil that you like to write with. do you like ballpoint pens? gel pens? pencils? mechanical pencils? it’s all up to you and your preference and once you get to the bottom of this, you’ll realize that journaling consistently isn’t difficult at all. you just didn’t have the right tools. 

another key to journaling successfully is to be honest. you gotta be HONEST. you gotta reflect and just talk to yourself. use a journal as your confidante and protect it. your journal is sacred. keep it somewhere safe and secure. don’t take your primary journal with you everywhere you go. unless you’re okay with the fact that it might get lost and someone might read it… i recommend an idea journal to keep with you for documenting random musings and ideas throughout the day and then a dream journal to document your dreams and then a diary for reflection and self-reflection.

the next key is to write to and about yourself. write like no one will ever read it and treat it like a form of therapy. especially if you cannot afford to see a licensed therapist at the moment. write about how you feel. write about your day. ask yourself the tough questions. check-in emotionally, mentally and spiritually. document your growth and improvement. expose your flaws. highlight your strengths. write about how you want to improve. what you want and need to learn. what you are afraid of. what your hopes and dreams are. write about the songs you are currently obsessed with. write about how they make you feel. write about your favorite films and what characters you resonate with the most. the point is, JUST WRITE.

the next key is to write in the morning and evening. when you journal in the morning you can set intentions for the day, breakdown your tasks and to-do’s and how you would like the day to go. one of my favorite journaling practices to do in the morning i learned from briana shanee and its where you write down to 10 things you are grateful for, 10 things that made yesterday amazing and 10 things that would make today amazing. over time you realize how simplicity really takes precedent. sometimes i’ll literally write, “a good ass meal would make today amazing.” “an insightful conversation would make today amazing.” it really helps and soon enough you’ll start to see your intentions come to fruition. 

the next key is to write about the people you are inspired by and how they have helped you. what have they taught you? how have you learned from them and how has their contribution helped make you a better person? what about them inspires you? what about how they move in this world would you like to embody?  what qualities do they have that you would one day like to embody in your own life. this practice will remind you of who you are and when you see the good in others you begin to see the good in yourself.

now let’s get into my journey with journaling and getting to the point where i am practically yelling from my soapbox telling you to journal lol.

MY JOURNALING JOURNEY: 

i started journaling as a child as a way to escape. i had helllllllla journals and would fill them up rather quickly but once i became an angsty teen and adult i somehow forgot about how to journal and how much it helped me as a child come to term with my feelings and experiences. so throughout my late teens and early 20s, i did not journal at all. i had purchased plenty of journals and started many of them but never did i ever complete them. it wasn’t until 2019 that i finally completed a journal that i started in 2015.

when i decided to pick back up journaling, i started because i was going through a toxic relationship and was tired of telling my friends that i was too afraid to leave. i didn’t want to keep perpetuating the cycle and i didn’t feel safe enough to discuss my mistakes with the friends that were in my life at the time. so my journey began as a ways for me to just express myself without having to worry about the judgment of others. but when i picked that journal back up from 2015 and re-read the only 5 entries in it, i realized that i was experiencing the exact same shit but the toilet was the only difference. still going through the same familial troubles, friendship issues and romantic heartaches. 

in realizing that, i decided that i was determined to finish this journal and heal whatever lingering remnants were still affecting me and how i existed in the world at the time. it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that i reallllly got consistent with journaling and it became an everyday practice for me. and i’m so grateful that i decided to take that leap of faith because i have grown so much in the past 2 years that i don’t think i could have without journaling. in 2020 i finished writing in 3  journals and in 2021 i finished writing in 7 journals. and these are not small journals. these are 245 page journals filled to the brim with my thoughts, feelings, insecurities, pains, wins, pitfalls, trials, tribulations, inspirations, loves and memories. 

so i’m not just talking to talk. i’m encouraging you to get into the habit of reflecting on your life daily because it will really change your life in ways beyond your current comprehension. i promise you!

in closing, i hope that you enjoyed reading this and i hope that you learned something new and are inspired to take that leap of faith, too. 

if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and i’ll do my best to answer them for you. 

much love, 

jakiyah xx