JOURNALING-A WAY TO ONE’S SOUL

Writing in a journal each day allows you to direct your focus to what you accomplished, what you’re grateful for and what you’re committed to doing better tomorrow. Thus, you more deeply enjoy your journey each day.

- Hal Elrod

Journaling is therapeutic in the sense that it helps one to pen down their thoughts and process them. It is a medium through which we can express our imagination in the most natural, organic form. There’s no standard type of journaling. Each person discovers their style along the way. Research shows that journaling has been proven to be effective in improving emotional and intellectual functioning, strengthening immune systems and even reducing stress and anxiety.

Journaling gives you peace, happiness, helps you in dealing with emotions effectively, as it calms your mind and even helps in coming up with constructive solutions for your problems. Most importantly, it makes you learn how to live every moment of life, and to enjoy the little things. Journaling will not only help you reduce stress but also make you fall in love with yourself. But there are situations when journaling can be harmful, however these situations are effectively avoidable. Much the same as anything, you need to direct the measure of time you spend on journaling. You essentially need to realize when to stop. When you moderate your journaling propensity, you’ll observe it to be one of the most unwinding and positive habits you could’ve constructed. In this blog, we go on a little ride to know what exactly journing is, and how as a beginner you can practice it and come a step closer to your own soul.

What exactly is Journaling?

Journaling is simply expressing your thoughts, by writing them down in a notepad. Yes, you heard it right. Just simply get a pen and a paper and start putting down your thoughts. You  don’t need to be fluent in language or have an amazing vocabulary to write a journal. You simply have to express what you are feeling. In fact, you can even use mediums like painting or doodling in your journal, to express your emotions with the help of using different colours which you think are appropriate. For example, when angry, red never fails to help express the chaos in your mind, while when you feel calm, blue never fails to express that soothing vibe you have!

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and write it out. There is no specific topic that you have to write about. You can start by simply sharing how your day went, or any recent troubles or victories. Just remember, you have to be honest to yourself and be the true you!

Different forms of journaling:

  1.  Expressing through words:
    Not all of us can comfortably express ourselves in front of other people, especially when it’s something personal. But that doesn’t mean we have to jar it all up inside ourselves, right? We always have our journal, our keeper. All we need to do is just start penning down what’s been going on inside our heads! 
  2. Expressing through art
    ‘Pictures and photographs are meant to be read’.
    This is a very popular saying which is very true and if you are too conscious about writing then draw it down! If you think you can’t really draw, here’s something you should know- there’s an artist inside each one of us, we just need to let ourselves be, and play a little with those colours. Or you can simply cut out photographs from magazines or newspapers to generate something depending upon your moods and feelings,

Because you don’t  just have to express yourself through journaling but rather you have to create yourself.

Types of journaling:  There is no such specific type of journaling, because it simply means to be yourself. And what does it require? A diary, a pen, and your honesty, because the more you are with yourself while journaling, the better it will help you in your life.  Here are some simple ideas for journaling that you will definitely enjoy practicing. 
  •  Bullet journaling:
    Bullet journaling has really taken off in the past few years. Bullet journals are super flexible but organized. They are usually divided into sections for planning by the month, week, or day. You might use it to write your goals, gratitude, free writing, drawing, and/or reflection. How you arrange it is completely up to you. A bullet journal can be a huge asset to time management as well.
  • Travel journaling: Do you love to keep memories of every moment you lived to fullest? Journaling will help you document your adventures, road trips, places you visited, people you met, discoveries you made, and just everything! Do try this one because every time you open this journal of happiness, you will cherish each moment of your life, and it’ll never fail to bring in lots of gratitude!
  • Gratitude journaling:
    Expressing gratitude through journaling is one of the easiest ways to feel peaceful in life. Practice thankfulness anytime you want by journaling your thoughts. For more gratitude journaling ideas visit our previous blog.

Journaling tips and tricks for a beginner:
Now that you know all the perks of journaling and how it can help you to connect with your inner soul, it’s time for some action!
There is no specific period of life when you should be starting journaling.
Here are some easy journaling tips and tricks for you to start!

  1. Use easily available resources: You don’t have to buy a proper journal diary for penning your thoughts down. You can use a notepad or a small sketchbook for journaling. Just make sure you use it solely for the purpose of journaling, so that it doesn’t break the flow- after all, expressing how you feel can definitely be given a notepad to itself, right?
  2. Count your journal as an essential: Make a small journal and take that with you wherever you go so that you can write your emotions and feelings at that very moment. It helps you connect with nature and the world. At times when you receive a compliment or come across something that you feel should be complimented, your journal will always act as your listener, your gratitude-bank! Because sometimes, the little things are all that matters!
  3. Keep it simple: You don’t have to get lost on pinterest in pictures of beautiful journals. You don’t have to stress on creating a different theme for every page. If that’s your thing go for it, but if that’s not your type, just know that what matters is that you do you, and everything will be in place, it will all be beautiful. Because the whole idea is to relax yourself, not to take undue stress.
  4. Don’t try to be perfect: Don’t try to make it perfect. Create something which embraces your own uniqueness. Because at last the whole purpose is for you to express who you are in your true self!
Now that you know so much about journaling it’s time to get yourself to create and start this beautiful journey. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to let your mind play with some words or colours in a journal! Do share your unique journaling ideas on our instagram handle. (@projectup__) 

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