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Have you ever felt like you needed an outlet or just wanted to do a massive brain dump? Sometimes I’m in a funk, and I feel like I’m owned by my thoughts. So I did some research, and I found that journaling has helped me tremendously. I’ve been able to get out of my head and be more in my body and write down my emotions and feelings and what I experienced throughout the day or what made me frustrated or even goals that I wanted to produce in the future. 

Journaling is exceptionally beneficial, and I feel like we don’t take advantage of it as we should. And it’s funny because I remember having a journal back in the day when I was a kid, and I would write silly things about boys or stuff happening at school. Then it dawned on me that I was expressing myself. And I feel like as I’ve gotten older, I forgot about that side of myself, the girl who quickly went within and put her feelings on paper. 

Life gets hectic, and we forget to connect with ourselves, so I want to give you five reasons to start journaling. Let’s get started!

How to Start Journaling 

Journaling is relatively easy to start, and the first step is picking the right journal and pen. Then schedule when will be the best time to write. You have to be open with yourself and be fearless of writing down your dreams and current reality. Keep in mind that this is something for you, so you can have as many errors or mistakes as you wish. The only person who will be reading this is you, so I’m going to break down some ways to get started with journaling! 

Find the Perfect Journal and Pin 

Finding the perfect journal is a fun moment because you get to see something unique. In all honesty, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can grab an old notebook and start jotting things down. But if you want to take journaling seriously, having something very chic and cute to your style or make you want to open it up every day. 

I purchased some cute journals on Amazon, and you’ll find the links below. Also, there is a website called Promptly Journal, and they have beautiful journals dedicated to specific moments in your life like healing, motherhood, mental health, and so much more. Finding that perfect journal and pen will have writing entries in no time.

Amazon Journals

Click on Image to Shop my Journal Recommendations.

Schedule your journal session 

Sometimes we can’t find the time to write, which leads us to miss several days of journaling. You will gain more success by scheduling your journal sessions. Make it a task that you have to accomplish every day or every other day. So let’s say you have fresh ideas when you first wake up in the morning. Do your daily routine, and then add in journaling for 5 to 10 minutes within that routine. Then it’ll become a daily task, and you will start journaling every day. Before you know it, you’re going to have a book full of submissions.

Brain Dump or Use a prompt 

When you start journaling, you can use this time to either do a brain jump where you just let your thoughts flow on paper and get those thoughts outside of your head. The other option is using a prompt; sometimes, you don’t know what to write about. which can leave you stuck. Some of us are overthinkers, and we want things to be correct. But remember, there’s no right or wrong when you are journaling. I listed 30 new prompts for you to start with below. 

Open Up Let the Pin flow. 

Lastly, open up and let the pin flow; this is your time to be your authentic self fully. Sometimes it’s hard for us to open up in the world and share our feelings and emotions. So we keep them all bottled up inside but take this time to unleash all of it and let go. Release all of the negativity and trama while also looking at all the joyous moments in your life. 

5 Reasons to Start Journaling 

Reason 1: Helps To Achieve Your Goals 

Journaling can help you achieve your goals. I always feel like when you put your goals on paper, and they come to life. When you have them stuck in your head, it can cause you to go circles and not accomplish anything at all. Journaling is essential because you can make it all about the different things you want to achieve. So you can start checking them off as you go, and you will see the progress in your life.

Reason 2: It Relieves Stress

When you are stressed out, taking out that pen and paper will help you relieve a lot of stressful times. The stress and tension in our bodies can leave us in overload. So jot it down and take a step back so you can feel those emotions. 

Reason 3: You Learn More About Yourself 

Journaling will help you learn more about yourself to be a better you. You can learn about your values, boundaries, likes, and dislikes; the list goes on. But having all of this in writing will help you solidify yourself as a person, so you know what you will and will not accept in your life. 

Reason 4: A Place To Express Your Emotions

Do you ever feel something that you don’t know how to express?

You can learn about your emotions and how to express yourself through journaling. Writing down your feelings is a great way to understand them. Plus, it’s just you and the paper, so there is no judgment.

Reason 5: Improve Your Writing and Communication Skills

Through writing, you can become a better communicator and writer. I never thought I could write blog posts the way I do until I started to do it. Now I love to write and share my thought on different topics. Learning to communicate gracefully will help you be a better person in this world. 

In conclusion, I’m team journaling, and I hope you guys have learned some beneficial functional skills within this post to help you start your journal journey. Journaling will take you out of your head and into your body. At the same time, they allow you to move your past obstacles and get you through life. Yes, God has a plan for all of us, but writing down your goals and desire will help you on your journey. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and happy journaling.

Xo DeAndra Jalisa

30 Journal Prompts: 

Self Love

1. Write down five hobbies you’d like to try
2. Name three flaws you accept about yourself
3. Name three ways you can start taking actionable steps toward your dreams
4. How can you better set healthy boundaries in your relationship? 
5. What compliment do you like to give to people? Give it to yourself
6. What boundaries do I need to set for myself?
7. Write a thank-you note to yourself
8. What makes me happy?
9. If money wasn’t an issue, how would you live the rest of your life?
10. Write yourself a love letter

Mental Health 

1. What words do you wish someone would say to you when you’re having a tough time?
2. Discuss 5 things you wish others knew about you.
3. Identify one thing you are looking forward to this week, and explain why it makes you feel excited.
4. How do you want to feel tomorrow, and what 3 things can you do today to ensure you feel that way?
5. Write down the things that trigger feelings of anxiety in you, and identify 1-3 strategies you can use to combat each of them.
6. Describe a difficult situation you’ve encountered. How did you cope with it and what did you learn from the experience?
7. Make a list of things that are holding you back from your wants, needs, goals, and desires. Be brutally honest with yourself, and brainstorm ways to overcome these obstacles.
8. How do you want to feel tomorrow, and what 3 things can you do today to ensure you feel that way?
9. Describe your perfect day – who would you spend it with and what would you do?
10. Discuss one thing that happened today that made you happy.

For Entrepreneurs

1. What can you learn from your competitors?
2. When do you think it is the right time to level up your business?
3. Are you willing to try out new business trends? Which would it be?
4. When did you start thinking about taking your business to the next level?
5. What options are you looking into for a possible revamp in your business or brand?
6. Are your new goals aligned with your earlier objectives?
7. Which deals/sales are you intent on closing this week?
8. Do you feel pressured to level up the playing field because of your competitors?
9. Have your objectives changed from when you first started? What are those?
10. What have you learned so far from running your business?

Happy Journaling!

Xo DeAndra Jalisa