I have always enjoyed writing in my journal ever since elementary school. I would come home from school, and during the evening when my family was in their rooms, I would sit on the kitchen floor by the washer and write about my day. It was an action to remember the day when I looked back at it. At the age of 16 is where I began writing consistently in my journal. Every day I would write what came to mind in my journal. My older sister at the time gave me a journal with a beautiful design on it. It was the first time I could put my voice into something without it being judged; it felt relieving. Writing has helped me express myself when it’s hard to say it out loud. It empties my head from all thoughts and helps reduce my stress.
The type of writing I do is not by listing things in my journal. What I prefer when beginning a new page in my journal is by greeting myself. It’s an approach of being kind to myself and remembering that the journal page is a place to voice myself. I write about my worries, or if something has been on my mind all day, I write about it. Other things I write about are things I have accomplished or the goals I want to achieve. Sometimes when I don’t know how to start writing on my page, I begin by writing about the things I am grateful for. I recommend it when you don’t know what to write. It starts a flow of thoughts and connects thoughts to other thoughts.
Writing is a self-improvement method by being able to express yourself and not judge your thoughts. Don’t judge what you write, even if it’s all random thoughts. I used to judge what I wrote because I couldn’t let go of the weight of my thoughts. But, when I finally realized that was not helping, I let go, and it was liberating; you should try it too. I also recommend journaling at a time when you feel like your mind is full of thoughts that you want to let out. But don’t feel like sharing with others or don’t have someone to share with at the moment. I usually journal at night because that’s when I am finished with my day, where I have experienced many different things, when I want to let out those emotions of the day or better analyze what I have experienced. On calmer days, I tend to think I don’t need to write about my experience of the day. Yet when I don’t, it is as if I am holding pressure on my chest.
On days when I want to write but words don’t come out, I doodle instead. Usually, I doodle flowers, or hearts. But to me all that is still a method of writing and expressing yourself. I admire my little artwork, which leads me to write about what I am thankful for, and then the words begin to flow again. You don’t have to put pressure on writing. Remember, it’s a safe place to voice your thoughts. I recommend journaling once or twice a week for beginners and then moving to every day. I say this because I am the type of person who puts pressure on herself to do something every day. Then I stress about it and don’t want to do it anymore. That’s how I was with journaling in the beginning, and sometimes I still am. I do not want to stop doing something that I enjoy.
Do not pressure yourself and write when you feel like something has been weighing on your mind. For example, if you saw a pretty flower or your cat did something funny, write about it. You can write about it and remember those beautiful simple things in life you have experienced. There are various matters where to write or at what time. Sometimes when I am already in bed and it’s late, and something is bothering me, I go into my phone notes and write about it. You can write anywhere if you feel like it’s needed to help you relieve a thought that has been on your mind. Writing has taught me to value my life more, especially my words. As well, it’s important to voice my opinions and experiences. It has made me self-improve and value myself as a person. It’s an activity where I can be vulnerable with myself by expressing and letting go of what I am feeling. I hope this helps you even a little bit to begin your writing journey.
Below are journals linked below to get started: