As a stationery addict, one of my largest collections is the amount of empty journals I have laying around. I still have a Sgt. Pepper’s journal that I bought in middle school, and I’m sure I can’t be alone in this collection.
Now that I’ve finally started on using those journals, and finally starting to fill them, I’ve realized just how many ways you can fill those journals.
1. Diary
Use your journal as an emotional catharsis. Vent about anything bugging you, write out things you want to remember, express yourself in whatever way you feel. Go back and read them to see how you’ve grown (It’s okay to cringe at them, it happens to all of us).
2. Bullet Journal
Bullet journals help fight procrastination, cope with anxiety, and organize your life a little. It can be artistic, aesthetic, or simply functional. Do what you want with it!
3. Sketchbook
Keeping a sketchbook can improve creativity, relieve stress, increase positivity, release hidden emotions and increase emotional intelligence. No matter if you’re an artistic genius or simply an enthusiastic doodler, a sketchbook can have its benefits.
4. Scrapbook
Along with reminding you of awesome memories and improving your mood, scrapbooking can work as a form of meditation, or even give your brain a workout.
5. A combination of all the above!
Personally, I’ve been filling my journals with anything I feel like in that moment. From diary entries with mementos from different events to occasional doodles when I simply don’t know what else to do, it’s an incredibly cathartic way to end the day.
How do you get started? Open up that journal and do it!
Start first thing in the morning to begin a routine. Clear your mind, unleash some creativity. Not a morning person? Take it with you. Work at it whenever you have a free moment. Jot down thoughts or ideas whenever they come to you. And do it naturally! Don’t try to impress anyone else, and do what feels good to you, because no one else has to read it if you don’t want them to.