Journaling 101
The first thing I always say to my clients about journaling is this: “The only rule to journaling is that there are no rules to journaling… just pick up your pen, pencil, phone, pad, keyboard, etc and start writing or typing.” There are a lot of preconceived notions about what journaling is supposed to look like or supposed to be. The reality is that journaling only needs to fit your need, at that time, in your day or life.
Journaling can be listing, venting, charting, drawing, ranting, gratitude naming, intention setting, venn diagramming, etc. It can be in a fancy notebook (hello, trip to Target or Barnes & Noble…), a simple notebook from the grocery, your phone, an app, your pad or laptop. The key is finding out what works for you - and what you will actually use. It also doesn’t need to be a lengthy process… journaling for 3-5 minutes in the morning can be a great mental reset for your day - or a have a settling, calming effect at night. If you journal for longer, great… but it doesn’t have to be long to be productive and helpful.
Below are a few journaling prompts and strategies to utilize as either a way to get started - or a way to get grounded and set intentions for the day. There are also journaling prompts for calming, for organizing thoughts or venting about situations or feelings.
PROMPTS FOR RECOGNIZING & MANAGING EMOTIONS -
"How am I feeling today, at this moment or recently?”
“What has been bothering me most today/recently? Can I look at these things in any other way?”
“What am I feeling excited or positive about?… or What’s been getting in the way of me feeling positive when I want to?”
“What are life things that I can influence and what are the things I can’t control?”
“What am I feeling proud of? or not so proud of?” (this is your journal… you can tell it anything!)
“Where is my focus going.. and where do I want it to go?”
“What life things are giving me energy… or draining my energy?”
“Where am I feeling emotions in my body? What is that like?”
“What emotions am I finding it hardest to feel? Which ones am I numbing? Which are making me angry or irritable?”
“What are the difficult or painful emotions trying to tell me?… What would I tell a friend who told me they had these emotions?”
PROMPTS FOR SETTING GOALS -
“What’s my goal right now? (this moment) What is ONE thing I can do toward that goal right now?”
“What’s my goal for today? What is ONE thing I can do toward that goal today?”
“What’s my goal for this week? What is ONE thing I can plan to do toward that goal this week?”
“What’s my goal for this month? This year? 5 years? Someday?…. for each of these, what is ONE step I can take or plan to take in that time frame?”
Also - SMART goal setting will get explored in another post. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (to your needs, hopes etc) and Time bound.
PROMPTS FOR THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU VALUE AND WANT IN YOUR LIFE -
“What do I want to learn more about or have more of in my life?”
“What are the things I value most in my life? (love, peace, calmness, adventure, recognition, success, etc)
“Who are 3 people I admire and why?”
“How do I define ‘success’ or ‘peace’ in life?”
“Where/how do I like to spend my time & energy?”
“What does self-care look like for me?”
“What would be an ideal day or month for me? (who am I with, what am I doing, etc)”
“What does happiness mean or feel like to me?”
PROMPTS FOR VENTING ABOUT THE DAY OR A SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE - AND LETTING GO OF DIFFICULT FEELINGS/THOUGHTS/EMOTIONS -
“What happened?”
“What are my feelings?”
“Who are the people involved?”
“When/why/how did I feel triggered emotionally? Or when did the negative thoughts show up?”
“What were the results of the situation?”
“How would I have preferred it to be resolved?”
“Why am I struggling to let it go?”
“How can I get myself grounded right now (take a walk outside, a shower/bath, write/talk to a trusted friend, yoga, bike, etc)
DRAWING / DIAGRAMMING / T-CHARTING -
Journaling doesn’t have to be in prose… it can be lists or ‘running on forever’ thought streams, poetry, drawings, etc. - form is not important, just expression.
Some ideas are t-charts for tough decisions or pros/cons listing; venn diagrams for building more perspectives on complex situations, choices, etc; drawing your emotions and feelings rather than finding words to express them (use colors!)
3G JOURNALING -
I created this journal prompt (also detailed in a separate post) initially for myself and own struggle to access journaling. While knowing that morning is usually my most helpful time to journal, I was struggling to focus my attention enough over coffee to pick up and write… and so I came up with the ‘3G’ plan. I also know my ‘ADHD brain’ will more likely engage in something if there’s a ‘novelty’ aspect to it - and it worked.
The ‘3G’s’ are: Gratitude; Goals/Intention (for the day); Grounding
Gratitude: make a list of at least 5-10 things that you are grateful for; these can be as simple as ‘sunshine, rain, breath, movement, family, friends, etc’ … and they can be the same or similar each time you journal; it’s the gratitude part that’s important - not variety.
Goals/Intentions (for the day): write down several goals/intentions FOR TODAY ONLY… not for the week or month - just for today; they can be tangible goals like ‘pay bills’, ‘clean the coat closet’…. or they can be intangible like ‘increase focus at work, recognize when imposter syndrome shows up and practice self-compassion, etc’
Grounding: write down how you’ll stay grounded and regulated today; maybe walking 15 minutes, yoga, sewing, breathing exercises, etc - these are personal and can also be the same often.
Morning is usually the best time to ‘3G Journal’ but I’ve had clients who prefer nighttime as well.
BENEFITS OF JOURNALING:
Can relieve stress, depression and anxiety.
Can help you clarify your thoughts, feelings, emotions.
Can improve memory.
Can improve prioritization skills.
Can facilitate deeper and more insightful thinking.
Can help increase perspectives, reduce cognitive distortions.
Can help you re-narrate when you realize you’re ‘stuck’ in (probably) faulty narratives.
Can improve your ability to express yourself to others.
Can help with conflict resolution by writing it down (‘dumping it out’) rather than ‘stewing’ on it all day/week.
Can help with goal setting and personal growth.
Can (does) facilitate mindfulness.
Can help with healing - transferring our experiences into language helps us process difficult feelings, thoughts and ‘deal with’ them.
Can help solve problems by connecting 'right brain’ creativity and intuition with ‘left brain’ language, logic, math.
Best, Jenn
*The information presented in this blog is intended for general knowledge and use only. It should not take the place of medical, clinical advice or licensed therapy. To find a licensed practitioner in your area, the Psychology Today Directory is an excellent resource.