*Thank you to Bernadette for allowing us to share this piece. You can see more of her content here and her website here.*
Journaling has been such a transformative and supportive practice for me.
There is something special about putting pen to paper, exploring our curious minds, taking action and chasing our dreams. Journaling helped me to gain greater self-confidence, worthiness and, ultimately, transformed my life in so many positive ways. Putting pen to paper helped me to chase my dreams and get excited about all the things I wanted to achieve, do, experience and feel. Journaling also allowed me to form a deeper connection with myself, putting energy towards the things that light me up, and let go of the things that no longer serve me. It has given me clarity and a bird’s eye view of what’s happening in my mind, to turn what has felt overwhelming into a sense of calm. My journals have always been a safe space to dream, feel seen and heard, and then take action towards a life that feels more aligned and authentic to me.
Journaling comes with many positive benefits.
Journaling brings out your most true self, your inner cheerleader, who you are at your deepest core. It helps you to achieve your dreams and goals as you start to gain perspective of what is truly important to you, in turn, taking action and following what brings you the greatest joy. Journaling can also help to reduce stress, anxiety and overwhelm as you start to see your experiences in the context of your whole life, rather than your whole life being defined by certain experiences. You’ll start to gain perspective on things as you become more mindful and present as you write. Journaling allows you to remove yourself from the day-to-day buzz/hustle and bustle to have a deliberate conversation with yourself – even if it’s asking yourself, ‘how am I feeling today?’ or, ‘what am I grateful for today?’ or, ‘how can I best support myself today?’. The transformation happens when you take aligned action towards your dreams from the things you find from putting pen to paper.
So… how do I create my own positive journaling practice?
When you first start journaling, I encourage you to start small and remove any pressure you may be putting on yourself. Know that you can stop at any time, and you can seek additional support. Your journaling practice will become yours and that will be unique and tailored to your wants and needs.
- Release the need to be ‘perfect’
- Remind yourself that your journal is for your eyes only. It may have scribbles, ripped pages, ‘messy’ writing, pictures, doodles, smudge marks. This all shows a story; it’s your story and it’s all part of it.
- Be open and curious
- Ask yourself questions like, ‘what do I love?’, ‘what lights me up?’ ‘what does my dream life look like?’. Allow yourself to keep writing and be open to the exciting things that may show up on paper.
- Start small
- When I first started journaling, I wrote down three affirmations in the morning and three gratitudes in the evening. This helped me build a sustainable habit where I now gravitate to my journal on a regular basis. Commit to something each week and watch the positive transformations from within.
- Pair with something you love
- What is something that you love that you could pair with your journaling practice to help create a beautiful ritual/practice out of it? Maybe it’s taking yourself to the beach with a hot cuppa and putting pen to paper, listening to soothing music, or having a solo dance before your practice.
- Find some journal prompts
- Journal prompts can be a great way to start, especially if ‘brain dumping’ feels a bit daunting to begin with. You can choose prompts on areas you want to focus on. You’ll be surprised how much you learn about yourself. You always have the answers within.
I encourage you to find a journal you gravitate to and become curious about the possibilities by putting pen to paper. Journaling has been an incredibly positive tool for me and is now such a huge part of my life. I learnt so much about myself by putting pen to paper and finding the answers within. This is so possible for you, too. Don’t forget - you are worthy of chasing your wildest dreams and living a life that feels full, fun and filled with all the things you dream of and light you up. What is that for you?
-Bernadette
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