The Art of Journaling: A Practical Guide to Journaling for Beginners

In this episode, I will introduce journaling and show how anyone can do it. I will go through steps to ensure that you're getting the most of out of your journaling experience. There's no right or wrong way to do it, but these are some things I have learn along the way.

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1. Find the right journal(s) for your needs.

I think this step can be super simple or more complex depending on what your experience with journaling is. It will also depend on your approach and how you are. For me, I like having a small journal to write down therapy-specific notes that I learned about in session or that I want to bring to the next session to discuss with my therapist. You need not journal for the sake of anyone but yourself, but that's how I have used it and it works for me. I personally prefer having a smaller notebook for the therapy-specific notes because I use it less often and want to keep it concise and focused. I use another journal to write down more of my general thoughts and feelings about life and my current state of being. Having the two-journal approach works for me because I like having the two areas separated physically even though they are inherently intertwined. In this way I can keep a sense of the the therapy-related things contained and keep up with my progress in my other journal.

I also like the two-journal approach because I like having separate places for long form writing and short form writing. When I know I want to sit down and just dump my brain, I'm going to reach for my bigger journal to make sure I have enough room to write about things as opposed to having to use ten pages in my smaller notebook.

You should find the right journal set up that works for you. The best way to get started is to just grab a 50 cent composition book from Target, a pen, and start writing. Keep it as simple as possible when you start and assess your needs as you go.

2. Start writing.

This step can feel a little uncomfortable when you're just starting out, but once you get the ink flowing you'll start to get a feel for your writing style. Just write whatever comes into your brain. Don't stop to read or think about what you wrote, just keep going until you feel you've reached a good stopping out. It may feel a little forced when you first start out, but it gets so much easier with practice and eventually you may get to a point where you sit down and know exactly what you want to write. Often it's fun to just go where your mind takes you, which is probably what you wanted to write about in the first place.

I know when I first started out, I felt really self-conscious about the words I was writing. It was almost like, "wow, did I really think that in my brain?" It's a little weird seeing it written out in front of you and staring you in the face, but that's what's so powerful about journaling in my opinion. You get to think and write and look at your own truth dead in the eye. It can be daunting at first but don't let it discourage you. Part of the growth process is learning to accept certain truths about yourself and accepting that truth as who you are. It's important to remember not to shame yourself while doing this. Be kind and forgive yourself often while writing. I think that was a hard thing for me in the beginning to deal with, almost like hearing your own voice on camera. It sounds icky at first, then you don't really care.

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