Journaling provides one of the best ways to release your thoughts. Grab your journal and start to open up. Motherhood is a lovely experience but it comes with a lot of emotional and physical changes. Personally, this is the period that I have struggled to open up to my family and friends. Since I couldn’t express myself to others, I decided that it’s best to write my thoughts down. And since I started, not only have I been able to reflect on parenting but I have experienced massive self-growth and a new level of happiness.
However, it’s not an easy habit to form. I have started and stopped journaling countless times before it eventually became a habit. Are you a new or veteran mom and want to begin a journaling routine? Well, outlined below are 7 practical strategies which I have used to establish a journaling habit.
1. Create a Journaling Environment
Journaling provides me with one of the best ways to record my thoughts. The process is usually about me and my thoughts. And there is no better way of doing this other than minimizing distractions. To ensure that you have the right journaling environment, isolate yourself. But this doesn’t mean that you should leave home and go to the woods. All you need is solitude so you can switch off the TV, Computer, Smartphone etc. and get away from family members. I love waking up in the early hours of dawn because there are minimal internal and external distractions.
2. Write by Hand
Technology means that there are numerous apps which you can use to journal. Additionally, you may be tempted to use Word document for easier and better formatting. But I can tell you this for free, there is no better way of expressing your emotions and releasing your thoughts other than writing by hand. Do you have bad handwriting? Still, go ahead and write your thoughts down by hand.
3. Date Each Journaling Entry
This is one important aspect that people tend to forget. It’s important to write down the date of each entry. Although these are your personal thoughts, sometimes in the future you will likely want to look back at them. Dates also help you to review your progress and how far you have come. Memories sometimes fade and dating each entry means that you will have an idea of your thoughts and feelings during certain periods.
4. Be Honest
A Journal is a private and this is where you can release all your thoughts without the fear of judgment. When I journal, I am honest with myself. I unleash every thought and how they make me feel. I take note of my accomplishments, mistakes, and what I should do next to better myself. Do not limit yourself. I mean this is the only place where you can write anything without fear of facing criticism. Note that you can’t be honest with everyone, but you should always be honest with yourself.
5. Keep Your Journal Private
As much as honesty is important when journaling, your journal should be a private document. Nobody should be able to read what is in your mind or have access to your thoughts because they might end up using it to blackmail you. Additionally, exposing your journal to other people may make you to consciously avoid writing certain details out of fear of judgment. Remember, you want to be honest with yourself, right? So, keep everything private.
6. Don’t Censor Yourself
If you can’t censor the thoughts that are in your head, then there’s no need to censor your journal. When I start journaling, the bad and the good thoughts are all let out. Whatever worries or feelings I have are all released. Don’t worry about the grammar. Simply write. As long as the sentences are making sense, then you are good and if you are not sure of how to start, just write whatever thought that is coming to your mind.
7. Keep It Simple
One of the problems that I experienced when I started journaling is trying to find the perfect starting/opening line. I wanted to keep things classy and professional. But with time I realized that this is a personal document and no other person should have access to it. So, it’s not important about how I start or end. My focus is just simplicity. It doesn’t matter which thought you start with because you don’t need to follow a specific order. Write your thoughts as simple as they come.