Journaling is not a new thing, take a look at the box at the back of my wardrobe and you will find journals dating back to 1988 when my friend first bought me a journal as a Christmas present. I soon became addicted.
What is Journaling?
Journaling can mean different things to different people. Some spend a long time making their journals pretty and adding all sorts of stickers and pictures. I have these type of journals for when my children were babies. However, I don’t really have the time to do this now so generally I just write down a few things each day that are on my mind. It might be as simple as how I’m feeling at the time or what I’ve done that day.
I also use my blogs as journals. Here on At Home A Lot I tend to keep a journal of all the books I’ve read. Over on my other blog, Raisiebay, I have a journal of most of my life events dating back for more than ten years.
I also keep a written journal which is more personal. Some of my journals are written in detail and some are basic scribbles. It’s whatever I feel at the time, but they are always interesting to look back on. If I get bored I take a look at what I did on that day last year and sometimes I get inspired.
I am an affiliate for LSW Mind Cards and have reviewed them in the past. I will mention their new products in this post and if you click through and purchase I may earn a little money at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog.
Why Should You Journal?
There are many different reasons to journal. You can keep a record for future reference, for yourself or your family. Look at how many people have read Anne Frank’s Diary. I do consider keeping a diary a form of journaling.
It is also a great way of putting down your thoughts and feelings and getting to know yourself better. It’s a great tool for mental health improvement. And of course, you don’t ever have to share your journal if you don’t want to.
A lot of mental health programs will ask you to journal or keep a diary of how you manage on a day to day basis. It’s easy to forget why you behaved in a certain way, but if you’ve written it down you can try to discover why. It’s also handy to keep track of food you’ve eaten if you are trying to lose weight, or just manage your eating habits to become more healthy. Some people even journal their exercise regimes so they can see how they have improved. So in simple terms, journaling is good for you.
Finding Time and Inspiration to Journal
A lot of people think they just don’t have the time to journal. This is simply not true. Most people have time to scroll through Social Media or watch television. You could take just five minutes of that time to complete a journal entry. That’s all it takes. Of course you might find that you end up spending more time writing your entry, but that won’t be a bad thing.
As for Inspiration, it’s totally up to you. You don’t need to write anything other than what you have done that day. Or jotting down your thoughts or feelings at that time. However, if you feel you need some more inspiration you may consider a pack of Mind Cards Journal Edition.
Each day, select a card at random and use the prompt on the card to guide your journal entry for the day. Pay attention to any thoughts, feelings or motivations that come up when reading the prompt. Keep your journal somewhere easy to access, such as a bedside table or your desk, to ensure you write an entry each day
I enjoy journaling and I have done so for many years. I love nothing more than a pretty notebook and a good pen. It’s an advantage to have some prompts too, just to help you think a little more.
I really like LSW Mind Cards and I have had my pack for a long time and still use them regularly.
Maybe you would like to start Journaling but don’t know where to start, then the Mind Cards Journal Edition would really help. Or maybe you’d like to help someone else with a gift set of cards, a journal, pen and they at LSW you can even by a special pack of cards for Children to use.
Do you keep a journal?
My youngest keeps a journal and it’s filled with all the things which make her happy. I was going to say I don’t journal but of course I do with my blog, it’s just not in paper form. x
The mind cards for kids are a lovely idea. I do think journaling is good for all to do, but especially kids. It helps them to offload their thoughts and encourages creativity. It’s a lovely hobby to have. x
I use my blog as a journal but I have recently started using a paper one where I can feel comfortable writing down anything. It’s a great way to process things that are going on in my life.
I love collecting journals. I am less good about actually using them, though I do always find value in journaling when I do it. Great post!
My daughter has started to write a journal and finds it helpful to write things down
Lovely post. Like you, I used to journal more and spend more time “decorating” it when the kids were younger. I also used to print photos more then. I’d encourage the kids to create travel journals when we went on trips. Now, I don’t physically journal so much, but of course blog. I think I may get into it more when I’m older again. Lovely journal cards. xxx
I kind of journal, I have a witches grimoire that I like to make look pretty, I have a notes app on my phone to track when I feel really angsty, and of course my blog. I like the look of the cards.