Journalling, Guided or Not?

I’m a huge fan of journalling and I sell journals in my online shop. But what if you have never journalled before? Do you jump right in and write down your thoughts and feelings or are guided journals better? I can’t really answer this for you, I guess you need to find out what works for you, but I can give you a guide.

None Guided Journalling

I have been keeping journals for years. Original ones were diary’s and I have a whole box full of my memories written down. These could be considered guided as they are dated. But some are not, some are just notebooks where I have written all my secrets and feelings.

I think the first none guided journal I kept was when my third child was born. I’d seen a lot of journals online and wanted to have a go at making one. Not being a really crafty or creative person I found it very difficult. I used photographs of my baby along with little cut outs of baby things like rattles and soothers and toys to decorate the pages. Each photo was framed and I wrote little bits to remind of that part of her life. I also cut out poems and songs that reminded me of that time. I spent hours and hours on that journal and I hope one day she will see the effort I put into it. I tried again with her sister but it was hard work finding the time with two little ones. By the time their brother was born he just got a general baby book which is probably only have filled in. Journalling like this takes time and effort.

Since then though I’ve written so many books of my feelings. Kind of like diaries but less organised. I had given up on the decorations apart from a few doodles and I have added a poem or the words of a song occasionally. But mostly I’ve just scribbled aways my feelings. I did this when my mum died, and again when my husband left me. I haven’t been able to re-read them yet but I may be able to, and if I don’t then if anyone else reads them in the future I hope that they can see how I felt at that time. For these I used normal notebooks. But I did find that the cuter the book, or the nicer the paper the neater and more organised my writings.

In my shop I sell lovely notebooks. They can be lined or plain or have little squares. (People like the grid ones to help with drawings and diagrams, or just organisation if they are adding cut outs.)

I have ruled, bullet and plain notebooks in mist, stone, green and blue over in my shop. The paper is lovely to feel and write on and the paperback covers are embossed in gold. Simple and beautiful. Just ready for you to let it all out.

What are the benefits of Journalling?

Here is a simple list:

• Self-Reflection: Journalling provides a space to explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without judgment. 
• Emotional Processing: It can be a helpful tool for working through difficult emotions and understanding their origins. 
• Stress Reduction: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help to clear your mind and reduce stress levels. 
• Creative Expression: Journalling can be a creative outlet for expressing yourself and exploring different ideas. 
• Goal Setting and Tracking: You can use your journal to set goals and track your progress towards achieving them. 

So you can improve your mental health, increase your self awareness, enhance your creativity, make better decisions or just improve your memory. Or, all of the above!

Guided Journals

Guided journals are different as in they give you activities to fill in each day. It can be as simple as what made you happy that day, what you think you could have done better or what you feel grateful for. It promotes positive well being by encouraging you to do more of what makes you happy and is the ultimate gift for mental wellbeing.

There are many different types of guided journals to choose from. In my shop I have a few.

Mind Notes: a guided six month hardback book which offers

• Monday – Friday prompts with weekly review pages
• Inspirational quotes
• Colouring pages
• Motivational exercises
• Probing questions
• Coaching techniques
• Mindfulness techniques
• Breathing exercises
• Positive affirmations

Habit Notes: another 12 week journal which tracks your habits and encourages good ones while helping you banish the bad ones.

• Monday – Sunday daily and weekly habit trackers and guided prompts
• Inspirational quotes
• Motivational exercises
• Coaching techniques
• Goal Setting

Morning Notes: An undated well being journal for use in the morning to help plan your day.

• Monday – Sunday journal prompts
• Goal setting exercises
• Monthly reviews
• Inspirational quotes
• Mindful colouring pages
• Gratitude exercises
• Three month review
• Three month Gratitude reflection

I hope this post has taught you a little more about why I find keeping a journal important and I hope it helps you too. If there is anything you would like to purchase then please join my mailing list and you’ll get a discount code. (the mailing list is a pop up, or contact me and I’ll give you a code)

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