The definition of journaling is the act of writing and keeping a record of your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and more.
Although journaling can seem like this huge task that you have to commit to, it is actually quite the opposite.
It’s free (outside of buying something to write with/on), you can do it anywhere, and you can choose how you want to journal.
You can write, type, or draw and do it as little or as much as you please.
You can use a journal or you can use the notes on your phone.
And despite how simple journaling is, it has so many amazing health and wellness benefits. So now that we know the definition of journaling, let’s get into the benefits, what to do, and what not to do.
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Benefits Of Journaling
For the sake of time, I’m not going to list every single benefit, but these are some of the biggest benefits of journaling.
1. Improves Memory
Journaling has been known to be able to improve one’s memory through simply focusing on whatever it is you’re writing about.
When you’re writing you naturally focus on what you’re writing about, and when you do this your mind has a higher chance of committing it to memory and processing it better.
Now, I don’t think this can help you remember people’s names, though, because it only works for whatever you’re writing about, unless you’re going to be writing people’s names in your journal (which I won’t lie is a bit strange).
But if you’re looking to be able to remember things such as:
- What’s on your to-do list for the day
- Deadlines
- Previous commitments you’ve made
Then journaling has got you covered.
2. Reduces Stress
Journaling has also been known to help reduce stress.
Writing forces you to slow down and think about what you want to say, rather than when you’re stuck in your head and things are moving a mile a minute.
Writing also helps you split your focus between how you feel and how you want to write it on the page, as well as release some of the thoughts that are on your mind.
So when you mix all these things together you get to reap the reward of relieving some stress and frustration.
3. Increases Mindfulness
Another great benefit to journaling is that it increases your mindfulness.
This can be especially helpful if you’re looking to reach new personal or financial goals in life because you can’t improve what you’re doing without looking at what you’re doing first.
And journaling is a great way to do this.
After you’ve been journaling for a while you will start to notice things such as
- Your choices
- Your habits
- Your behaviors
4. Promotes Healing
Physically writing promotes healing from challenges and traumatic experiences as writing helps you explore and process your emotions better.
And because journaling gives you a safe space to release what’s on your mind, you also have more room to explore new perspectives and reevaluate negative experiences.
This can help you heal from precious experiences faster and build resilience.
5. Boosts Self-Confidence
Gaining a new boost of self-confidence can also be a positive way that journaling can impact you.
Whether you’re journaling affirmations for confidence or going back through all the progress you’ve made over the last few weeks/months, journaling can be a great confidence booster!
It can also help you notice where you have negative self-talk and improve the way you speak to yourself.
6. Gives You Inspiration
Journaling can also serve as a source of inspiration.
This is especially true when you journal with the intention of goal setting and/or writing your to-do list for the day.
By writing down your thoughts and tracking your daily habits you can better hold yourself accountable, remain motivated, and remind yourself of your top priorities.
And the more you journal the more you get better at it and the more likely you are to stay on task and accomplish your goals.
Different Types Of Journaling
There are many different types of journaling, but I’m going to list the ones that are the most commonly used and the most helpful.
If you don’t know which one to start with then I recommend starting with either standard journaling, journal prompts for beginners, or with gratitude journaling and writing 3 things you’re grateful for each day.
1. Free-Writing/Standard Journaling
The most popular type of journaling is free writing. This can also be known as standard journaling and this is just where you write out whatever is on your mind in no form or fashion.
This can serve as
- Expressive writing
- Writing a list of things (stressors, to-do list, affirmations)
- Daily reflection
With standard journaling, there is a lot more gray area and you can do whatever you please that day. Everything typically is in one journal though.
You can also combine some of these other techniques with your standard journaling.
Again, if you’re new to journaling then I recommend pairing some journal prompts with your free writing because the questions can give you a better structure on what you want to write about for the day.
2. Gratitude Journaling
Ah yes, my favorite type of journaling from this list: gratitude journaling.
This is the easiest form of journaling, takes the least amount of time, and really helps to reframe the way you look at things. It’s also a great way to get your day started or to end your day, if you prefer journaling at night.
All you need to do is write at least 3 things you’re grateful for each day. That’s it.
If you want to do more then you can do more, but if you want to keep it that simple you can too.
You don’t need anything fancy to do this either. When I first started journaling I actually started with gratitude journaling (and I still do it to this day) and when I started I used a random journal I found from Dollar General.
While I don’t recommend getting a journal from DG if you can afford it, I do highly recommend gratitude journaling 10/10.
3. Daily To-Do List
Another way that you can journal is by writing a daily to-do list. Some people call this productivity journaling as well.
This is another simple way to start your day off on a positive and organized note and it’s a great way to keep up with your tasks each day.
You can also combine this method with other journaling methods or you can keep it simple and just do your top priorities for the day.
I don’t recommend listing more than 3 top priorities though because I’ve found when I do this it winds up being overwhelming. Three is just enough, and even if I only do ⅓ of my priorities, I still feel accomplished for the day.
4. Bullet Journaling
Bullet journaling is where you organize your tasks for the day in bullet points.
I’ve seen people organize them based on the days or organize them based on categories such as to-do list, exercise, appointments, goals, etc (shown in the image above).
I’ve also seen people draw boxes around each category to make it more appealing to the eye.
There isn’t a specific topic that you have to bullet journal about, but typically people use bullet journaling for productivity or fitness.
You also don’t have to have a specific journal for bullet journaling.
5. Art Journaling
Art journaling is another type of journaling that you can try out, especially if you are an artistic or creative individual.
Art journaling is similar to standard journaling in the sense that you have more free range on what you journal about from day to day, but the difference is that standard journaling deals with writing, and art journaling deals with:
- Drawing
- Doodling
- Painting
- Sketching
- Writing
The purpose of art journaling is to creatively express yourself through your art with colors, shapes, words and images.
And similar to standard journaling, art journaling typically has a lot more randomness than the other forms of journaling.
6. Dream Journaling
Last but not least you have dream journaling.
Dream journaling is pretty straightforward; you record your dreams, how you felt in the dreams, how you felt after the dreams, and the meaning behind them.
While dream journaling isn’t the most effective in self-improvement or crushing your goals, it is another effective way to work through what is bothering you subconsciously.
It is also another great way to creatively write as you can then use those dreams to help you write a fictional story if you’re into those kinds of things!
The Best Journals
Now that we know the definition of journaling and the different types of journaling, I want to share the best journals with you.
You don’t have to have a journal to be successful but I highly recommend having one.
It’s a lot easier to have everything in one place, it keeps it fun, and it’s cute, especially the second one.
1. Blank Journal With A Ribbon
Some of the best things in life are simple, and journals are no exception to that.
I highly recommend getting a blank journal, especially if you’re starting.
I also recommend getting a good quality journal because the cheaper journals tend to fall apart and that defeats the whole purpose of having something to look back on.
2. Notes To Mindfulness Journal
My all-time favorite journal is the Notes to Mindfulness Journal. It’s simple, yet well-thought-out, has quality material, and is environmentally friendly!
Yep, that’s right, it is 100% compostable, has a 100% natural linen cover with gold lining print, and has a cotton-sew bind and ribbon.
The journal also includes cute designs and space to free-write under the prompts.
You can get them in 4 different colors and a 10% discount here.
3. Gratitude Journal
Another great option for journals is this gratitude journal.
I actually got this as a gift for my birthday and I absolutely love it! It comes with unique inspirational quotes and journal prompts for the day, as well as daily gratitude prompts.
It’s a hardback cover with vegan leather and you can customize the prompts for the morning or the night.
How To Get The Best Results From Journaling
1. Be Consistent With Journaling
If you want to reap the benefits of journaling that we discussed above then you have to be consistent.
What does being consistent with journaling look like?
I’d say about once or twice a day max or once a week minimum. You don’t have to have crazy long journaling sessions either.
In the beginning, I made my journaling sessions no longer than 10 minutes, and even now my journaling sessions are still no longer than 15 minutes.
I’ve found that the more simple you keep it, the more effective it is.
2. Choose A Certain Time Of Day To Journal
Try to choose a time of day that is best for you to journal and stick with it. I recommend either in the morning before you get your day started or at night before you go to bed.
Each time has its own pros and cons.
Morning Journaling Pros
- Great way to get your day started
- Become better organized in the morning
- More likely to remember
Morning Journaling Cons
- Have to add more time into your morning routine
- May not have as much to say since you just started your day
Night Journaling Pros
- Great way to reflect on yourself and the day
- Creates a fresh start for the morning
- Improves sleep
Night Journaling Cons
- Less likely to remember to do it
- More likely to be too tired to write
If you don’t know which one to try, then do both and see which one you like better.
3. Journal Somewhere Quiet
Regardless of what time you choose to journal, I recommend journaling somewhere quiet and free of distractions.
This can help you better focus on what you’re writing about and process your thoughts/feelings.
4. Don’t Journal For Too Long
I don’t recommend journaling for a super long time unless you really need it that session, because you don’t want to overwhelm yourself.
It’s one thing if you have a lot to get off your mind/chest and the words are just flowing out of you, but it’s another thing to set a goal of answering 15 journal prompts and then getting burned out and frustrated because you’re not writing enough.
5. Keep It Simple
What do I mean by keeping it simple? Don’t do more than 3-4 journal prompts in one sitting and don’t feel like you need to write a book for each journal prompt either.
Express how you’re feeling, challenge yourself if need be, but don’t go overboard. You don’t need to write a bunch of stuff in one day to be successful.
Sometimes my shortest journaling sessions are the most powerful.
6. If/When You Get Stumped
If and/or when you get stumped on a journal prompt or stumped in general, I always recommend just writing something.
Write whatever is on your mind right at that moment, even if it doesn’t make sense or sound good.
When you write something, you’re getting the ball rolling and you’re more likely to express what you really need to say, even if what you first put on the paper has nothing to do with your message.
FAQ On The Definition Of Journaling
What Does It Mean When People Journal?
If you’re wondering what does it mean when people journal, the answer is journaling is writing down your thoughts and feelings.
You can journal for many different reasons; although the main reasons are typically to process emotions, reflect, or improve mental health. Many people also use journaling to stay focused and motivated with their goals.
How To Do Journaling?
Want to learn how to journal? Here’s how: grab something to write with and on, determine the reason why you want to journal (for ex. distress, reflect, make a to-do list), and write whatever comes to mind.
You don’t have to write a certain number of words and you don’t have to write in a certain way. Just start writing.
What Is The Main Benefit Of Journaling?
There are many great benefits of journaling but one of the main benefits of journaling is that it can improve your mental health and decrease stress in your life.
It can also promote personal growth, help you gain clarity, encourage new perspectives, and even advance with healing.
What Not To Do When Journaling?
If you’re curious to know what not to do when journaling the answer is
- Don’t judge yourself or your answers
- Don’t overdo it with the prompts
- Don’t go into it with no intentions
- Don’t lie to yourself
- Don’t use your journal as a diary
- Don’t write on the days you don’t feel like writing
- Don’t try just one journaling method
What’s The Difference Between A Diary And A Journal?
The difference between a diary and a journal is the topics you’re writing about.
A diary is used to keep a log of what you did that day (what you ate, did, wore, etc), and a journal is used to record your thoughts and feelings usually with a specific purpose in mind (to distress, self-reflect, grow as a person, etc).
Recap On The Definition Of Journaling
So there you have it folks, now you know the definition of journaling and how amazing it truly is.
I have been journaling for almost 3 years now and I can 100% without a doubt say I wouldn’t have made as much progress with my finances, relationships, and myself if I didn’t journal.
Journaling is one of the best self-improvement tools you can ever use. It’s super easy to do and doesn’t even have to take that long (try starting with 5-10 minutes a day).
If you’re new to journaling then I recommend starting out very simply by either:
- Writing 3 things you’re grateful for a day
- Using 2 or 3 journal prompts for beginners
You don’t have to do anything crazy with it and you can even journal once a week if it better suits your schedule. I also recommend getting a cute journal to keep it fun and everything in one area.
I hope you now have a better understanding of the definition of journaling and I also hope you have a wonderful day!
Peace
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