Journaling has been infinitely helpful to me on my journey. I have so many journals from over the years its crazy! I am willing to bet that Im not alone. Many of us have gorgeous notebooks but for one reason or another they remain empty. Untouched due to the fact that we are running around trying to live our lives and fit it all in, but by the time we have a minute to sit down and reflect, our brains are just done. 

We rationalize that we are too tired to write anything, let alone to write something worthwhile. Thats the thing, whatever you write doesn’t have to be pretty. It doesn’t even have to be cohesive or make sense. Simply the act of putting pen to paper will truly help you to focus your energy on exactly what you are doing in that very moment. What’s more is that you can get all the floating thoughts from your head out onto the paper which then frees up more brain space. 

According to Jennifer Hawthorne in her article, Change your thoughts, Change your World,  “The average person has anywhere from 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. And the kicker is that 80% of those thoughts are negative. 

Writing these thoughts down and being able to pin point some of our recurring negative thought loops will greatly increase our ability to be mindful and rooted in reality. 

Start small. Commit to filling one page per day. Honestly sometimes I write like I am trying to write a novel and other times it is gibberish and HUGE letters because something is blaring at me to get out. Try to pay attention to what your body and mind are communicating. Don’t edit what wants to come out. Simply pick up the pen, put it on the paper and go. 

Find a time where you will be uninterrupted for about 5 minutes. Personally I like to journal first thing when I wake up and then right before I go to bed. It helps me to start my day with a clear head and intention, then at night I unload thoughts that have built up during the day. I always keep a journal and pen on my bedside table. Occasionally I have a night where my thoughts are literally bursting out of me and if I don’t write them down, I can’t sleep. 

This is day one of the 7 day challenge. You may find that you like it so much you want to keep at it and include it into your remaining 6 days. This would be ideal. A terrific way for you to track your progress and look back over the week to see how far you have come. 

Happy writing 🙂 

ACTION STEPS

1. Get a journal– it doesn’t have to be fancy(even a legal pad will do) BUT I do think it is more enticing to write in a journal that makes you happy when you look at it 🙂 

2. Pick your time frame when you will do your daily page. 

3. Commit to yourself for 7 days that you will fill one page in your journal. At the end of the week you will have 7 pages full of insight and inspiration to move forward into your more mindful way of living.

HELPFUL RESOURCES 

Check out these Journal Prompts in an Article From Lavendaire.com This is a great way to get started writing and connecting when you aren’t sure how to begin.