On last week’s blog (found here) I have you a sample of the first few pages of “Know Yourself”, the journal I’ve published on Amazon. In that post I told you the reasons journaling is important to me and some things to consider about why you might benefit journaling. This week, I’m going to share more pages from that journal and talk about how to journal.

Here is what you can expect this week.

1. You’ll learn how to journal the best way
2. You can get excited about finding the best way for you to journal
3. You’ll get a starter prompt to try. I want you to try a journal prompt and let me know what you think!

Why talk about how to journal? You might think that there is only one right way to journal and in this case, that simply isn’t true. Stay tuned!

Here we go!! These are the next few pages from “Know Yourself” AND a journal prompt.

The right way to journal is…

What you decide is the right way! There is not a right or wrong way to journal. The best way to journal is whatever way is going to work best for you.

For some people, beginning their day with writing works well as it allows them to think about what they want their day to be. These individuals feel that writing first thing in the morning helps them to set the tone of their day and gives them a target for their thinking. This works well for early risers who enjoy time before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.

Some feel that journaling at the end of their day works really well as it gives them a way to process and digest their day.  These people enjoy a chance to quietly write and connect with their thoughts and feelings at day’s end as a way of releasing the day’s activity to allow for a deeper and more restful sleep. This works well for people who yearn for a way to unwind before bed and enjoy a way to process the events of the day.

Lunchtime or mid-day journaling works well for those people who want to build self-care into the middle of their day. This can be a nice way to take a break or reset your thinking in the midst of the day.

Some tips…

Use a pen that you really love and the writes easily. Pens with ink that flows easily or freshly sharpened pencils are my favorites. I find that the more easily a pen writes, the more I enjoy the physical writing. There are lots of lovely pens on the market. Finding one that you love is really worth it. And if you are someone who enjoys being creative, having pens in different colors can be a fun way to enhance your journaling.  If being down to business feels better to you, choosing a lovely pen in black or blue works very well. 

Create a consistent time to journal. The time you choose is truly up to you. You will intuitively know when the best time to journal is for you. By creating a routine around your journaling you will be more consistent in the journaling and see the benefits more quickly. 

This is your process…

These prompts are written as daily prompts and weekly reflections simply as a way to organize them. Some days, you might feel like writing on two prompts. Other times you may find you need several days to complete your writing on a particular prompt. This is part of the process. Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself what time you need to complete each prompt. Some prompts will pull up emotions and may require more time for you to fully digest. Others will create such exciting visions of the life you long to create that you will be propelled forward into the next prompt. You might fill up all of the lines below a prompt and even need to add extra paper. You might only fill one or two lines below a particular prompt. However you do this it is the right way. This is your journey to more fully know yourself. You will know what is best for you. My only request is that you fully honor this inner knowing. 

Now, get comfortable, grab a lovely pen and lets begin…

If you would enjoy free meditations as you journal, please visit http://brendawinkle.com

Let’s begin writing… here is your prompt. Let the pen flow with all of your thoughts and feelings.

Day 1 – I feel most fulfilled when…

All my love,

Brenda