Journals

“Documenting little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of who you are.”

Carolyn V. Hamilton

This is my favourite ‘small thing’!  

Journals are a personal place for your mind. They are the ‘secret diaries’ we had when we were younger. But why should we stop having our own private space just because we grow up?

I find that, by emptying the thousands of thoughts running through our head, we pick up on the important clues and patterns about ourselves. These provide the areas in which we need to grow and evolve. Journals provide an insight into our own minds. They offer an objective perspective into our thinking and seek to offer new ideas.

We do not get the formal education on how to think, manage our emotions, and work through our traumas. Therefore, I believe it is vital to carve out time to do so to live our fullest and happiest lives. Through journaling, we get to meet ourselves, which is the most important person to whom you need to get to know.

I suggest starting with three journals. This section is only a summary; you can find the exact prompts I use here.

The ‘Mind Clear’ Journal

This journal involves writing whatever comes to your mind; it is about clearing and emptying. It will not be pretty; it will be chaotic. Make it messy, make it illegible. It is not something you will read again.

You are simply releasing. 

You can do this at any time of the day: first thing in the morning, before bed, when you are feeling particularly emotional, etc.

Write with no aim. I would suggest filling out at least one page. This may sound a little much, but you will be surprised at how quickly you can fill it.

I write in this journal before I meditate, as I find it clears my head to allow for a smooth meditation. Once I put a thought down in that entry, I decide not to spend any more time thinking about it. 

Ideas:
– What you need to do today.
– Anything that is bothering you.
– What impending matters you have.
– Regrets about the past.
– Worries of the future.
– Thoughts about yourself/others.

The ‘Dark Side’s’ Journal

This is a journal for the darkness within you. I cannot express the importance of giving a voice to this part of you. It is likely screaming and shouting in your head, so listen. It has something to say, and it is something you will need to hear for your ‘road to recovery’. 
This journal allows you to meet this side of you, understand it, and learn from it. 

I would recommend keeping this journal private; it is your own personal release, and you need to be honest. Get angry, get frustrated, reveal your deepest and darkest thoughts, let loose. This journal is a place where you cannot be judged and will give you the freedom to be the entire you, stripped to your core. 

Whenever the darkness is blinding, when you are deep in the well, write in it. Move that mental fog to a physical source outside of you. Caging it up does you no good and can contribute to your depression.  

I have many activities and prompts for this one. You can find them here.

‘Road to Recovery’ Journal

This journal will be your guide for your journey. It will become your best friend. It will be the mirror to your life, revealing all your wonderful qualities, and the things you need to work on. It will shine a light in the corners of your mind and bring out the beauty within.

I have a lot to discuss about this journal, so please read this section here and follow the activities/prompts. This is such an integral step. If you were to only read one article in this blog, please make it that one.