How to Journal
There are many ways to go about
journaling, and there are many different types of journals in which you can
create. The basic journal focuses on writing about your thoughts, feelings, and
emotions. As I mentioned in Why Journal, the purpose of journaling is to
express yourself through writing. Most times, people don’t like to write
because they don’t know what to say, or they don’t know where to start. Some
people even worry about being judged or corrected for their writing. The beauty
of journaling gives you the option to either share your writing or keep it all
to yourself and never share it with others.
In order to start journaling, you will
need writing utensils and a journal to write in. Of course, with technological
advancements, you don’t even need writing utensils and a journal to write you.
You can simply type it all out on your computer, too. Whatever method you
choose, be prepared to set aside at least 10 to 15 minutes per journal entry to
freely write out your first thoughts and feelings. This can be done without
writing prompts given by simply writing about your daily life experiences. If
you don’t have anything to write about, then you can turn to the Writing
Prompts section for ideas.
When journaling, you should write freely
without worrying about grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Just write! You are
not being graded on it. You are journaling to express yourself and, often times,
trying to work through thoughts, feelings, and emotions you have on specific
subjects or events currently taking place or already taken place in your life. This is your private space to express yourself, so that’s exactly what you should do with your journal.
So, let’s get started! Pull out your
writing utensil of choice and journal, or pull up a blank page on your computer
and start journaling. Write about your daily events, life experiences, or use
the Writing Prompts section to get you started. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes
writing about the first thing that comes to mind and see where it goes. If you want to stop after 10 to 15 minutes, then
do so. If you have more to say and have time to continue to write, then go for
it! See where it goes. Write until you can’t write any more about the daily
event, life experience, or writing prompt given. Happy writing!