We loved Best Friend Therapy podcast episode where ERT and Elizabeth Day discussed FUCK OFF journaling.

It reminded us that everyone has their own preferences when it comes to journaling - even between the 3 of us we have wildly different approaches!

Katy

Journaling Journey

I think it was the wonderful book ‘The Artist’s Way’ that first introduced me to journaling, and I could never have anticipated the importance it would come to hold in my life. Julia Cameron suggests first thing in the morning, 3 pages, splurge. No censoring, no judgement, just a decluttering of all the weird and wonderful things whizzing around in the ether of my brain. It is transformative for me in the lightness I feel afterwards, the clarity as to what I actually need to be thinking about, and what can be let go of. I also love following prompts in beautiful rituals with Sadie @soulbeautyrituals - ways of tapping into your inner world - sometimes things spring onto the page that I definitely did not consciously know about!

Journaling Style

First thing in the morning - unconscious flow of brain sludge!

Longer, slower, connected journaling following prompts - once a week or fortnight, engaging with my intuition, dreams, truest emotions.

Journaling Intention for 2023

Pick up the morning pages habit whenever I fall off (usually travelling) as it is unparalleled for me in terms of creating a feeling of groundedness, calm and ‘i’ve got this’. Trying more manifestation journaling - writing as if my dreams and goals have already happened, I know its powerful to connect to that energy!!!

Laura

Journaling Journey

I started journaling during my first experience with therapy in 2010 and it was a tool that really expanded my self awareness in terms of how my thoughts drove certain behaviours and emotions. It is a tool I continue to use in this way. When my head becomes too busy…or there is an unhealthy thought loop happening…or I am feeling a bit off centre in some way…I use journaling to process my thoughts and connect the dots between my thoughts and feelings.

I built a very consistent practice over the years…committing to journalling every morning and I think it has been the biggest contributor to me understanding myself in a much more deep and compassionate way.

Journaling Style

Over the last 12 years as I have become more comfortable and confident with journalling my journalling style has become much more intuitive and less rigid and I now use it in a multitude of ways.

The main ways I utilise journalling:

Morning check in - where am I at in my cycle and a zoom out observation of how I feel and what is going on for me in that particular moment. It is a brilliant way for me to tune into my rhythms and cyclkes so I am not taken as much by surprise due to shifts in mood / hormones / energy.
Observe my somatic experience - I am working on becoming more present and in tune with my body at the moment so keep a daily log of how I have felt over the course of the day, what has been present in my body and an observation of how regulated (or not) my nervous system has been that day
Untangling problems in my head - if things feel confusing and chaotic I will whip out my journal and brain dump - I use pictures / words / mind mapping to find some cognitive clarity on what is going on underneath the noise.
Dreaming and visioning - I walk a lot and inevitably after a long walk in nature I get a lot of ideas and creative insights that I want to capture! So I have pages and pages of journals with wacky, wild and wonderful ideas. Some of these never get looked at / considered again…but the ones that are meant to stick…I know will come back to me.

Journaling Intention for 2023

Focus my journaling less on my thoughts and using it to conceptualise stuff / work things out and more so to connect to my body and the present moment AND to open myself up to a spiritual connection. In order for this to happen, I need to be extremely grounded and so really my intention is to focus on devoting time each day to sink into my heart and FEEL what needs to be heard and journalled out.

Kenny

Journaling Journey

I started journaling during lockdown when parenting two small children in isolation was sending my head west. I was surprised at both how quickly I built the habit and how useful I found it. It had two key benefits for me - to feel gratitude and fulfilment at the end of the day, even when confined to the house I could still find things to be grateful for. It then enabled me to set myself up with a positive mindset for the following day. I don’t have the time or patience for long form journaling, so I find a 5 minute slot in bed the best solution! I fell off the bandwagon in 2022 and it’s one of my intentions for 2023 to re-introduce as a regular habit.