Journaling

When was the last time you cut out some time in your busy schedule to journal? Was the last time you journaled a year ago? A decade ago? Perhaps never?

Journaling has often been a practice of mine from adolescence to now. It has not always been a consistent or regular practice but rather something I have come back to now and then. I got my very first journal or ‘diary’ when I was about 10 years old and I felt so excited at the thought of being able to disclose my thoughts, feelings and experiences privately- that was until I lost this diary on a family trip overseas-never to be seen again.I had hoped that my diary entries would remain secret in this little book, flimsily secured with a little brass lock on the front. Truthfully though, as a 10 year old, there was really nothing that scandalous recorded in that diary of mine however upon returning home to Australia, mum and I headed out to get a replacement.

I currently use a journal each night to record my gratitude however, occasionally I make time and space to write an actual entry. I sometimes write about my health goals and relationship goals, I might write about my struggles and what actions I need to take to elicit change. I sometimes write about my qualities and characteristics-sounds like a strange thing to do, however on this journey we call life, my confidence has taken a bit of a hit now and then. I found writing about who I am helps me feel centered again and regain the confidence I need to push forward.

I have found journaling to be an opportunity to practice mindfulness whilst being inwardly reflective. For me, it definitely lightens the emotional load that I sometimes carry and I still find it to be incredibly cathartic.

If you are thinking about giving journaling a go, there are some awesome journals online which are structured with prompts to help you, however if you prefer to freestyle all you really need in a pen and paper- or laptop if you prefer to type it out.

Some reflective journaling prompts could be:

What were your biggest challenges from the past 12-18 months?

What have been your greatest successes from the past 12-18 months?

What and/or who helped you get through tough times?

How would you describe the type of person you have been lately?

What kind of person do you want to be?

Send us a message here at Aesirr for some more journaling prompts.