Journaling For Personal Growth
Journaling is an ancient practice that has been shown to help people reduce stress, gain more self-confidence, and think more creatively. If you want to start journaling, here are a few tips on how to get started.
- Find a place where you feel comfortable and won't be disturbed. It doesn't matter where this place is - it could be your bed or the library - the important thing is that it feels like home for you.
- Sit in a chair with a hard surface so that when you write down your thoughts with pen and paper, there will be less of a chance of ink stains on your clothes or sheets.
- Think of a topic that you are interested in, or want to master. This topic should be something that you can expand on over the course of your journaling. For example, Start with a paragraph about how to solve a puzzle or how to make a new recipe.
- Once you have selected your topic go for it! Don't worry about having only one entry about that topic in the beginning of your journal - just start writing down whatever comes into your mind as it relates to your chosen subject.
- If you are having a hard time getting started, try writing down just one question about your subject. For example: "Why do we like to solve puzzles?" or "What makes food taste better when cooked with love?".
- As you continue to journal the answers to those questions will come more easily - sometimes very quickly. That's okay! Just fill in the blanks of ideas as they come to you.
- Keep writing until you can't think of anything else to say on that topic. You can start another entry about another topic, or put down your pen and reflect on what you have written so far. You might even want to leave some pages blank for future entries.
- As you practice journaling, you may find that some of your entries develop into stories. Some people even write novels! It is okay to experiment with different forms of writing. Just make sure that you are writing about something that interests you.
- Read over your entries after a week or two to see what effect they have had on your life.
- There is no right way to journal, as long as it feels right for you. Experiment with different formats and styles - print out old entries and put them in a binded book so they look pretty when they are finished. Or make a scrapbook with graphics and drawings that relate to the topic of your entry - whatever works for you!
- You can also journal electronically, by typing on the computer. You can even post your entries online on a blog or website if you feel comfortable doing so!
- If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, try responding to prompts, such as "A Letter to My Teenage Self" or "Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was Younger". There are also many books which have writing topics already chosen for you. Or just type in the word "journal prompts" in your search engine and look at all of the websites this will bring up for ideas. Just make sure your journaling is about something that interests you.
- Journaling is a great way to get in touch with your feelings, particularly if you struggle with emotions such as anxiety and low self-esteem that can sometimes get bottled up. Write about how you feel in the moment - don't worry about painting a perfect picture of how you are feeling. Just write what comes to mind!
- It has been said by many people who practice journaling that this is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself and gain confidence, as well as practice keeping a diary or logbook of your thoughts, feelings and experiences.
- Even if you don't feel like a journal is doing anything for you, remember that most people who journal don't see the full benefits of their entries until they go back and read what they wrote days, weeks or even years before.
- A great idea is to keep a journal when you are facing a challenge in your life - such as going through a divorce or moving to another country. Writing down your thoughts can help organize your needs and also help you identify positive events that happened during these stressful times.
- Think of journaling as an extension of the coping strategies which we use in our everyday lives. Just as you might use positive affirmations to help you feel better about yourself, writing down your thoughts and emotions is another way of helping yourself - and it can also be fun!
- Journaling is a great way to get organized. You can keep track of how much money you spend, when things need to be done, or even your feelings about the people you love the most. If you are trying to stop a bad habit or self-destructive behavior, writing about your feelings can help bring up things that may have been buried for years.
- In almost every book about journaling there are testimonials from people who found peace, happiness and even lasting love after they started keeping a journal. I think that's pretty awesome!
- If you would like to know more about journaling, check out this website: http://www.journalforall.com/
Have a great day! - Kayla xo
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Seventh Grade Careers I really enjoy reading books which help me look at things from different perspectives. Specifically, I like reading books which help me look at things in a way that I never have thought about before. For example, The Upside of Irrationality is an excellent book because it makes you look at emotions in a whole new way. Or, something like Think Like Einstein makes you look at the world differently by making connections between the ideas of Einstein and the things you do every day. These are just two examples of what I like to read, but there are many other types of books which help me look at things in a new way. I only usually read books which interest me, so they don't all end up on my shelves. But here are some of the books that I've read recently and enjoyed very much: The Magic of Writing by Glenda McFarlane
This book has a lot of great tips for writing whatever you like.
Conclusion The Magic of Writing is a great book for all ages, whether you are a writer, an aspiring writer or just someone who enjoys writing.
I think that this is a great book to give as a present to anyone who wants to be an author, or anyone who loves reading and writing.
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