5 EASY WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH JOURNALING
Whether it’s a release for creativity or just to keep a memory of day-to-day events, journalling regularly has its benefits. It’s been documented to have mental, physical and emotional benefits, as well as providing a safe space for you to recount events and process thoughts without judgement. You may be pumped up for it now, but not sure you can keep up with it? Here’s a few tips to put your hands in writing mode and keep them there.
1. Choose your medium carefully. Do you love the feeling of physically writing down your thoughts? The traditional pen and paper ensures you the most privacy with limited chance of you getting hacked or lost when a service shuts down. Or do you prefer the efficiency of the keyboard and screen? You’ll have backups of your writing, and is something you can do straight from your computer or phone. (A list of highly rated journalling apps can be found here.) However you try and save your writing, try and choose the method that will help you regularly put in entries.
2. Set aside time. Writing doesn’t have to be daily, and you set your own schedule to make entries in your journal. You can set alarms every few days or weekly to remind your to make an entry for that day, and writing can take as long or as short as you need.
3. Use prompts. Everybody gets those times when there’s just nothing to write about. In those times, you can use journal prompts: simple statements designed to inspire you or offer an idea of what to write about. A full list of potential writing topics can be found here.
4. It doesn’t have to be a novel. Your entries can be as long or as short as they want to be, and they don’t even have to be full sentences! Even one point or trying out the bullet journal method could make entries quick and easy to do.
5. Don’t be afraid to be creative. Your journal is your own and you set the rules. Try using different colour highlighters and different coloured pens if you’re using the pen and paper method! Your journal doesn’t have to have to contain just words; you can tape in pictures, and put in some sketches too.
Those are 5 ways that can help you keep a regular journal! However you choose to keep it, it’s a great pastime to develop your writing as well as getting some exercise for your mind. And years from now, you can look back at your old writing to see how far you’ve come. Happy writing!
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