One habit I’ve picked up over the last year or so that has helped me in nearly every arena of my life is journaling. I was never one for journaling before because I would start each page in a “Dear Diary” format that just never truly resonated with me. My goal for this post is to hopefully show you some other ways of journaling to help when you’re feeling alone, hopeless, or anything in between the same way it’s helped me so many times before!
The Daily Affirmations / To-Do List / Daily Gratitude Combo
While this combo lives in a completely separate notebook than my other recommendations in this list, it is the one I stick to almost daily! I begin every day (sometimes setting this up the night before) by writing the following on a blank page:
- Date
- 5 circles to represent 32oz. of water per circle
- 3 daily affirmations (I am statements)
- My numbered to-do list (that I keep flexible based on how I’m feeling)
- 10 things I was grateful for that day (I complete this at the end of the day before bed)
I’ve lived my life as a tracking fiend and have carried that into these recent “slower moving” days to a degree! I love to track my water intake because if you go into Renal Failure once, you never want to go back – stay hydrated! My to-do list always has the same things (and then some); this includes things like walking Puddles, exercising, making the bed in the morning, reading a good book for 30 minutes, stretching, etc. Additional things range vastly from cleaning my bathrooms, vacuuming, and cooking dinner, to working on any hobbies or projects and striving for new goals.
My daily affirmations have transformed quite a lot over time, here are some examples:
- I am loved and always chosen, regardless of external circumstances
- I am incredible at my job and highly valued
- I am open in mind, heart, and soul
These have only changed over time in the sense that I’m trying to be more specific, which really helps on lower energy days.
Letters I’ll Never Send
These have been incredibly transformative in so many ways; while many of these do not live in an actual journal either, they are incredibly freeing! That person you lack closure with? Write them a letter to give yourself the closure you need and then BURN IT! I don’t write these in a journal because I almost always end up burning them to release the energy (even the positive ones). In some of the darkest times of my life, I have written multiple letters to the same people to work through some of the emotions I was experiencing, and in doing so, I was able to at least begin the healing process. Ravaged by guilt or shame? Bleeding from an unrequited love? Have things you need to get off your chest but can’t find the courage to say it? WRITE THE LETTER. It’s incredibly freeing and an option that is always there for you. There are no limits to this practice – to give you an idea of how much I enjoy this approach, the highest number of letters I’ve written to one person is currently 28! The magic behind this lies in the energy expenditure of doing this – 28 letters later, there is invisible healing, closure, and rediscovered softness in a relationship that was burning to the ground, and all accomplished without a single word.
Try it and let me know what discoveries you find!
Overthrowing Limiting Beliefs
This one is newer but incredibly fun to do (especially on days you’re feeling down!); I’ve begun working on actually letting myself feel my feelings and working through them and integrating them to be better. I set this up on a blank page with a line drawn directly down the center – on the left hand side, I label the top “CURRENT STORY” and on the right hand side, I label the top “NEW STORY.” I like to have fun with this practice because in my personal journal, I make the rules! Let’s do a live example:
CURRENT STORY VS. NEW STORY
| Money is scarce | Money is being printed every day and wants to be in my wallet as much as I want it to be |
| My friends think I’m weird | My friends love me unconditionally and value my unique, eccentric perspective |
| Love is hard | I am always loved and always chosen, because I choose myself first |
| Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is impossibly difficult | I love to move my body and nourish myself with whole foods because it helps me feel my absolute best |
| My MS is progressing and the future looks bleak | My MS is well-managed and getting better every day |
I love this one simply because I like to present my new internal story as I live my life like superwoman and nothing can bring me down! While the above example isn’t necessarily true to my personal journaling exercises, I still think it’s true enough to the heart to help!
Connecting with the Smarter Version of Me
An exercise I like to do that takes a bit of additional time, but is almost always worth it, lies in “channeling” my higher self. For those of you rolling your eyes over there, this is literally just another way of free-form writing and getting in sync with a deeper portion of yourself. I always engage in this practice after at least 10 minutes of meditation (which does NOT need to look perfect, it almost never is for me) so I know I’m in the best mental state possible for this. I begin by writing a question at the top of a blank page – my favorite right now is just “What do I need to know right now?” From there, I return to my meditative state with pen in hand and just sit with that question mulling around my mind, writing down anything that comes. I’ve gotten some very helpful tips from myself in this practice! Weird thoughts come through sometimes, and because I am intentionally writing each one down, I’ve given myself amazing next steps for little wins. A fun example of this was during one of these sessions when I was thinking about what to get my mom for Mother’s Day; in a series of multiple thoughts, “clay craft” came immediately to mind.
I’ve had other nuggets hit my mind as well, simple little things like, “call your aunt,” “check audition dates” and more, which have led to fruitful outcomes. I love the “what do I need to know right now?” question because I get so many helpful tips that all come from within. Examples of these widely range from, “just start,” “when you think of them, they’re thinking of you too,” “Sedona,” etc. Sedona has come up multiple times, both in my “channeling” sessions and from other people telling me I should go, so I’m currently working on trying to plan a girls trip with my best friend – clearly the universe is trying to guide me LOL.
Really, I like to intentionally sit in these meditative sessions because it gives me an opportunity to really check in with what’s going on in the back of my mind in sweet silence, without interruption. In the name of authenticity, I’ll admit that there are plenty of times my mind just remains blank, and that’s okay too! It’s all in the fact that we continue to show up for ourselves, and now you have a blank page ready for the next time you want to ask your inner self the same question later.
Thinking, Feeling, Doing
This was one of the few nuggets I learned and retained during my time in official therapy (my therapist and I just weren’t a good fit, and after having a Quantum Healing session, I haven’t looked back).
The process is simple – draw a big triangle, labeling each point with “thinking,” “feeling,” and “doing.” The beauty of this also lies in the fact that you’re doing this in a private journal no one else will ever see unless you say otherwise, so it’s a real opportunity to get raw and honest with yourself. I use this one a lot in my daily life, including when I’m really overwhelmed at work. This triangle is special to me because it’s provided me with a real, honest look into my mental wellbeing and has given me the opportunity to name exactly what’s going on within me.
“Thinking” usually just becomes a thought dump of everything that’s happening in my head,
- I am overwhelmed
- I’m doing my best
- It’s a beautiful day
- Things shouldn’t be this hard
“Feeling” has helped me name the emotions behind what I’m thinking,
- I’m feeling like a failure
- Feeling proud of how far I’ve come
- Grateful for the weather
- I’m afraid things may never get better
“Doing” is universal, and sometimes this one just becomes “acknowledging all of this” and that’s where it ends,
- Acknowledging that I am feeling overwhelmed
- My absolute best right now
- Basking in the sun
- Breathing
When I have colored pencils handy, I’ll color the lines of the triangle different shades to represent how I’m processing in that moment just to take it a step further. This is a really quick one to do literally anywhere and can help ground you back to baseline before taking a deep breath and taking the next step forward.
These are the common journaling practices I do on at least a weekly basis (with #1 being just about daily)! Hopefully there is at least one on this list that appeals to you as these have gotten me through some of the toughest times I’ve faced to date. If you try one of these, please let me know how it went for you and if it made things easier on your mental load! Life is a cruel mistress, but when given the proper tools, she can be absolutely beautiful.
As always, thank you for remaining Chronically Joyful with me. ♡
Chronically Joyful 
Leave a comment