Journaling is a creative way to record your feelings, and it's free from the fear of judgment or criticism. Writing a journal can also help you deal with complex issues in your life, exploring them thoroughly and openly. It can also be a way to release stress, instead of accidentally venting undigested feelings on someone else. See Step 1 below to start your own journal.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Start Journaling
Step 1. Find media for journal writing
People usually write journals as they really are, journals in physical form – little notebooks. You can go for a cheap one with a spiral or opt for a nicer, hard-cover notebook. However, nowadays, there are various options available in digital form. Any computer program that allows you to enter and save text also has the potential to be a journal – conventional Word programs work as well, as do free cloud-based writing programs like Google Docs.
If you're looking for a computer-based option for journaling, you may want to consider creating a blog - that is, an online journal that other people can read. A variety of free blogging sites are also available, some of which allow you to control who can and cannot read your blog
Step 2. Start your first journal by preparing its opening
Before writing a journal, title your first article with the date, time and location if desired. For example, say you start with "Monday, January 1, 01:00 am, Bed". Next start by writing a greeting if you wish. Many journal writers use "For Journals" or the same saying to start each article. This can be done or not, it is up to you.
If you're writing a blog, start by greeting your readers
Step 3. Start writing
Let your emotions flow! There's no right way to journal – it's how you feel in that moment that should be written about. When it comes to topics, don't limit yourself – no topic crosses the line. Feelings, dreams, your crush, family life and many more topics you might want to explore. Or, if you're feeling normal, you can tell us about the day's activities! Express to your heart's content with a pen or keyboard. Express your true feelings on paper – don't be afraid to do it.
It's important to note that when you start blogging and want to fully express your feelings, consider your readers. You may need to filter out your thoughts that are too intense or personal
Step 4. Run the routine
Journal would be better if filled every day. Writing allows you to keep a continuous and continuous record of your thoughts and feelings. So keep writing! It's easy to lose heart after a few enthusiastic initial notes, but journaling can be worth it if you can make it a routine.
Generally, journal writers add notes every night before going to bed. This is a healthy routine as it allows the writer to rest and relax at the end of the day by "freeing" any built-up emotions
Step 5. Reread your past notes for reflection
Why write your thoughts if you never intended to read them? Taking a few moments at a time to look at the results of your writing will be very beneficial. You may be surprised to learn how you have felt in the past! The ability to objectively assess past thoughts and emotions because they have been separated by time can give you an understanding of how to live in the future.
* Use your past writings to reflect on your present life. As you read, ask yourself questions such as, "Am I still the same person who wrote this note?", "Is my life going the way I expected it to be?", and "What can I do to solve the maybe bothering me while writing this note?"
Step 6. Spice up your journal with personal style
Each entry in your journal should be as unique as "you" are. Unless you're just keeping a journal solely to record daily empirical facts (miles traversed, tasks completed, etc.), you can try to have fun writing your journal! Add doodles on the edges, song lyrics, movie reviews, or whatever you want - it's all up to you!
Step 7. Take your journal with you on the go
If you don't have a diary, you can't write! Travel is one of the best times for journaling - long days spent on planes, trains, and cars offer plenty of opportunity for lengthy writing, and the unique experiences you often have while traveling are literally begging for commentary. Write a lot on the go and be a constant observer - keep your eyes and ears open to new sensations and experiences so you can write about them.
The experiences you have while traveling may be the most influential in your life. Discovering the beauty of nature, meeting a friend in a faraway place, and even just leaving home can shape who you are, so document those things
Step 8. Beautify the look of your journal
You can experiment when decorating your journal unless you want it to be plain and simple (a legitimate choice if you're worried about other people reading it). The right way to do that is up to you! For example your journal is a notebook, you may want to decorate the outer cover with pictures or stickers. On the inside, you may want to include photos, newspaper clippings, pasted dried flowers, and more!
If you use a digital journal, such as a blog, try adding photos to your posts, including links, and choosing a colorful template
Part 2 of 2: Writing a Great Journal
Step 1. Think of your journal as a safe place to express yourself
Imagine that no one will be able to read it but you, unless your journal is a blog that is open to the public surfing the internet. The next time you want to display the journal, this is again down to your choice, but journals are basically very useful, even if you never show them to anyone else. Try to think of your journal as a "safe haven" for your innermost thoughts. This is a place where you don't have to worry about your feelings being judged or humiliated, so you don't have to feel embarrassed when you write.
Step 2. When you think of something, write it down immediately
Generally people have inner thoughts that they "filter" when interacting with other people. For example, if you meet an ugly person on the street, you will never reveal that you think of them as ugly - instead, you choose which thoughts to express and which thoughts to keep. The trick to good journaling is to "reduce" or even "turn off" this filtering. Often – this becomes a difficult thing to do, because people generally don't have much experience doing it.
If you're having trouble turning off your filter, try writing "free form" to practice - scribbling your thoughts into writing in a stream of thoughts that are currently running through your mind, whether they make sense or not
Step 3. Respond to your past journal entries
Even if you want each journal entry to stand alone, you may find that your writing could be better if you explicitly refer to the previous notes. By seeking explanations for why you wrote that in the past, you can reach a more mature understanding of your own emotions.
For example, were you in a sad mood when you wrote yesterday, but are you feeling better now? Comment on this! In this way, you can begin to understand why you felt the previous feelings
Step 4. Use writing prompts when you run out of ideas
It's not every day something interesting happens. Writing will not always be easy. Instead of giving up on the day, try answering one of the hundreds (if not thousands) of journal guides available online. A writing teacher sometimes uses journal writing for academic practice - when they do, they sometimes share writing instructions for practice online. A simple sentence like "journaling instructions" on a search engine can produce dozens of interesting results. Use the tools at your disposal to keep a great journal consistently!
Through the clues you get, your writing may venture into exciting new areas that may not have been explored before. Be an adventurer and pursue new topics to your heart's content
Step 5. Learn from the experts
Many famous and very influential books are real people's journals or works of fiction written in journal form. Both can help you become a great journal writer. Here are a few of the works that might be a source of inspiration.
- The Diary of Samuel Pepys
- The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank's diary)
- The Diary of Jemima Condict
- The Diary of Franz Kafka
- Bridget Jones's Diary
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- The Color Purple
- Flowers for Algernon
- Dracula
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Tips
- We recommend that you keep your journal confidential. It's better if no one reads your feelings and secrets.
- It's best to write with a pen as pencils can fade.
- Find a secluded, familiar place to write (for example, your bedroom with the door locked), but other secluded places are also good. (Your backyard.)
- If you want to write at school, make sure no one is watching. Choose a secluded place to write.
- Write until the end of your life. When you have finished a book, write a new one.
- If you are a blog writer, lock your blog and save it for 'author blogs only'.
- Share journals with friends or relatives. Share secrets with them.
- If you like writing, look for writing jobs that are widely spread on the internet, so that your hobby can make money at the same time. One of the websites that recruit article writers is Contentesia.
Warning
- If someone accidentally reads your journal, comfort them and tell them that you really don't want them to read it. Then take the necessary precautions, such as using a locked notebook.
- Always keep the journal in a secret box that no one knows after you finish writing. Even better if this box is locked.
- Someone can find your journal.
- Your secret can be shown on the internet if you don't lock it. (This is only for the author's blog).
