Take Note...
The Retro from Scratch Blog
January 2025
What is journalling?
I have asked this question (in my own head) numerous times... we hear people talking about 'journaling' and that it's good for you... blah, blah blah, but what are they talking about? How do you 'journal'? And how often, and when in the day should you do it? In this blog post I hope to answer all those questions.
Journaling is the practice of writing down your thoughts, feelings, experiences and reflections in a journal or a notebook. It can help reduce stress, help you process your emotions, identify triggers and improve your self awareness so you can live each day with fulfilment.
"I don't know what to write?"
You can write about anything. It could be what you did yesterday. How you feel today. Relationships. Work. What you want to achieve, your hopes and dreams for the future, perhaps?
No one is going to read your journal. Not even you - if you don't want to. So there is no need to put pressure on yourself about what to write, what style to write it in, or how neat your handwriting is, or if there are spelling mistakes. It doesn't matter! (Unless you do want to read it back to yourself at a later date, then you should probably try and make it legible at least!)
What do I need to do journaling?
A notebook. A pen or pencil. And at least 10 minutes.
There are no strict rules for journaling and you can tailor your approach to suit your needs and preferences.
There are recommendations that you need to write every day, in the morning before you 'start the day'. And at least x number of pages, or so many minutes, in a large A4 notebook...
But I say, don't put pressure on yourself. Start small. Choose a nice notebook. Maybe A5 size to begin with so you can carry it around with you, and it's there for you, when you think it's a good time. An A4 notebook is quite big to carry around.
It is good to have a stopping point. You may get carried away and miss the benefits. So I'd limit yourself to no more than 3 x A4 sides or no more than 30 minutes a day.
Even if you don't journal every day you can still experience the positive effects.
When should I journal?
Many people like to journal first thing in the morning but that doesn't work for me, Or should I say, the dogs! So I normally journal in the late afternoon, after I've done my second dog walk.
Hopefully you can find a quiet spot at some point in your day whether it's at work, home or in the car, that is your 'time to journal'.
What are the benefits of journaling?
Journaling can help you relieve stress in several ways including:
Processing Emotions - Journaling can help you process your emotions and thoughts, which can reduce mental distress and help you cope with stressful events
Identify Triggers - Journaling can help you identify negative thoughts and stressors, which can help you tackle them more effectively
Regulating emotions - Journaling can help you control your emotions and regulate your breathing, blood pressure and heart rate,
Improve self-awareness - Journaling can help you enhance your self awareness and develop healthier coping mechanisms
Promoting Self-Compassion - Journaling can help you reframe negative though patterns and promote self compassion
Encouraging social support - Journaling can encourage to you to reach out for social support which can lead to emotional healing
The first step of course is to get yourself a journal to write in! And I have a variety of covers that you can choose from, you can also pick if you'd like plain or lined paper.
I have been journaling for a year now. The key for me is to not put too much pressure on myself. I write when I can or if I really feel the urge. I rarely read what I wrote, back to myself. I just turn to the next page.
I hope this has given you a little more confidence about journaling. If you start, I'd love to know so do get in touch if you do!
Becky x