A daily journaling practice in your bullet journal is a wonderful way to clear the mind and record the events of the day. Through journaling, you’ll gain clarity and valuable insights that will help you process thoughts and emotions. I’m sharing my tips for getting started with a personal journaling practice. Plus, I have designed a floral journaling template that you can download for free when you subscribe to the Planner Lovers Resource Library.
Benefits you’ll get from a daily journaling practice
Aside from the obvious – a record of the day’s events – there are many unexpected benefits to be gained from regular journaling. According to PsychCentral.com, begin a daily journaling practice to experience the following benefits:
Clarity of thoughts and feelings – When you write down thoughts and emotions, unedited, your thoughts will feel less jumbled up. You’ll quickly get in touch with your internal world.
Know yourself better – through regular journaling you will get to know what makes you feel happy and confident. You will also learn which situations are toxic to you and best avoided.
Reduce stress – Writing about anger, sadness and other painful emotions helps to release the intensity of these feelings. You will feel calmer and be more in the present moment.
Solve problems more effectively – Writing unlocks the capability of the mind to find unexpected solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.
Resolve disagreements with others – Writing about misunderstandings rather than stewing over them will help you to understand another’s point of view.
How to start a daily journaling practice
Aim to write for about 20 minutes a day. Start anywhere and don’t worry about spelling or punctuation. Write quickly and freely to avoid getting stuck on ‘shoulds’ or experiencing other blocks to your journaling. It may help to pick a theme for the day, week or month. Keep your journaling private to allow you to write without censor. If you find that writing daily is too much at first, start with a weekly practice. Write more often as journaling becomes easier.
Here are some ideas for what to write about in your journal
- Events that have happened
- Your ideas
- Your successes
- The progress you’ve made
- Lessons learned
- Thoughts and feelings
- What you are grateful for
- Dreams and goals
How to create a floral journaling page in your bullet journal
Download and print the free Floral Journaling Template from the Planner Lovers Resource Library. Attach the print-out to your journal page using washi or double-sided tape, or use it as a template to trace. Colour-in the floral design if you like, and start writing! You can also use this template to create an A5 insert for your ring-bound planner.
Combine your daily journaling with a gratitude practice. Use my coordinating Floral Gratitude Template from the Resource Library. Learn more about the benefits of gratitude journaling here.
What impact has daily journaling had on your life?
