Journaling: Is it just a Trend or a Real deal?

Recommendations on different tools & different ways to start Journaling

3 mins read • Written by Aaruthra • 19th September 2022

The concept of journaling has grown so much (mainly as a business!) in the last couple of years, some people preach it to be a life changing habit and some just can’t stick to journaling regularly.

Let’s dive into what is Journaling exactly + different way of journaling + my personal experience and recommendation to get you started!

What is Journaling?

Simply put, Journaling means Writing down your thoughts & feelings. Good or bad, Lame or world-changing, it means to put your thoughts into words.

Why Journaling?

Well, there are few reasons why you can / should get into journaling.

To get clarity while you are feeling overwhelmed.
To connect with yourself and your feelings.
To reflect on things and have a balanced outlook towards a situation.
To get back on track when feeling lost.
To set goals and track your journey.
To document your life or just a particular phase of life (Travel Journaling, Study Journal.,)

Depending on your need, you can use different tools to Journal:

Plain Notebooks – To write how much ever you please / Doodle and sketch with it
A beginner? Need Thoughtful Prompts to get you pen down whenever you feel to connect with yourselves? Go with our Self-Reflective Journal which has Weekly prompts for a year! or our Plan • Do • Reflect Planner + Journal which is not just a Daily Planner to schedule your day but also a weekly prompted journal.
If you like Routine Daily Template – Then Five minute Journal is the best!
Oh wait, are you not a paper person? Even though I’m completely a Pen & Paper person, I recommend having a Digital Journal Template with Notion to use it across multiple devices and pen down on the go!

My personal experience with Journaling:

I don’t know about you, but my mind right after I wake up is really full of random things and literally all over the place! Good, bad, Great, Worse, and its never calm, and so I always sit down right after I wake up and write in one or two sentences (and sometimes just phrases..,) on how I’m feeling and What I want to accomplish in the day. I’ll write whatever that comes to my mind just to clear my mind to focus on things that actually matter for the day.

And at the end of the day, right before bed, I write on how my day went in one sentence and rate my day as good or bad. You can use Plan • Do • Reflect Planner as it has got a very simple template to help you get started.

Few things to keep in mind:

Don’t make Journaling a strict routine that you have to push yourself to stick to if you aren’t feeling to write. It’s not a fitness regime kinda habit. You have to effortlessly feel driven towards journaling and so give yourself space to be inconsistent and pen down in your way irrespective of what is told by others.
Be it few phrases on your notes app once a week or few pages in a notebook every morning, there is no ONE IDEAL way to benefit from journaling, what works for you is the ideal way for you to journal.
When you get more comfortable journaling, and if you want to write more extensively or go with thoughtful prompts to discover more about yourself, then you can explore more!

Let me know what you think about Journaling and if there is any other technique or tools you use that is effective! Would love to hear your thoughts on my Instagram / email inbox!

Have a great week ahead.

Cheers!