As someone in her self-development journey, journaling is one of the things I highly recommend. Unlike what a lot of people suggest, it is a good way to get your emotions out and make decisions with a clear mind, especially when you don’t have a therapist.

Journaling is extremely essential in self-growth. Look at it as data entry, writing down everything. From how you are feeling to planning to gratitude, anything and everything can be written in your journal. The beautiful thing about journaling is that there is no right or wrong when it comes to it. It can look like a child’s wish book or a teenager’s diary, and the next minute it can be goals and visions you want to achieve. There is no proper way to journal.

If you don’t know where to start, here are some suggestions for you:

DON’T AIM TO BE PERFECT: A lot of the time, we want to start journaling, we look for a good aesthetic, or worry about buying the best journal. You don’t need to worry about that! You can use a normal notebook to start, and it will serve just fine. The goal here is not to have the best book, but to have one that is good enough to use. Just start writing.

AVOID USING PROMPTS: Now hear me out, I know you are told to use prompts and every journaling app and book you see starts with some kind of line like ‘Write how your day was’ or ‘Write about your best experience’, but those things never really worked. Journaling is about pouring out how you feel at the moment, not writing a memory. The main aim of journaling is to clear your mind so that you will be able to be at your best.

WRITE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN: Now this is where a lot of people make mistakes. They think they have to write a certain way, but you don’t. Don’t worry about making mistakes or misspellings, focus on just pouring out how you feel and writing. Whether it is anger, pain, gratitude or hurt, just pour everything out. I promise you will feel so much better. 

Go start your journaling journey today. I can’t wait for what you become!