With a million thoughts bouncing around in our heads every day, an influx of information from online devices in our digital age- and just adulting in general- staying on top of our mental health is a non-negotiable. Luckily, there are many tools and activities at our disposal to bring mindfulness and self-care into our daily lives. 
 
Journaling might not be for everyone, but it's an amazing practice to integrate into your life that can have many benefits. It's a healthy way of expressing thoughts and feelings and can help manage anxiety and reduce stress, as well as prioritise problems, fears and concerns and provide an opportunity for some positive self-talk. The act of writing what’s on your mind each day is also a fantastic way to gain some insight on your thinking patterns and notice any recurring issues or negative thoughts or opinions. 
 
If you're ready to put pen to paper, here are some steps on how to begin a consistent journaling routine.
 
1. Purchase a notebook and pen that brings you joy 
It’s important to set yourself up for greatness! A fancy notebook that you purposefully pick out will make your journaling feel much more special than just scrawling in a regular notebook you might use for work, and a good quality pen never goes astray either. 
 
2. Make a realistic commitment  
Spend a little time thinking about when you’re going to journal, for how long/how many pages and how often you’re going to do it. For example, if you’re an early bird who enjoys a solid morning routine, you might want to set aside time each morning to journal for twenty minutes. If you’re a little more time poor, you might only like to commit to three nights a week with a one-page minimum. Be realistic about what you can do. This will help you show up consistently at the times you said you would, and therefore make the habit more sustainable. 
 
3. Set up your space 
It’s time to relax into the process, so create a little writing nook with whatever your heart desires. Perhaps it’s just a corner of the house where you can sneak away from your partner and kids and have ten minutes by yourself, or maybe you’d like to light some candles or burn some incense as you journal at the table. Again, making it that little more special and bringing in ritual will help you look forward to the activity.
 
3. Drop your expectations 
Now, to the actual journaling itself. What do you even write about? What if it sounds stupid? What if I just end up writing a to-do list? Take a few deep breaths before you pick up the pen to drop yourself into the present moment. How are you feeling? What’s been on your mind recently? Write out whatever you feel in that present moment, and don’t worry about what it ends up being — your journal is your very own private space that no one ever has to read, including yourself. If all you can think about is your to-do list for the day ahead and what tasks you need to accomplish, then write that! Nothing needs to make sense. The sentences don’t even need to connect. Try to forget any outcomes that you hope to achieve, and focus on the journaling itself.
 
4. If you’re stuck on what to write, use prompts 
If starting out with just yourself and the blank page is putting you off the practise, then copying down a few questions to write answers to is a great way to get into the swing of it. A quick online search of ‘journaling prompts’ will bring up a myriad of results, so choose any that feel relevant for you that day or in your current phase of life! There are also plenty of journals you can buy that include prompts, like this simple one from Migoals that has space for daily gratitude and a few lines to write down “How I’m feeling”. 
 
5. Observe 
As we said earlier, noticing what you’re writing down is an excellent opportunity to gain some insight into how you talk to yourself and what’s going in your life. Notice any judgements that you write about yourself on the page, the general tone or how much a certain thought or emotion is popping up. These may be things that you can address later on. 
 
6. Finish your journaling sessions with some gratitude or self-nurturing  
This might be something that you leave initially as you’re getting into your journaling practice, but incorporate a little later on. While the act of letting everything out on the pages is a great form of self-care in itself, you can use the end of each entry as an opportunity to jot down a few things that you’re grateful for that day, or even nurture yourself. Often times, we speak to ourselves negatively and don’t acknowledge all that we’re doing and achieving, so bringing a more positive voice to your journaling or acknowledging how well you’re doing is a great form of practicing kindness to ourselves. 
 
Remember, practice makes perfect, and at the end of the day if you’re really not in the mood or drawing up completely blank, don’t push yourself! Learn about other ways you can practice mindfulness here.
 
 
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