Carlotta Koroll

5 journaling methods for self-awareness and mindfulness

Are you familiar with this situation? You have an empty notebook in front of you, just waiting to be filled with your brilliant thoughts and exciting experiences. You eagerly fill the pages, have something to write about every day, but after a few days you can’t think of anything. Your diary sits in the back of a drawer and slowly but surely fades into oblivion. You quickly get the feeling that writing a diary is simply not for you. But is that really true?

Journaling has been a hot topic lately, with many different methods to choose from: Using a bullet journal to structure your thoughts, starting your day by writing a 5-minute journal or exploring the depths of your mind with journal prompts. Have you ever wondered what’s behind the hype? Is it just a trend like yoga and green smoothies, or is it actually a psychologically valuable tool?

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to journaling, have doubts about whether it will help you or have been doing it for years and are looking for new inspiration: in this article, we’ll show you that journaling is more than just a diary. It’s a versatile method for improving your own development. With some guidance from us, you can start your own journal and adapt it to your needs. Journaling is a very effective tool that helps you to understand yourself better, recognise your thought and behaviour patterns and document your development.

Journaling vs. writing a diary

First things first: What is this mysterious activity of journaling that everyone is talking about? In fact, it is not just a fancy new word for writing a diary. The approach of journaling is quite different from the classic diary. Journaling means recording your inner experience: What is on your mind right now? What thoughts and feelings are running through your head? While you also write about experiences, you focus more on your emotions and how they affect you. While writing in a diary is usually done at a relatively high frequency, journaling is more needs-based. So you don’t write just to write, but with an intention. However, it is still a good idea to establish it as a regular habit.

The concept of journaling has been popular in the US for many years. This form of writing was used as a therapeutic and self-help tool as early as the 1970s. Today, it is recommended as a support tool for many forms of therapy.

Many people ask themselves whether they really need to write into an actual journal by hand. As a matter of fact, there is a good reason why this method is preferred. And not just because of the feeling of nostalgia that using pen and paper evokes in many people. When writing by hand, we use the left side of our brain: the analytical, rational part of us is busy with the physical act of writing, while the right side of our brain – the creative, intuitive side – can roam free: this will enable words, feelings and thoughts to flow much more easily.

Effects of journaling

Journaling sounds like work – and sometimes it is. Asking yourself critical questions and exploring your inner emotional world can be uncomfortable. So why all the effort? There are countless effects that journaling can have on your own well-being. Here are just a few:

-You learn to listen to yourself and become less judgmental of yourself and your thoughts. -Writing down troublesome matters brings mental clarity and a sense of relief. -You can face problems with a new perspective. -You capture personal memories and your inner development. -You get to know yourself better. -It is a useful tool against fear and worries. -You strengthen your sense of autonomy: The feeling of being able to take charge of something and consciously organise your life. -Mindfulness: You learn to confront your thoughts and feelings, to observe them and not to react to them straight away.

Starting out with journaling: 5 methods

There are many methods and exercises for journaling. We have put together a small selection to give you an overview and make it easier for you to take the first step towards your own journaling routine. However, try not to push yourself too hard. If several methods appeal to you, try one after the other, and above all, follow your own feelings and experiences. After all, that’s what journaling is all about.

Stream of consciousness

Stream of consciousness is probably the least restrictive form of writing. There are essentially no guidelines, except to give yourself space. Prepare a blank page and start writing. You don’t have to describe your thoughts in a comprehensible way or formulate whole sentences. This is about giving your inner critic a break. Write about your worries, your dreams or your shopping list: You can include whatever is on your mind at the moment.

This method is especially useful when you have a lot on your mind. Even if you don’t come up with any solutions or inspirations, writing things down on paper still feels incredibly liberating. Maybe your thoughts will even sort themselves out a bit and you can enjoy your life more.

Are you having trouble getting started? Set an alarm for 15 minutes and just write down the word that’s on your mind right now. Whatever you come up with, neither you nor anyone else has to read it again. It’s just about allowing your thoughts to flow.

The success journal

A success journal is something like your personal coach, only in the form of a book. By keeping a success journal, you make yourself aware of your goals, write down the individual steps to achieve them and take breaks in between to reflect on your progress. It’s more than just a long to-do list. It’s about effectively setting priorities, implementing lasting changes and achieving more fulfillment in your everyday life. After all, it has been scientifically proven that we are much more likely to achieve our goals if we write them down and document our progress.

You can keep a success journal in your notebook, for example by writing down the following things: -Goals for the coming month -Your “why” behind each goal -The steps needed to achieve these goals -A habit tracker to keep track of the small steps you take -Your achievements of the past month

If you want to use your success journal as a daily companion and if you find writing things down yourself too much work, urbestself offers a ready-made success journal. Using a weekly overview, you can keep track of your progress easily and set yourself medium-sized goals. With just a few minutes spent on journaling each day, you can set priorities for your life and dedicate time to relaxation and gratitude. Success in the long term is not possible without taking breaks.

6 minute journal

The term “6 minute diary” is used to describe all forms of journaling in which you ask yourself the same questions every day. You can do this every morning to start the day on a positive note or every evening to end it with gratitude and serenity.

You can buy a “ready-made” diary for this, but you can also simply make your own. Just take a notebook, work out two to six questions and write them down on the first page. That way you don’t have to repeat them every day.Here are a few ideas for daily questions: -What would make today a good day? -What am I grateful for today? -One thing I will do for myself today: -My most important task today is.. -What can I be proud of today? -How have I given something back to the world today? -What has brought me joy today?

Once you have established this habit, you will find it easy to devote a few minutes each day to writing. It’s best to start with just a few questions to increase your chances of staying motivated in the long run. You can also change the questions every now and then if you become bored or want to change your focus.

Journaling after prompts

As briefly mentioned at the beginning, journaling is also used as a support tool for therapy. In this context, it is useful to dig a little deeper. To go beyond your daily thoughts and write in your journal with a specific intention.

If you have a particular issue that is bothering you, write about it and try to understand your inner conflict: look at the situation from different angles and come up with solutions.

Or maybe you just want to get to know yourself better or don’t want to deal with a specific topic. For this purpose, there are countless sites and posts on the internet that offer you reflective questions, so-called journal prompts.

Here are a few ideas for journal prompts: What was your best memory from last year and why? List things that inspire you. -Which are the situations you feel insecure in? Why? -Write a letter to another person (without sending it). -Write down your fears. And next to it, your strengths. -If myself from 5 years ago knocked on the door, I would tell her/him.... -List things that make you smile. -When do I feel most like myself?

You can find even more inspiration and ideas on Pinterest..

Periodic reflection

Do you feel like it’s too much work to answer the same questions every day? You can also do it less often: Once a week, once a month or even once a year.

The idea behind periodic reflection is different from daily journaling. Because you have a longer period of time to reflect and thus the chance to gain even more self-knowledge from it. The focus is less on lifting your mood or evoking a certain feeling, and more on reviewing your past and learning from it if necessary.

For example, ask yourself the following questions: -Which achievements have I reached since my last reflection? -What have I learned? -Is there anything from my past that I would like to let go of? -What were some particularly good memories? -What do I want to focus on next week/month/year?

To avoid putting too much on your plate, you may want to choose a few questions for the first period. If you then feel like you need more, you can always add new questions in the next period. The key to this method is regularity. So choose a time period and scope that is realistic for you personally and adjust it now and then as you become familiar with the process.

By now you may have noticed: journaling offers a huge amount of freedom. The form, frequency and goal of journaling can all vary. Maybe that’s why it’s a good idea to be clear about what you want to achieve for yourself through journaling. Do you want to strengthen your mental health, get to know yourself better, use it to manage stress? With this knowledge, you will surely find your way through the labyrinth of journaling possibilities more easily. And then try it out and don’t lose heart if you can’t do it regularly or lose motivation – nobody’s perfect.

Journaling is such a versatile tool. Even if you haven’t found the perfect method yet (which probably doesn’t exist anyway), continue to explore your inner thoughts. This time is always valuable, since you’ll be stuck with yourself for the rest of your life. So grab a pen and paper and explore what really makes you tick.

Picture: Alina Vilchenko auf Pexels