I talked about journaling in a recent IG story and got a bunch of messages with the same question.
What do you write when you journal? Good question. I’m glad you asked.
In short, I write the truth.
I don’t censor myself when I journal. I write whatever I’m feeling.
If I’m feeling like writing with huge letters and scratching the page and crumpling up after; I will. If I feel like writing something so I don’t say it out loud, I will.
I try to minimally process my thoughts before I put them on paper. That helps me edit as I go. If I’m thinking, “Nope, that’s not right,” then I’m going to scratch that out because there’s something else here to think about.
This process helps me think through what I’m going through and process the information so I can stay focused on what I’m working through.
Storytime:
The other day I was processing through some stuff, and a lot of this has been centered around my Mom the last few years, which was shocking to me. Not my mom’s death necessarily because I’ve felt super content with the reason it happened. I’ve processed it, and I’m grateful for it, which is so strange to say, but I truly feel that way.
Anyway, I’m processing through some stuff with my Dad right now as I did in my early 20s when I went to therapy. I’ve done a lot with that because it’s the most obvious trauma in my life. And to be clear, it’s mine to deal with, not his. It’s about me.
So, I’m doing stuff with him right now, and I was like, “Oh, I’m at the end of my journal.” I went back, and it was like a year ago that I started this journal, so I looked at what I was writing then, and it surprised me. It was about my Dad, which I feel is a confirmation or a sign that I’m in the right place and doing the right thing.
I can see a progression, and that feels really good.
So, if you’re journaling and it feels hard, keep going however you can. You’ll be grateful to see that progression and look back one year or five years.
You’ll get to see what you worked on and what you didn’t because it was hard.
You’ll get to read your thoughts and see how far you’ve come, and that’s how growth happens.
Also, a good journal makes the process easier, so click the link below to get THE BEST one.
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