MINDFUL AND CREATIVE WAYS TO USE YOUR JOURNAL

Journaling is the best way to celebrate the beautiful life you live and the bright future ahead of you. It is a tool that allows you to document your journey to create the best life you’ve ever imagined. It is also a great way to train your brain to focus on progress and gratitude and to cultivate a positive mindset. When you start writing about everything you are grateful for, you will be amazed not only by the wonderful things in your life but by the beauty and brilliance of life in general.

For me, journaling is more of a mindfulness exercise. I like to go back at the end of each day and remember and relive the best moments of my day: small accomplishments, funny jokes I heard, or things that made me smile. Moreover, knowing that I have to write down in my journal the most important moments of my day makes me pay more attention to everything around me during the day. So I’ve become more mindful and more aware of everything I do, I learn, I hear, I win, and everything that makes me happy. It’s a great way to focus on progress and on the positive.

If you want to turn your writing into a habit you should set up a schedule of when you want to write in your journal. Start with 2 or 3 days a week, reserve those evenings especially for journaling, and set a timer. Find a place you feel comfortable, where you can focus and concentrate. Choose a nice notebook that you like or find a virtual space on your computer. Start with 5 or 10 minutes – setting a timer will help you stay focused and it will prevent you from getting carried away. Date your entries and write quickly and naturally.

Here are some mindful and creative ways to use your journal:

Daily planner – daily log

• Plan your day – daily tasks, to-do lists, etc
• Due dates
• Intention of the month – patience, clarity, growth, mindfulness, softness, compassion, peace
• Memories of the day – keep memories alive, keep track of the time and the way you spend it.

Favorite recipes

• Soups
• Salads
• Deserts
• Smoothies

Daily gratitude – a positive way to end your day

• People – someone dear to you or someone who helped you
• Things and places you love
• Something nice that happened that day that made you smile

Wellness progress

• Yoga
• Jogging
• Diet
• Water intake
• Self-care of the day
• Habit tracker

Mindfulness journal

• Positive affirmations
• Changes in seasons
• Nature diary
• Weather

Lists

• Books to read
• Bucket list
• Movies to watch
• Places to visit
• New things to try
• Birthdays and anniversaries
• Passwords
• Songs you like
• Useful apps
• Short-term and long-term goals you want to achieve
• Things you are good at
• Not-to-do list

Inspiration

• Memories – dear moments you want to remember.  Ruminate on personal thoughts and on things that deeply impacted you – ideas, movies, articles
• Inspiring, positive quotes
• Things that make you happy
• Nice things you did for other people
• Short summaries or impressions on books or movies
• Brainstorm – new ideas, dreams, inspiration, new projects
• Confessions
• Big ideas
• Successes
• Ways you can improve
• Your feelings and dreams
• Mistakes you never want to make (again).
• Things you love about your spouse or partner
• Things that make you laugh – a cure for stress and boredom.

There are no rules for journaling. Just figure out what works best for you and do whatever feels right. Hold yourself accountable for living mindfully and intentionally, keep journaling, and your life will change for the better.

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How do you use your journal? What do you use it for? Share some ideas in the comments below! I’d love to know!

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ALSO READ:

Effective Ways to Organize and Use Your Own Productivity Journal

For more tools and resources on happiness check out my Resources page.