Guys!
I’m so sorry for being MIA the last few weeks. This whole blogging this is hard work and I haven’t been making it a priority. So, hopefully that will be changing soon and this blog will have more of a consistent schedule. Bare with me in the mean time!

Anyways, let’s get down to business! 

On August 31st, I wrote a blog post challenging myself to journal for 30 days, and then recount what I learned in the process.
Well guys, I did it! I accomplished this challenge and would love to share the 7 things I learned along the way.

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Life happens and it’s okay if you miss a few days.

I wish I could say that I wrote in my journal every day, but I didn’t.  I’d do really well for a couple of days, then miss a few. As much as I wanted to scold myself for it, I had to realize it was okay to miss a day or two. (Or even six)! Life happens, and you can’t always do the things you set out to do. The biggest thing is, don’t give up. Get back on track and write about those days that you missed. I’m proud that I didn’t quit like I usually do when I didn’t get to write everyday.
This has probably been the biggest lesson I have learned.

It doesn’t have to be perfect!

You see a lot of photographs of people’s journal entries on social media and they look like perfection. I’m here to tell you it does not have to look this way, and don’t get discouraged when it doesn’t. It’s okay if you mess up and have to scratch things out. I did. It’s also okay if your handwriting varies throughout your entries. Mine did, especially if I was in a hurry to get my thoughts written for the day. But guess what? No one else needs to see this. This is for your pleasure only, you don’t have to impress anyone with your journaling. Plus, I think it gives it a personality of its own.

You don’t have to have an elaborate, expensive, leather journal.

Journaling doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. I mean, if you have the means to spend a lot on a journal, and that’s what you want to do, go for it. But, if your like me, you can purchase a nice journal for under $10! In all honestly, I didn’t even go out and purchase a journal for this challenge. I took if from my collection of blank notebooks I’d been hoarding forever. You know the stash I’m talking about, we’re all guilty of having one! And guess what…it’s actually a small sketchbook that I purchased at Walmart, for like $7. I personally love it more than the journals with lines! But choose what is best for you. As long as you write in it, nothing else matters!

It truly is therapeutic!

I suffer from extreme anxiety and stress. I let things build up and then one day I snap and everything comes pouring out. However, in the last month of journaling, I have felt less stress and anxiety. I’m not going to lie and say it cured it, because I still had some moments where I broke down (being pregnant and hormonal doesn’t help either), but it definitely wasn’t as bad as it use to be. Being able to write about what was running through my head and the things that bothered me, truly helped clear my mind. My mind hasn’t been this clear in years and I highly recommend it if you suffer with anxiety or stress. (Or even if you just have a lot running through your head). 
It’s made me feel wonderful!

Keep it in a place where you’re going to see it every day.

Put it in a place that you will have to look at it every single day. This is what really helped me write daily. You’ve all heard the saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” Well, it rings true to journaling! I put it on my nightstand next to my bed and every time I crawled in bed it was a silent reminder to write about my day. Or, I would bring it out and set it with my computer, another reminder that I needed to write in it.

So, my advice to you is to place it where you spend most of your time. A place that triggers your mind into writing. Eat breakfast every morning? Place it where you eat. Spend time in the morning working on your computer? Place it in your work space. Spend a lot of time at a coffee shop? Put it in your bag, or with your wallet and take it with you. While you wait, WRITE!

It can help you build a daily habit.

Though I’ve struggled with writing every day, I did start to get in habit of writing in it. Now, I subconsciously reach for it nightly. Eventually, if I keep at it, I will get in the habit of doing it every single day.

You get to document your life.

This is probably my favorite part of journaling. You get to write about the little things in life, and the big things. In years to come it’s going to be an amazing feeling to read back and remember what was going on in our lives at said time. And even greater, when your children can look back and see how your lives were when you were younger, or when they were younger. This is something that I am greatly looking forward too.

 

So there ya have it! The 7 things I learned in my 30 days of journaling!

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Now that I finished the 30 day challenge, I plan on pushing myself even farther. I’m going to keep jounaling, hopefully everyday, and recap again in 3 months. So, I will be checking back in at the beginning of the new year! Can’t wait to see what more I can learn from journaling.