"Can I just think about this instead of writing it?" "Do I have to journal today?" "I just don't see the point." <-- These are things I hear in the classroom when I ask my students to respond to journal prompts. And although high school students are generally more reluctant to participate in reflection than your average adult, these are sentiments shared by many of us, too.
Think about the last time you had an "ah-ha" moment; the last time you found a solution (to a math problem you'd been thinking about, to the storage conundrum in your closet, to a relationship struggle, etc). Were you vacuuming the house? Walking your dog? Running on the treadmill? Taking a shower? And now think about what you did after that lightbulb moment. Likely, you were faced with an onslaught of other tasks needing your attention, and your thought was forced to a small corner of your mind if not forgotten altogether. This happens, folks. This is normal. But it is not irrevocable.
Likely, you were faced with an onslaught of other tasks needing your attention, and your thought was forced to a small corner of your mind if not forgotten altogether. This happens, folks. This is normal. But it is not irrevocable.
Writing is a reliable way to help us capture these thoughts (and others) so that we can delve deeper into them (now or later). Imagine sitting in a college lecture and not taking notes and then, right after, going to the gym then to get groceries and then cooking a meal which you then eat with some of your family/friends. By the next day, you'd likely have little ability to reflect meaningfully on whatever content the lecture held. This is true, too, of our daily lives. Like the notes we take during classes or important meetings - things we want to be able to refer back to and think further on - a journaling practice can help us give our own lives the attention they deserve. If you don't think of yourself as a "writer" though, approaching a journaling routine can be daunting. Here are 6 easy tips to help you start your own practice:
1. Buy yourself a nice journal
This might seem silly, but it is legitimate. Ask yourself if you want a big journal or a little one that fits in your purse; if you want nice lines as guides orblank sheets you can make your own; if you want a spiral bound book that can lie open easily or a hard bound book that feels more durable. There are so many options out there, but finding one that works for you is hugely helpful. If you have somewhere beautiful and personal to record your thoughts, you will be more motivated to do it. Some of my personal favorites:
- This beautifully bound journal is filled with unlined, handpressed paper that adds intrigue to whatever is written upon it. The pocket in the front is a bonus for the times that you have a little picture or note or other momento to keep with your writing (I like to hold onto concert tickets, pics, etc that relate to whatever I'm writing about)
- This journal is a bit different of an approach. It doesn't contain blank pages, but rather pages structured to have you respond to prompts in short writes, lists, and the like. There are also "food for thought" quotes throughout to serve as inspiration.
- Lastly, this journal is a more traditional style, but can personalized with your name/initials on the cover, which is a nice touch. There are many different styles available by the company, but each one has the option of being ordered with lined pages or with "checklist" pages. I love the checklist pages for sequencing yoga classes, but prefer the lined pages for simply writing.
2. Start small
It is easy to get excited about writing and want to set a goal like "I will write a book by the end of the year" or "I'm going to write for 30 minutes a day." And while those goals are admirable, they aren't necessarily setting you up for success. Instead start with something you can irrefutably manage. My suggestion? Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day. Not only is this a small and doable task (if you tell me you don't have time to write 3 sentences, I'm not buying it!), but it is also a very purposeful and affective (yes, I mean "a"-ffective) practice. The first few days will be incredibly simple: "I am grateful for my loving husband..for my cuddly and fun cats..for my warm and safe home..etc" but right around day 5 things get a bit tougher. "I am grateful for...for....for the way the edges of the clouds light up golden in the morning sunrise!"
3. Write. Every day.
This one may seem obvious, but it is possibly the hardest to do. It is easy(..er) to write when we have some sort of catalyst in our lives and/or when we experience some sort of intense emotion. It is much more difficult to write on some random, uneventful Tuesday. But make yourself write anyway. Set a timer for 10 minutes and write what you can in that time. Take your journal out before bed each night and write down whatever thoughts are on your mind. Zoom in on a single moment from your day and try to describe it in detail. Turn on some of your favorite music and write about any memories it brings to mind. Make a list of anything stressing you out..followed by a list of what you can do to address and minimize those stressors (and yes - "Nothing, just let it go" can be an item on that list). Any of these these little practices will help you to get used to turning to your journal and using it with frequency.
4. Revisit what you write
If you build a writing regimen, you now have a solid foundation for a true journaling practice. The other half of that, though, is reading what you have written. Sometimes I go back to read my writing and feel the urge to rip the page out (or possibly throw up on it) because I think Man I was so naive then or Geez, what was I freaking out about? But isn't that kind of the point? I can have those thoughts and think less of myself because of them OR I can recognize "Hey, I have come some distance since I wrote that. I have made some changes to my life/self and I wouldn't write that again" <-- and that is a cool thing. Your journal then functions as a tangible measure of your evolution in life. It's like a before and after picture set for your reference. Sometimes the before may even make you think Dang that was good! and serve as inspiration for a new piece or for further development of the original. Either way, journaling isn't just about recording your mind for the moment; it's about recording your mind for "future you", too.
Your journal then functions as a tangible measure of your evolution in life. It's like a before and after picture set for your reference.
5. Read pieces of the style in which you'd like to write
As an English teacher, I often have students ask me "How do I write poetry?" or "How do I write a fantasy story?" and though there are steps to take toward these, unless you are able to sign up for a class (I have a friend currently in a class all about world building in fantasy novels, so yes - it's a real thing!) the next best way to cultivate your desired writing style is by reading said style. Maybe you want to write slam poetry. Cool - listen to and read a bunch of it! If you read enough you will start to internalize those language patterns, leading you to think in it and later even be able to write in it.
The second perk of reading writing you like is that it gives you more ideas to juxtapose your own thoughts with. The more you see, the more you compare, the more you know, and the more you know why you know it. It's a win-win-win!
6. Write what you want when you are inspired to write it
This is possibly the most important thing to keep in mind. The other day I was entering grades into the online gradebook, and as this task doesn't require much mental energy I found my mind wandering. It landed onto the subject of the Nasser trial, and I found myself excited to write something about our social norms. I was in the middle of my prep period at school and had things on my to-do list, but I set down my work, opened a blank Google Doc, and spilled my thoughts onto the paper. This took maybe 10 minutes? Definitely not an amount of time that actually detracted from my job in any way, but man I wrote some lines I was excited about. Had I tried to wait until later, I'd likely have lost the thought, and I would have almost certainly lost the feeling/inspiration of that moment.
Give yourself permission to sit down on a park bench in the midst of a walk; to observe and document while waiting in the airport; to put off household chores for just a few more minutes. You'll never stand in front of a crowd and share "Hey, I vacuumed today" but you may just share a piece you wrote.
The power of reflection is undeniable, and you and your life deserve the fruits a consistent reflective practice can bear. Give yourself the chance to build such a practice.
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