Journaling – What Kind Is Right for You & How to Journal

By: Patrice Flanagan-Morris, LCSW

Journaling is a challenging task for many. Have you ever felt like venting onto some pages for a little while is somewhat helpful? And there are probably days where you walk away from that feeling more negative than anything. Journaling can be done in many different ways, if you are struggling with this you aren’t alone.

What Kind of Journaling Is There?

There are many types of journaling. You may find that some speak to you more than others, and each day that you journal can be different. Here are some different types of journaling:

• Gratitude: Write out things that you are grateful for. What is important to remember is that we do not write what we are grateful for to invalidate our unpleasant experiences. This simply can help boost joy and helps us find more on a day-to-day basis that we are grateful for. Ultimately this can create more here-and-now fulfillment.
• Intention: Intention journaling is all about starting to ending your day in reflection of how/if you showed up with intention that day. Some ways to do this can be reflecting on how you want to show up, who you want to be that day, and what you want to accomplish to cultivate more mindful living. Living mindfully means being aware of who we want to be and how we present that inwardly and outwardly.
• Self-Awareness: Journaling can be great to cultivate self-awareness. This can look like writing down what you are stressed, overwhelmed, or joyful with and examining it. Instead of simply venting, take one minute to read through what you wrote. Ask yourself, where is this coming from in my past? Is there something I can learn from this? Are there boundaries I need to set?
• Inspiration: Inspiration journaling can look like many different things. Personally, I will find quotes that resonate for me that day and decide how I want to live out those quotes. You could journal with your future self, what would they say about where you are now? Inspiration journaling is all about inspiring yourself to move forward. And create validation and self-compassion for where you are at.

What’s Next?

Look through some of the above suggestions and start trying our different ways to journal. This process often is not easy from the start, and there are some great guides out there to support journaling as well. See below my video on effective journaling:

As we journal, we can uncover things that we need additional support with to move through. We are not meant to take on life by ourselves. If you feel connecting with a supportive and validating therapist would be helpful for you please visit the contact page and reach out.