Bridget Jones’s Diary. The Princess Diaries. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The Carrie Diaries. In pop culture, journaling always seems so easy. While the notion of keeping a diary comes across as whimsical and beautiful on-screen, it’s totally untenable for many people. If you’ve been too intimidated to start — or return to — journaling, you may not have found the right style for your personality.
Fortunately, there are many types of journaling besides the traditional form we’ve seen depicted in films, books, and shows. Reapproaching journaling or experimenting with new styles can reignite a connection with the practice. “Different styles of journaling actually teach your mind and brain different skill sets for processing emotions and experiences,” explains Beth Jacobs, a clinical psychologist and author of Writing for Emotional Balance.
The therapeutic writing specialist says unnecessary boundaries and expectations can stop people from continuing the introspective process. Jacobs encourages potential journalers to play with styles that diverge from their natural way of writing or thinking. “When you experiment with a less familiar technique,” she says, “you have less expectation, and there is less judgment when you don’t have a set of ideas to compare to your writing.”
Another stigma that blocks people from journaling is the notion that it must be done every day or for specific amounts of time. If you are interested in making journaling a habit, a 2009 European Journal of Social Psychology study found that it takes 66 days on average for one to stick. However, there is no rule that it needs to be accomplished daily. “Don’t expect your style of journaling to be consistent,” Jacobs cautions. “Different phases of life and circumstances might lead to different ways of expression. Let it evolve and change to fit your needs.”
Jacobs notes that journaling is beneficial for self-reflection and growth, and those who journal are healthier. A 2018 University of Cambridge study found that writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings contributes to long-term improvements in mood and stress levels, lower blood pressure readings, reduction of depression, and a greater sense of well-being. It’s also been shown to strengthen immune systems and improve the physical health of people battling terminal or life-threatening diseases like cancer, asthma, and arthritis.
Whether you journal on your phone or in a leather-bound book, write daily, weekly, or whenever inspiration arises, combine styles or stick to one, Jacobs says it can help you process thoughts, feel more settled, build confidence, and be more aware. “You relieve your heart, body, and relationships of burdensome and snarled energy,” she explains. “You feel better and more whole.” Remember: There are no rules, especially for an activity so personal.
“The most important thing is to journal for yourself only,” Jacobs says. “When you try to let the process be open and only for you, it will become easier and easier to get to it. Whatever shape your process takes, over time it will evolve and gain momentum.” Here are six different styles of journaling to consider:
Personal Diary
Keeping a running, unstructured, free-flowing diary is one of the most popular styles of journaling. Writing freestyle trains your mind to be more flexible. If you’re trying to work through personal issues or simply want a safe space to explore thoughts that you might not feel comfortable sharing with others, this classic journaling style could be the best one for you. By chronicling the happenings in your life and your feelings attached to them, you can sort through your thoughts and have a record of your life to look back on.
Bullet Journal
A bullet journal (also called list journaling) is great for those who like to gather their thoughts but want to keep them short, organized, and concise. Bullet journals are often used for tracking patterns, such as water intake and screen time, or keeping lists, like goals and milestones. They are effective for individuals who don’t have a lot of free time but still want to reflect or who like to brainstorm, doodle, and schedule. Don’t be fooled by pretty pictures of these types of journals on social media: They don’t have to be photo-worthy to be effective or meaningful.
Scrapbook Journal
The scrapbook or art journal is wonderful for visually minded types who prefer images to words and like to express themselves through external inspiration. With stickers, tickets, cards, clippings, doodles, photos, and found objects, journalers can collect and assemble tangible objects to create a memory-style journal. It’s a perfect outlet for imaginative people or those who desire to be more creative.
Video or Audio Journal
If writing isn’t for you, expressing your feelings with video or audio could be more advantageous. Hitting record on a voice note, tape recorder, or webcam can be as equally therapeutic as putting pen to paper and will still help you chronicle your days or synthesize your thoughts. When you’re done, you can save them to a hard drive or in the cloud. As with any journal, deciding whether to share the recordings or keep them for yourself is entirely up to you.
Gratitude Journal
Many studies note that writing down what we are thankful for can make us feel happier and less depressed. For those seeking a positive mindset or who believe other types of journaling lead to darker places, gratitude or affirmational journaling can provide a lift. Writing down a detailed list of three to five specific moments, things, or people you are grateful for can be rewarding. Whether big or small, elaborating on why you’re grateful or recalling affirmations you’d like to remember will help solidify the happy feeling and contribute to a healthier, more grounded you.
Dream Journal
If you find yourself at a loss every time you open a journal or need a kickstart to reflect, documenting your dreams is an unrestrained way to start. Describe your dreams, draw pictures based on what you experienced, and examine what the dreams meant to you and how you felt within them. You can take dream journaling a step further and compare dreams to what’s consciously happening in your life. Keep your journal next to your bed so you can immediately write things down and enter your day with a fresh perspective.
Mia Brabham is a staff writer at Shondaland. Follow her on Twitter at @hotmessmia.
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