Journaling Styles
Journaling inspiration for doing the inner work, getting to know yourself and connecting to your magic
BENEFITS OF JOURNALING
Whether you are completely new to journaling or would like some fresh inspiration for your practice I’ve created a guide for you!
Why journal?
Journaling has been proven to:
release negative energy
regulate your emotions
boost your immune system
improve your working memory
encourage positive thinking
boost your wellbeing
help you change your perspective
increase empathy
help you figure out the cause of your stress
help you recognise patterns
help you feel empowered
help you achieve your heart's desires
If all those benefits aren't enough...
...it also helps you reconnect to your inner wisdom.
It shines a light on YOU!
Here at the magic of botanicals I am all about helping you to clear your energy so that you can connect into your intuition and discover your own path to happiness. It is like a secret superpower!
All those benefits to journaling are pretty amazing but the biggest benefit of all is how journaling empowers you to realise that you already have the answers.
But first you need to be able to hear yourself think!
CLEAR YOUR ENERGY
It can help defrag your brain (like you would a computer!) and join together fragmented thoughts and memories, freeing up mental bandwidth
Releasing your emotions onto paper relieves your body of the physical energy required to otherwise suppress them - helping your immune system
Research has shown that it actually reduces activity in the amygdala, the ancient part of our brain responsible for controlling the intensity of our emotions
CREATE YOUR OWN RITUAL
You can make it as special as you like. You can buy a beautiful nature infused journal from my shop and use your best pen or you can write on pieces of paper and burn them cathartically afterwards!
Is there a certain time of day you would like to use as your journaling time? Or are you super busy and will just journal as and when the mood takes you?
I always start my work day with a cup of KAKAO and will often journal on anything that is bubbling up for me at the time. But my most productive journaling time is in the evening, once my son is in bed, usually after a bath (when all the ideas flood in!), as this is when I have the most time to myself to write about things that aren't necessarily work related - to do the inner work.
My inner work currently looks like working through the Activation Sequence in the Gene Keys and doing individual workshops in Lacey Philip's To Be Magnetic membership. I cannot recommend either enough!
JOURNALING STYLES
Free writing
No structure, just write whatever is on your mind. I use this style if I have had a realisation I want to explore further or if I am trying to get clear on something.
Evening Reflection
Writing about something that happened in your day and how you felt about it can help you get to know yourself, your behaviours and feelings better. Awareness of what triggers you is a powerful first step to changing the story.
Rewrite the story
Perhaps a situation didn't go as you would have liked. Can you rewrite it and pop another tool in your toolkit on how to handle it next time?
As a parent I sometimes write out what went wrong/what went right/what would I do differently, in challenging situations with my little boy. A good one for relationship trials and tribulations!
Ask your Future Self
When things are crowding your mind too much and going round and round you can try delegating it to your Future Self! Relieve yourself of the burden of worrying about it in this present moment and instead hand it over. Describe the issue in as much detail as you would like and what you would love the outcome to be. Then hand it over to your Future Self to figure out the "hows" (a great one to do right before bed). You may wake up with more insights or ideas may start filtering through into your awareness over time.
Figure out what's bugging you
Another way of getting clarity and to clear your mind is to write a list of everything bugging you. Brain dump the lot. You can just leave it as it is or you could get organised and start prioritising what you need to tackle first and possible ways to do so.
Snapshot in time
You can use it as more of a diary and write a snapshot of where you are mentally and emotionally right now. It's so good to look back on and see how far you have come or recognise any repeating patterns you really want to change! A great one to do around your birthday each year!
Write a letter
Write a letter never to be sent. Just get everything you would love the other person to know off your chest. Helpful when you feel shut down or silenced by someone. Get it out. This might be a good one to write on pieces of paper and burn afterwards! You can also write to yourself, maybe forgiving yourself for something.
Time Travel
An interesting practice is writing to a younger version of yourself with advice you wish you had known. It helps you deepen your connection to that wisdom. You can also travel into the future and write about how you would like your life to be in 6 months, a year or ten! I especially love this one!
If you would like to journal with the magic of botanicals you can now buy your own KNOW YOURSELF CONNECT TO YOUR MAGIC Journal over in the shop!
