One of my favorite tools we can use to change our life is journaling.

 

This is a tool I use in my life almost daily, and I’ve created a lot of change because of it.

 

And you can, too.

 

You already have everything you need.

 

You have the answers inside of you.

 

But you might not know where to start.

 

You might not know how to access your answers.

 

And this is one of the reasons why I love journaling.

 

All you need is a journal prompt, and your mind will open up.

 

This is why the first week of every month I will share a new journal prompt with  my email subscribers.

 

You can use the prompt daily or weekly or just spend time thinking on it and noticing what comes up for you.

 

If you ever want to share or have questions, always know that you’re welcome to hit reply to any email or send me an email at [email protected].

 

I am here for you.

 

 

The benefits of journaling

 

Let’s talk about the benefits of journaling.

 

One of the most powerful things about journaling is that you will reveal things privately on paper to yourself that you may not ever say aloud to someone else.

 

Sometimes not even to ourselves.

 

And this is understandable when you know how the brain works and how it is designed to focus on the negative.

 

The reason we want to reveal things to ourselves is because our thoughts create our future.

 

Not just the thoughts you are aware that you’re thinking—all of your thoughts.

 

You want to peek into your brain. You want to know what’s going on in there, and journaling is a great way to do that.

 

It’s a tool you can use to make sense of all those thoughts in your brain.

 

When you are in your head thinking about what you’re going to say or thinking about what you’re going to do, 98% of the time, it stays in your head.

 

It’s just ideas, ambitions, hopes, dreams.

 

It’s worries, apprehensions, anxieties, and fears.

 

Over thinking doesn’t create action.

 

And sometimes we’re in our head thinking about how we’re feeling.

 

We try to solve for our anxiety in our head, and I can tell you, that never works.

 

We have to be willing to get intimate with all parts of us if we want to change.

 

When we get everything out of our head and onto paper, we can look at it objectively and understand how to move forward.

 

Journaling helps you think about what you’re thinking about. It’s a way to look at your brain with your brain.

 

This is powerful because you already know what’s best for you, but when your emotions are high, intelligence is low, so you might not always know what to do until you clean out your brain.

 

This means that when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you’re so full of that emotion that your brain can’t access the part that you need to think logically.

 

But when you journal and you get all those thoughts out of you, you can look at them and make better decisions.

 

It helps you decide what thoughts are worth you spending your time on.

 

Journaling also forces you to be present. There’s just you and your notebook and your pen, and all the thoughts in your brain.

 

This is a very intimate time you want to create for yourself so you can clean out your brain.

 

Journaling is especially powerful when you are going through something difficult in your life.

 

Somethings we’re not ready to share with other people in our life, and maybe not even to ourselves, but journaling can help us move through what we’re going through.

 

 

 

How to journal

 

Now let’s talk about how to actually do this because there is a process.

 

When you sit down to journal, you want to treat this as an appointment.

 

If you had an appointment with your doctor, you’re probably not going to be answering your phone or replying to text messages.

 

You would be present with the doctor and check your phone later.

 

When you’re present with the doctor, you’re going to pay attention. You’re going to be able to ask questions and remember what she tells you.

 

You want to do this for yourself when you journal.

 

And I know, this can be hard as a mom. We’re constantly interrupted by our kids.

 

But this doesn’t have to be a problem.

 

When you are committed to your own growth, you will find times that work for you to clean out your brain.

 

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time.

 

I’ve been journaling for years, and I like to have at least 20 minutes, but if you’re new, just start with ten.

 

Set a timer for a minimum of 10 minutes and free write.

 

When the timer goes off, if your pen is flowing, keep writing.

 

You want to write for at least 10 minutes because this is how you access the deeper thoughts you might not be aware of.

 

And remember, you want to uncover those thoughts because they are directing your life.

 

If we were having a conversation and I asked you a question, the chances of you giving me a 10 minute answer are very low.

 

Think about how often you could tell a book, and all you say is, “Fine.”

 

We want to know what’s underneath.

 

Asking yourself to continue to write and dig deeper into your brain is going to reveal things you might not otherwise access.

 

But, if you feel stuck, if it feels like no words want to come up, that’s okay.

 

Just take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

 

It could mean you have some negative thoughts your brain wants to protect you from, and it could just mean this is new for you.

 

Either way, all you have to do is relax your body and start writing anyway.

 

You can just write, I’m journaling for ten minutes and it seems like I don’t have anything to write about but I know that’s not true because…and I promise you, something will come up.

 

And, it might be that you are afraid of someone reading what you write. Just notice that.

 

If you are afraid of what’s going on in your mind, you really want to clean that out.

 

You don’t want to write from a restricted place.

 

If you are filtering wha you put on your paper, you’re not actually cleaning your mind.

 

You want to be aware of what’s going on in there, the thoughts you are having.

 

You can always throw it away, but get it out, and you will feel so much better.

 

 

How often to journal

 

You want to clean your mind at least as often as you clean your house.

 

Anytime you are feeling frustrated or wondering why your life is the way it is, journaling can help you.

 

Sometimes I like to start with a prompt. Journal prompts are just thought finders.

 

Anytime you empty out your mind, you are exploring.

 

You don’t always know what you’re going to find, but you will find something.

 

If you don’t like what you discover, do not despair.

 

Just like a messy cluttered room, we have to be willing to go in and face the mess before we can clean it up.

 

Be thankful for the awareness, and if you want help moving forward positively, I can help you.

 

 

A journal prompt to get started

 

•  What four words describe my life right now and why

 

You can use this daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly…

 

The beautiful thing about this journal prompt is that each time you use it, you’ll write something new.

 

I hope you pull out your journal and write for 10 minutes on this.

 

Be interested in your brain and what it has to offer you.

 

And for monthly journal prompts, be sure to get on my email list.