[ health ] :: journaling

When life gets fast-paced it's hard to find time to take a break, and even harder to find time to journal. It's a great way for me to manage stress and get to the root of whatever is bugging me.

One important factor in my journaling is that I have the support of The Hubs. He knows that picking up my journal for a quick read would be violating my trust in a major way, and I would probably massacre him for it. However, on occasion I will read him a particularly funny excerpt and we'll both laugh at how nuts I am.

Keep in mind that this should not be the journal you kept in high school lit class...I'm not the only one who had to do this, right? No one can tell you what to write, when to write (or how long), and absolutely no one will read it. Since you aren't turning it in to your teacher every 6 weeks, write whatever you like!

How to get started:

This was beyond strange for me...writing whatever popped into my head...and it was hard to get started. These are a few of the topics I started with to help me on my way to free writing, and I recommend that you give them a try!

- List 5 things you're thankful for

- List 10 things that take up the most of your time. Then list your top 10 priorities...how do they match up?

- Write about what you did that day (or the day before) - this is an easy one to start with

- Did someone make you mad? Write ALL about it before you start holding a grudge

- Did someone say something funny? Write a witty comment? Tell a funny joke? Write it down for a good laugh in the future.

Your journal doesn't have to be all about writing, either. If I have little trinkets or mementos like pictures, newspaper clippings (even comics!), and movie stubs, I'll tape them in my journal. You can even draw a picture!

Happy journaling!

- Maggie White