Spring is here! If you’re like me that means all you want to do is go outside and experience life. Unfortunately…sometimes that means it feels like a chore to write. It leaves you asking how to journal when you don’t want to write! Writing ruts are natural and surprisingly necessary. We all need a little time to live our lives instead of just analyzing all the time.
This doesn’t mean you should throw your journal in the trash though. Spring, the official season of growth, is something you 1000% want to capture in your journal.
So what to do?
Know What Doesn’t Work for You
First of all, I’m sure this isn’t a new problem for you. Before jumping into a list of techniques, you should ask yourself “what hasn’t worked”. You need to understand what doesn’t work for you before building a game plan. And, no, I don’t mean scientifically. I mean anecdotally. You are the expert on you.
So, basically, if you see something on this list you know won’t help…skip it.
Set the Senses
You ever hear that you should eat a peppermint every time you study for a big test? The idea is that your brain will associate the habit of studying with the taste of mint. Then, all you do is have a mint before your test and your memory will be prepped to answer correctly.
Do that with your journal! Pick 1-2 sensory things you can do every time you journal. When I need a boost, I put my favorite essential oil in the diffuser. It lists my spirits AND gets me in the creative mindset. Some other options are
· Sip your favorite tea every journaling session
· Take a hot shower or bath before you write
· Designate a nice candle as your writing candle
· Make a playlist you only listen to when writing
· Look at some favorite photos to inspire a throw back journal session
Inner Child Pep Talks
When you’re already having trouble writing, you shouldn’t be hard on yourself. That a double whammy of discomfort. You don’t need to deal with that.
Instead, try giving a pep talk to your inner child. I mean this so literally. Talk to yourself as if you were a kid who needs to do one last chore before they can go out and play. AKA be patient and compassionate with yourself.
For me, that means acknowledging how hard being consistent can be. You have to acknowledge that journaling is a creative task that gets the same kinds of artistic road blocks as any other medium. You also have to acknowledge that journaling touches on hard topics. That can get scary. Basically, there are a lot of valid reasons you may not want to write. Doing it anyway takes a gentle, loving touch.
After that, and this is so key, go play.
Forget Your Expectations
Who said every entry has to be 10 pages long? On that note, who said you have to write every day?
Most experts agree that the benefits of journaling kick in when you send 15 minutes writing twice a week. 30 minutes total. That’s it.
So really, I want to know, who told you that every journal entry is a novel chapter?
There are so many way to reach this 30 minute goal too. If narrative writing feels too daunting, try a timeline journal or make a list. Not a fan of those either? Write a letter you’ll never send to your crazy boss. And if you don’t finish in 15 minutes? Pick it up again later.
This journal is for you. There is no rush.
Outsource Your Prompts
But let’s say you DO want to write a narrative style journal. If you don’t know what to write about, that can be so difficult.
This is why I recommend a Journal Jar. Having your prompts pre-written is a great way to never run out of ideas.
And you can’t make your own prompts, store bought is fine. Specifically, my store. That’s right, this weekend, I am launching my own store right here at Write Your Wellness. If you liked the Self-Love Journal Jar Filler Kit, there are more to come. My new series of Filler Kits will feature the topics Anger, Trust, Anxiety, and (of course) Self-Love.
Hope you enjoy!
