don't let social media be your only archive
first off, why should you start a journal?
not only is journaling a fun hobby that will keep you away from your phone for a while, it also helps you with getting to know yourself more, understanding your feelings and working on them. it is a way to keep your thoughts and memories written on paper forever for you to reread once you're older, and maybe you'll laugh at what seemed so important back then. personally, i have kept journals and diaries ever since i knew how to write, and trust me, it's worth it.
there isn't a specific way in which you should or shouldn't journal: after all, it is your space, and you get to choose how to organize it. but if you're feeling lost and don't know how to start, i can give you some ideas.
first off, pick out a journal and decorate it. you can paint it, cover it with stickers or fun colored paper, mark it with lip stains, or whatever you want. just have fun with it, and make it cute, that way you'll be even more inspired to write in it.
and now.. what do you write?
❥︎ " about me" page. who are you? what are your favourite traits in yourself, and what do you want to change? what do you like doing? what are your favourite things? your fav movies, books, shows, songs, etc. what makes you you?
❥︎ bucket lists. places you want to visit, things you want to do this summer, things you want to accomplish in a specific time, a to do list for each month and year, things you want to do with your friends, books to read, movies/ tv shows to watch, experiences you want to have, etc.
❥︎ wishlists. whether it's products, clothes, or non material things.
❥︎ quotes. things that speak to you, that motivate you or that you think resonate with you, who you are and who you want to be. scraps of some of your favourite books, poetry, a movie, or maybe just something you found on pinterest.
❥︎ goals and dreams. write down everything you want to achieve, even your wildest dreams that you think are unrealistic. plan out your dream life, you dream house, the person you want to be, and start to think of it as something that is not so impossible after all.
❥︎ affirmations. little daily reminders to keep you positive and motivated.
❥︎ letters. a letter to your future self, to your younger self, to your future kids, or to people in your life (friends, family, or even people you despise) to whom you can't say these things directly. maybe one day you'll send them.
❥︎ your playlists. your favourite artists, favourite songs of the moment, favourite lyrics, or your receiptify.
❥︎ movie & book ratings. after you watch or read anything, try to write a very detailed and in depth review of why you liked or disliked that specific thing, give it stars, etc.
❥︎ people you care about. a little intro to all your favourite people: friends, family, or even your pet. why you like them, how you met, your favourite traits about them.
❥︎ dreams. as in the dreams you have when you're sleeping. writing them down helps remembering more dreams in the long run, and you can also try to analyze them to find out your fears and ambitions through your subconscious.
❥︎ compliments. things that people said to you that warmed your heart, positive things you think about some people that you haven't said to them yet and compliments you wish to receive more.
❥︎ things that make you happy. every day, or week, try to find some things that made your day a bit better, even if it's small or "meaningless" things, try to practice gratitude and appreciate more the little joys in life.
❥︎ the people you look up to. whether it's someone you know in real life or a celebrity, write down what you admire about them, what aspects of their life or personality you want to include more in yours, and why they inspire you. or if you're jealous of someone, try to understand what is it that they have and you don't, to know what you really want.
❥︎ questions to your future self. it can be a couple months from now, or 10 years. just imagine how fun it will be to answer them once it's time, and look back on what the past version of yourself wanted to achieve and how they imagined you.
❥︎ habits. things that you wanna let go of, and others that you want to implement more into your life.
other than doing all the fun little pages, another thing that you should try doing is just writing down all your feelings. it doesn't necessary need to be a daily thing, i mean sure, you can do daily reports of things that happened, drama etc., but mostly just write when you need it, even if it's repetitive. especially when you're upset, writing down what made you sad and how you feel in that moment really helps you to feel better. whenever i'm anxious, or sad, i take out my little bedazzled journal and i start writing until my hand hurts about everything that's going wrong in that moment, and once i'm done i usually feel much more relieved. things that are left unsaid or unwritten only create a burden on yourself that becomes really hard to get rid of after a while, so it's important to let it all out when you need it. it helps you to organize all the messy thoughts in your head and remember how you felt in the past, so you can find patterns and connections that lead to the same feelings, to understand better their roots and meaning and start a healing journey.
other than just writing down everything you're feeling whenever you need it, to do a deeper analysis on yourself, especially those parts that you keep hidden and refuse to acknowledge, you can try doing shadow work. by answering some questions, you can bring out the truths that maybe you've ignored all this time because it felt easier to do so than facing them, and once you do, you can begin to understand yourself to a deeper level
❥︎ who are you when no one is watching?
❥︎ what parts of yourself are you afraid to show others, and afraid that they will discover them? why?
❥︎ what are your biggest fears?
❥︎ what is the biggest lie you have told yourself? and the biggest lie you've told someone else?
❥︎ what are you ashamed of in yourself?
❥︎ what are you avoiding?
❥︎ how do you deal with your emotions?
❥︎ what do you need to let go of?
❥︎ what makes you feel jealous?
❥︎ what are your best and worst qualities?
❥︎ what are your core values?
❥︎ what makes you feel good?
❥︎ what is your definition of success? and failure?
❥︎ how do you define love?
❥︎ what would you do and who would you be if you weren't afraid or anxious? if there wasn't anything holding you back?
❥︎ what traits do you judge in others? why? do you think some of those traits reflect something within yourself?
❥︎ what patterns and behaviours from your parents/caregivers do you replicate in your own life?
❥︎ how do you respond when you make a mistake or fail at something?
a reminder: write for yourself, and not as if someone else was going to read. i promise that your journal won't think you're a loser if you talk about you emotions freely. i struggle with that too sometimes, but it's important that you remain honest with yourself, or the whole thing loses its purpose.
i hope that this helped with starting out your healing journey through journaling, but remember that ultimately it is up to you to decide how to organize it and go through with it!! after all, it is your personal journey
