Guided Journals

I LOVE writing in journals and have loved doing this since I was a kid. I am really into doing more of a freestyle approach to my journaling. I fall into the camp of being a big advocate of Morning Pages which is summed up in The Artist's Way as the practice of writing 2-3 pages first thing in the morning on whatever is on my mind. I write not censoring any kinds of thoughts or trying to find any organization, it is a way of getting all of my thoughts out there. When talking to other people about this practice and they feel like they do not have the time to write in the morning I often advise to  do freestyle writing at a time of the day that works better for them such as a lunch break or before bed.

While I find free style writing quite enjoyable and therapeutic, I have discovered this past year that guided journals have their place too. They might work better than self-help books for me because writing forces me to examine myself more while reading is often more about learning about language, worldviews and studies.  I’ve touched on some of the books that I have liked and didn’t like previously on my blog. With guided journals I can touch on aspects of my life that I may not have thought of writing about on my own. A guided journal that I like is a great way to supplement my journal writing practice.

Along the way I have found some ways to make the practice of using a guided journal effective in my practice:

   * Find a journal that appeals to me. It helps to find something that appeals to my life situation. I found that after I officially got diagnosed with an anxiety disorder that I loved finding The 5 Minute Anxiety Relief Journal for some great prompts for me to work through when I feel I need a little extra guidance.  When I am in a crafty mood with I enjoy working with The Book That Takes Its Time with its variety of projects. I also know that there are a variety of different types of themes to look for such as journals for moms, fitness journals (I have used Fit Happens), gratitude journals, dream journals…just to name a few. Internet searches are great for researching specific titles and subjects…however gift shops and bookstores often carry them if I want to have a chance to browse before I settle on an item.

*  Find a journal that I enjoy the presentation but don’t feel that it is too pretty to write in. I found that I liked a lot of the tidbits in The Calm Book but it felt too gorgeous to really write in. However when I tried to work with Start Where Me Are the artwork in the book was not inspiring for me. However 52 Lists had the right balance for me to feel inspired.

*Set aside 15-20 minutes a few times a week to write and reflect. I love doing this before I go into work because it makes me feel centered. However it is important to find a time that works for me. It is best to have minutes where I am not going to be interrupted such as lunch break,  right before bed or when I am on a bus ride.

*If a prompt does not speak to me, I skip over it and move onto the next one. I am currently working through This Is For Me and am really loving it. However there were a few prompts that I felt the need to skip because I do not feel that it appeals to my own situation or I wanted more time on a prompt than I had set aside for myself.

* Feel free to write in more space than allowed. Have a blank notebook or journal handy for when this happens.  642 Things To Write About and 300 Writing Prompts had the types of prompts that keep me writing forever…so having more space to continue is nice.

 *I found myself writing about some things that I felt very overwhelmed handling on my own and I made sure to get some psychological help.  I’ve tried the affordable counseling services like   Better Help and Talk Space until I was advised that I needed to see someone who would able to officially diagnose me with an anxiety disorder.  While writing can be very therapeutic, but it should not be pursued in lieu of therapy for more serious issues.

 * I am not afraid to formulate some of my own worldviews.  Being the type of person who really loves strong scientific studies I sometimes do not like it when books veer in the direction of new age/magical thinking but I love the notion of mindfulness. Sometimes there is a blurred line between the two. I use the opportunity to articulate what I find problematic and take the tidbits that find helpful.

*   Have fun! I enjoy this process. The journey of self-discovery through writing is a lot of fun! In fact I’ve enjoyed this so much that I have also fallen into collecting guided journals just a little faster than I go through them and am excited to touch Press Pause, No Mistakes and Find Your F*cking Happy

Other guided journals that I’ve really loved but did not mention are:

Zen as F*ck

Cheaper Than Therapy

Present Not Perfect