I had read about the benefits of journalling plenty of times before my mum bought me a journal for Christmas in 2020. Like many other people, I'd spent most of that year bitter and frustrated that my life had been put on hold due to the pandemic. I would go over and over all the experiences I didn't have that I was supposed to. All of the progress I wanted to make that just didn't happen.
So from the 1 January, I put my mum's gift to use and started writing in the journal every night before going to sleep. Each page was separated into four sections. At the top, you write the date. Next, you write what you're grateful for.
Don't let this scare you into thinking you have to write something deep and meaningful every day. Of course, we're grateful for our loved ones, our health, our homes, and all of that big stuff. Some people can be put off by the pressure to come up with something totally unique, or struggle to think of anything at all. But sometimes, the thing I'll be most grateful for in a day is that I ate a really delicious doughnut. Or that I saw an adorable dog.
There's so much 'small' stuff we take for granted everyday, like our access to food or a sunny day, but through journalling, I've realised the importance of appreciating these seemingly irrelevant parts of life. Because sometimes, on those really bad days, it's easy to forget those small rays of light exist at all.
Practising gratefulness in this way has also helped me shift my perspective, even when I'm not journalling. For example, instead of thinking 'I'm so annoyed the train was cancelled and I had to walk an extra 20 minutes', it becomes 'that was frustrating, but I'm grateful it was a beautiful day, I got to spend time outside in the sunshine, and I got extra steps in'.
Granted, it's still annoying when day-to-day things don't go to plan and obviously they can have knock-on effects. But by documenting your thoughts through journalling, it's easier to understand that in those situations, holding on to the frustration usually doesn't do anything other than make you feel bad. As a wise person once said, 'sh*t happens'.
Eve Lewis Prieto, Director of Meditation at Headspace, said: 'In addition to meditation and breathwork, journalling is a widely-recognised mindfulness practice, as it provides a way to check in with ourselves and acknowledge how we're truly feeling.
'Rather than letting yourself get lost in a moment or staying frustrated, journalling can aid with realising these emotions and behaviours, accepting them and focusing on a route to overcome them.'
Another section you can cover in your journal is what you want to clear your mind of before going to sleep. As we know, life isn't all rainbows and smiles, but journalling means I have the space to process the bad parts properly. I allow myself to feel what I need to feel about a situation, but I try to be conscious that this is a feeling I have now. And I might have it for a while longer, but it doesn't have to encompass me. I can park it there for the night, because there's often nothing I can do in that moment before going to sleep to make a situation better.
Next, try setting out your goals for tomorrow. I don't use this as an opportunity to write down my to-do list, but rather a time to set the tone for the following day. If I know I've got a lot to do, the goal will be to 'be productive' instead. If I know I'm seeing a friend, the goal might be to be present and consciously appreciate their company.
Don't get me wrong, journalling doesn't make all of my problems, worries and anxieties magically disappear. But what it does do is help me process those thoughts properly and re-frame them, so I can shift my perspective on whatever's bothering me. It's not about dismissing how I feel or not accepting that bad things happen; personally, it's stopped me from getting as anxious about them as I used to.
I started journaling because I didn't want a gift from my mum to go to waste. Since then, it's become a fundamental part of my daily bedtime routine.
Journals under £30
- Day of Gratitude Journal, £17 (was £24), Mal paper
- Overthinking journal, £24, Lovendu
- A5 Zodiac journal, £25, Magic of I
- Gratitude journal, £26, Papier
- One line a day diary, £14.99, Waterstones
- Da Vinci Petit Leather Journal, £15, Pen Heaven
Whether you'd rather use a completely blank journal to write down your thoughts or get one with prompts to help feel the benefits, it should be a personal experience for you to reflect.