Morning Journaling

Journaling is also a popular self-improvement technique that integrates well into a morning positivity routine for many people. It does not take a lot of time and confers some unique benefits.

Writing, like reading, activates different centers and pathways in the brain than other media and techniques. Writing something down forces you to process it and think about what you are putting on paper. Nothing else has this same effect; it is even less apparent in typing, which is just a different form of the same process!

Even if morning reading is not for you, morning journaling might be. Try it and find out. You can journal in many forms. One is gratitude journaling, which is a form of gratitude practice.

Free journaling is the most popular kind. This involves simply writing about what is on your heart and mind before you begin the day. It helps you get things off your chest, process difficult emotions, dispel dreams, and so forth.

When you free journal, write about whatever comes to mind. Follow your brain. Do not force or correct yourself. You will not get any benefit if you do that. Your brain often knows what is bothering it. Trust it.

You can also use prompted journaling. This is when you write the answers to one or more prompts each morning. You can buy premade journals with prompts printed in them or find some online. You do not need an actual journal for your journaling, either. You can use a blank notebook or even loose sheets of paper.

How long should you write each morning?

You do not need to write for long, but you need at least ten minutes. Fifteen minutes is usually ideal for most people. Five minutes or less is usually not enough for free journaling, though it can be for prompted journaling.

If the muse strikes you and you have time, write for as long as you like, but do not feel obligated. Do not look at or worry about the clock while you journal. That can make you too stressed to write. If you are pressed for time, a timer can keep you on track.

How much should you write?

As much as it takes to get something off your mind or until your timer goes off (or you have answered the prompt). It usually does not take multiple paragraphs, much less pages and pages, of text to do this. Most people find several sentences or one paragraph to be sufficient.

You can also join us in the community for more all month long as we share a month of Gracious Gratitude through November.

See you there!

Laters,

Shay aka A. Calamity