[LilyMop]

Do you regularly journal? I used to and I also used to meditate but I haven’t kept up with it. I want to get back to it because it used to be really helpful.

If you do journal, do you journal online or with an app? I really don’t like writing with pen and paper anymore. I’ve gotten lazy about that plus I also want to track things like moods, physical symptoms. I’m wondering if anyone can recommend any good journaling options.

[happysobercrafter]

I use Google Docs for my journaling. It's super helpful! Getting my thoughts on paper in black and white right in front of me, I get a good look at what is going on. Plus, one important thing I like about journaling is to look back and see what I have overcome.

Tracking mood and physical symptoms, would it help you to put those in your title? That way, you can do a search within the writing program you are using and all with those words in the titles will show up. Am I making sense?

[LilyMop]

That is a great idea. Thank you! I have never used Google Docs. I will look into it.

[TunedOut]

I never liked writing (though I wrote a lot for "business purposes" when I had supervisory roles in some of my jobs) until my first therapist asked me to journal regularly. Journaling for her and posting on here made me a lot more self aware. Self awareness is so important for everyone. Also, from a very young age, I have found long walks, (plus swimming, running and horseback riding when I was younger) very meditative. I am happier when I express myself creatively. Lately, I put my creative thinking into my lesson plans for my online teaching job (I come up with a lot of ideas during my 4.5 mile walks). Check out my current teaching background :
Attachment 10587

[bpcyclist]

Only when manic. Pen and paper.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by TunedOut

I never liked writing (though I wrote a lot for "business purposes" when I had supervisory roles in some of my jobs) until my first therapist asked me to journal regularly. Journaling for her and posting on here made me a lot more self aware. Self awareness is so important for everyone. Also, from a very young age, I have found long walks, (plus swimming, running and horseback riding when I was younger) very meditative. I am happier when I express myself creatively. Lately, I put my creative thinking into my lesson plans for my online teaching job (I come up with a lot of ideas during my 4.5 mile walks). Check out my current teaching background :

Attachment 10587

I love your creative project! You also write very well. I agree that walking is a form of meditation and I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me.

[happysobercrafter]

Originally Posted by TunedOut

I never liked writing (though I wrote a lot for "business purposes" when I had supervisory roles in some of my jobs) until my first therapist asked me to journal regularly. Journaling for her and posting on here made me a lot more self aware. Self awareness is so important for everyone. Also, from a very young age, I have found long walks, (plus swimming, running and horseback riding when I was younger) very meditative. I am happier when I express myself creatively. Lately, I put my creative thinking into my lesson plans for my online teaching job (I come up with a lot of ideas during my 4.5 mile walks). Check out my current teaching background :
Attachment 10587

@TunedOut

I love your background!! It's Adorable!! I agree with you on self-awareness; it really opens our eyes, doesn't it? I am glad you brought that up! I need to stay in better touch with mine. Thank you for the reminder! xoxox

[randomer123]

I do it all of the time, it's good to get the thoughts out of my mind and onto paper where I can organise them. I recently read about something called "brain dumping" so I've started doing that and it has been useful so far. You sit down with notepad and pens and just make a massive list of everything that's on your mind (in short sentences). Once you are finished (or feel like you've done enough for now), you go through the list. If there's anything you have to do, you put these on a todo list and scratch them off the main list.

Then you can go through all of the different things and do whatever needs to be done about them. For me I find it useful to write about them in more detail, think about solutions, maybe look up things online. I scratch them off once I've dealt with them. I have just started so I have a huge list and keep adding to it, but I need to make this a regular thing and keep on top of the thoughts.

There are loads of articles online about how to do this.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by randomer123

I do it all of the time, it's good to get the thoughts out of my mind and onto paper where I can organise them. I recently read about something called "brain dumping" so I've started doing that and it has been useful so far. You sit down with notepad and pens and just make a massive list of everything that's on your mind (in short sentences). Once you are finished (or feel like you've done enough for now), you go through the list. If there's anything you have to do, you put these on a todo list and scratch them off the main list.


Then you can go through all of the different things and do whatever needs to be done about them. For me I find it useful to write about them in more detail, think about solutions, maybe look up things online. I scratch them off once I've dealt with them. I have just started so I have a huge list and keep adding to it, but I need to make this a regular thing and keep on top of the thoughts.


There are loads of articles online about how to do this.

This is a good suggestion. Thank you!!

[TunedOut]

Originally Posted by TunedOut

I never liked writing (though I wrote a lot for "business purposes" when I had supervisory roles in some of my jobs) until my first therapist asked me to journal regularly. Journaling for her and posting on here made me a lot more self aware. Self awareness is so important for everyone. Also, from a very young age, I have found long walks, (plus swimming, running and horseback riding when I was younger) very meditative. I am happier when I express myself creatively. Lately, I put my creative thinking into my lesson plans for my online teaching job (I come up with a lot of ideas during my 4.5 mile walks). Check out my current teaching background :
Attachment 10587

Deleted attachment because there was a little too much information but am so glad LilyMop and Happycrafter got to see it!

[WastingAsparagus]

I journal on a website called 750 Words. The idea is to write 750 words every morning. I do it (almost) daily.

I also try to meditate daily.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by WastingAsparagus

I journal on a website called 750 Words. The idea is to write 750 words every morning. I do it (almost) daily.

I also try to meditate daily.

I’ll check it out. Do you find that the journaling makes a big difference? I’m hoping it will help me relax and let go of my anxiety.

[Anonymous42019]

I keep a journal, but only get to write in it when fully relaxed and not after work. To be able to write with flexibility and concentration without straining my mind is essential to writing down good thoughts. Positive thoughts. Thoughts that will help me at some time later when I'll be really needing to do some mental housekeeping and steal away to be by myself with the phone turned OFF.

For journalling I use a beautifully embossed leather-look midi journal such as a Grolier Ornamentali, unlined, and my writing impliment will be my favourite fountain pen which was carefully hand built. I keep both in a brass-edged, Regency antique writing slope that belonged to my dearest late Dad. Using it seems to bring his presence closer to me, which is comforting.

I buy several of these embossed, uniquely styled journals only because their price seems to increase every time I need a new one. I am very pleased that my daughter has adopted regular journalling. She will be having a lovely new journal for her 12th birthday along with a Pelikan Souverän like mine.

Interesting to know that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II writes with the same.

Google Docs, incidentally, is awesome although personally I prefer pen over paper.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by Access Denied

I keep a journal, but only get to write in it when fully relaxed and not after work. To be able to write with flexibility and concentration without straining my mind is essential to writing down good thoughts. Positive thoughts. Thoughts that will help me at some time later when I'll be really needing to do some mental housekeeping and steal away to be by myself with the phone turned OFF.

For journalling I use a beautifully embossed leather-look midi journal such as a Grolier Ornamentali, unlined, and my writing impliment will be my favourite fountain pen which was carefully hand built. I keep both in a brass-edged, Regency antique writing slope that belonged to my dearest late Dad. Using it seems to bring his presence closer to me, which is comforting.

I buy several of these embossed, uniquely styled journals only because their price seems to increase every time I need a new one. I am very pleased that my daughter has adopted regular journalling. She will be having a lovely new journal for her 12th birthday along with a Pelikan Souverän like mine.

Interesting to know that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II writes with the same.

Google Docs, incidentally, is awesome although personally I prefer pen over paper.

Wow! You really take your journaling seriously. That’s amazing!

[Anonymous42019]

Originally Posted by LilyMop

Wow! You really take your journaling seriously. That’s amazing!

Hey @LilyMop As a doctor I've constantly recommended to my patients to write things down because writing is healing. Next to walking, having a comforting cup and reading, and having a box of favourite items, writing helps us get our innermost thoughts laid to rest by pen or pencil to paper.

Having a journal or a notebook is like having a constant friend. We can even make notebooks or journals because online are lots of tutorials, which in turn is another wonderful way of crafting @HappyCrafter


It's the best therapy ever. Bless you both

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by Access Denied

Hey @LilyMop As a doctor I've constantly recommended to my patients to write things down because writing is healing. Next to walking, having a comforting cup and reading, and having a box of favourite items, writing helps us get our innermost thoughts laid to rest by pen or pencil to paper.

Having a journal or a notebook is like having a constant friend. We can even make notebooks or journals because online are lots of tutorials, which in turn is another wonderful way of crafting @HappyCrafter


It's the best therapy ever. Bless you both

Thank you so much for this kind encouragement. I remember years ago that I really benefitted from journaling a lot. I guess once I was doing really well again I got out of the habit of it. I appreciate all the good ideas and I’ll be getting started again soon. Yes, the walking plus the tea and a good book are also wonderful forms of therapy. I agree. Thank you.

[Anonymous42019]

Originally Posted by LilyMop

Thank you so much for this kind encouragement. I remember years ago that I really benefitted from journaling a lot. I guess once I was doing really well again I got out of the habit of it. I appreciate all the good ideas and I’ll be getting started again soon. Yes, the walking plus the tea and a good book are also wonderful forms of therapy. I agree. Thank you.

Another great tribute to journalling is that it's very private. When we have this need to put pen to paper, it's only to paper and not an online site where our thoughts could be picked on and hopefully not - we are stalked because of our words! As has happened to me in the past. So this is why journalling is so deeply personal, and once our thoughts are expressed in the flow of ink, only then can we sit back and feel better.

Perhaps one day in the distant future, our journals can be found by a needy relative and they become mightily blessed. That would be a fine thing, indeed.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by Access Denied

Another great tribute to journalling is that it's very private. When we have this need to put pen to paper, it's only to paper and not an online site where our thoughts could be picked on and hopefully not - we are stalked because of our words! As has happened to me in the past. So this is why journalling is so deeply personal, and once our thoughts are expressed in the flow of ink, only then can we sit back and feel better.

Perhaps one day in the distant future, our journals can be found by a needy relative and they become mightily blessed. That would be a fine thing, indeed.

Yes you are right about online journaling. I’ve been thinking a lot about it and I’m not comfortable with online journaling right now - even though it does offer many convenient features. I started writing in a written journal this morning. I also might do the google docs too. Years ago when I journaled I was very constructive about it and it really helped me work through a tough time in my life. I went through phases since then that I just journaled a bunch of random negative thoughts and I didn’t find that to be very useful. You are very correct that your journal can be like a close friend and going back to look at your own insights and advice to yourself is pretty amazing.

[Lilly2]

I do sometimes. I have not journaled in a while though. I sorta use PC to journal in different threads. This is a good post, LilyMop!

[Christmas cookie]

I would like to start a journal. I'm reading all the posts. My next plan of action is to buy a journal ( I feel I might write more if I have a fancy, inexpensive notebook). Or use google docs.

Do you find it therapeutic?

[Anonymous42019]

Good morning @LilyMop
Last night I found a lovely You Tube tutorial on how to make a journal. It was surprisingly easy!

I'd seen several DIYs on the subject, but thought this one was by far the most pleasant and very easy to follow.

DIY Bullet Journal

Throughout the tutorial the girl had a pleasant voice which made me relax, so altogether it was a well made and beautifully filmed presentation.

I hope you and everyone on your topic enjoys it.

[LilyMop]

Originally Posted by Access Denied

Good morning @LilyMop
Last night I found a lovely You Tube tutorial on how to make a journal. It was surprisingly easy!

I'd seen several DIYs on the subject, but thought this one was by far the most pleasant and very easy to follow.

DIY Bullet Journal

Throughout the tutorial the girl had a pleasant voice which made me relax, so altogether it was a well made and beautifully filmed presentation.

I hope you and everyone on your topic enjoys it.

Wow! Yes, she does have a very relaxing voice. Her journals are works of art! I never thought of journaling that way. It’s lovely! You could add poetry and other nice things like that. The more care you put into your journal the more value you get out of it. Thank you so much for thinking of me and sharing this.

[Anonymous42019]

Hey @LilyMop Today I bought some materials for a homemade journal: stiff card and some lovely Conquerer Premium A4 Laid Finish 100gsm Cream Vellum. Sometime tomorrow we'll make a start as my daughter is keen to make her own. This was why I bought a box of 500 A4 vellum sheets. Being thick, the vellum allows for fountain pen ink without showing on the opposite side, sadly a failing of Moleskine notebooks and journals; Moleskine used to be excellent, but they cut down the quality. If you shop around online, you might be lucky to find Paparblanks old stock omn amazon. This means far lower prices.


Agreed that video was super. It was so professionally set up and filmed. I've subscribed to her for future updates.

[WastingAsparagus]

After reading most of this thread, I think I'm gonna start journaling by hand... I find my handwriting is getting worse and worse--so much that one of my professors could barely read my writing. So that's no good. And I need to practice handwriting perhaps...

[LilyMop]

@WastingAsparagus

That sounds like a great idea for journaling.