How I Journal
image from pintrest
As I’ve shared many times before both on Instagram and here on substack - this is my favourite journal.
It has no lines, no dates, is bigger and heavier than most average notebooks and yet — this is *it* for me. Nothing else compares.
I use this journal in two main ways:
The Morning Pages Empty Out
For this, I simply date the top of the page and write for three pages stream of consciousness a la the artists way. I go in and out of this practice, but truthfully I am more ‘in’ than ‘out’ (especially this year) simply because it does work for me.
When I do morning pages I find that I write better and think clearer. For me it is a helpful part of processing emotional ~stuff~, anxiety and overwhelm and understanding myself on a deeper level. Many a stark realisation (🥴) has happened through this practice.
I never go back to re-read my pages. Half the time its almost illegible - I’m all for pretty but trying to make this practice pretty is so beside the point.
Daily Notes
Here’s where I try to be a little cuter:
On the top of the page I write the day, then a short list of 3 - 5 things (max!) I want to do for work that day. I’ll create a second column for that list with 3 - 5 things I want to do for myself that day. I treat both as completely equal. I don’t create a timeline, but I try to position the things I avoid at the top.
In the evening I write 3 - 5 gratitudes from the day, followed by 3 ‘self gratitudes’ which is a practice I took from Liz Tran’s book, The Karma of Success. I love this concept of self gratitudes, especially for those of us who are hard on ourselves. Here, you list three things you’re proud of yourself for that day. It might be going for a walk, cooking a meal for your family, or giving a friend a hug. This is a newer practice for me, and I really feel the benefits of it so far.
On the opposite page, I leave space for ideas, quotes, thoughts or what might be considered affirmations. On an extra creative day these might spill over onto more pages, class ideas for TDR Studio and so on. I think of it like a word scrapbook or collection. Sometimes I come back to these when needing inspiration, often I don’t, it’s just a practice of lifting my energy or tapping back into my creativity in the moment.
Let me know
How do you journal? Do you use a physical diary or are you all about the notes section on your phone? Are you a lined or a blank page kinda girl?
Personally I use notion, notes and google calendar all for different purposes, but this physical journal is my daily anchor in my personal and work life. I treasure it very, very deeply.
With love,
Emmie xo