Journaling: A Writer’s Healthiest Addiction

One of the most powerful habits you can develop as a writer is also one of the simplest: keeping a daily journal. This is no secret. Many of the writers we love, who have moved us with their words and influenced our own work, have also been faithful journalers – from Ida B. Wells and Henry David Thoreau to Virginia Woolf and David Sedaris.   

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of journaling and thought about giving it a shot. You may have even tried it in fits and starts over the years. But have you kept it up? Have you been able to integrate journal writing into your everyday life?

Before we go any further, I want to be clear that my intention is not to make you feel guilty or anxious if you aren’t journaling already (many writers aren’t). My goal isn’t to add more stress or to-do list items to your day; in fact, it’s the opposite. I want to show you how journaling can ease your stress, spark your creativity and help you do your best writing – and that it’s much easier to build a journaling habit than you think.

I swear by two simple rules:

1. Journal by hand
2. Journal every day

That’s it. Everything else is up to you and can be adapted to fit your schedule and your preferences.

Why is journaling so important for writers?

As a mentor and teacher, I’ve seen journaling create positive and lasting changes in people from all different backgrounds and professions. A journaling practice benefits everyone – but writers in particular have a lot to gain from it.

Journaling:

• Gives you a free space to write without rules.

When you write professionally, you are always thinking about your future readers. What will your editor like? What will be interesting and exciting to your audience? This pressure can be motivating, but it can also cause you to second-guess every sentence you put on the page.

Journaling releases you from these concerns because in your journal, you are writing for no one but yourself. Here you can record unfinished thoughts, raw emotions and off-the-wall ideas without worrying about what anyone else will think of them. You can clear out clutter in your head and make room for more creativity and productivity.

• Provides opportunities to practice and play.

Like any other skill, writing requires ongoing practice. But practice doesn’t have to be tedious or monotonous. Your journal is the perfect place to hone your skills, test out new techniques and play around with different styles. Use journaling prompts to stretch your writing muscles and push outside your comfort zone. Collect bits of inspiration or seeds of ideas you’re not sure what to do with. Give yourself permission to write badly – just write!

• Helps you work through problems.

Turn to your journal when you run into roadblocks in your writing projects. Can’t figure out where the plot is going in the second half of your book? Struggling with the most important chapter of your memoir? Frustrated by the choppy dialogue in one scene of your novel? Journal about it. Ask questions, and explore a variety of answers. Set a timer and make yourself write until it goes off (even if you’re just scribbling the same thoughts over and over).

Try it yourself:

For the next week, write in your journal every day and see if you start to notice a change in how you feel and how you work.

Not sure how to begin? Test out one of these journaling strategies:

• Morning Pages: When you first wake up in the morning, scribble down three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing, as Julia Cameron recommends in her classic book The Artist’s Way. This will help you get your jumbled thoughts out onto the page and start the day with more focus and mental clarity.
• Test Run: Before you begin a new writing task or switch gears in a project, do some warm-up exercises in your journal (the way you would before a workout). Pick a prompt related to your project, or attempt a judgment-free first draft of a particular section.
• Gratitude Roundup: As you’re getting ready for bed, write down one or more small victories or moments of happiness from that day. What are you grateful for? What went well? What gives you something to look forward to tomorrow?
• Writer’s Unblock: If you find yourself staring at a blank page, unable to move forward, take a short break. Go for a short walk (even if it’s just around the block or around your house), then set a timer for three minutes. Journal continuously until the alarm sounds. Let your mind wander – write about the problem you’re struggling with, or your favorite childhood memory, or what you want to eat for dinner tonight. It doesn’t matter! Just keep writing.
• Close-Up: Zoom in on one moment or interaction from your day, and journal about it in detail. Bring it to life as if it’s a short story or a scene from a novel. Where were you? What was going on? Who else was involved? What emotions did you and others experience? What were the bigger implications of this snapshot in time? Set the scene for what could happen in the future.
• Powering Down: Make the transition between work and downtime by journaling about what’s on your mind. What are you worried about? What are you having a hard time with? What are you excited about? What do you want to accomplish tomorrow?

Creating a lifelong journaling practice is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Keep it up, and you’ll see the positive changes it makes in your professional and personal life.

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HEAL YOUR SELF WITH JOURNALING POWER

Heal Yourself with Journaling Power reveals the inner strength and grace that comes from the proven therapeutic power of expressive writing.

Mari L. McCarthy’s award-winning Journaling Power has led thousands of people across the world on their healing journeys. In Heal Yourself with Journaling Power, she invites you to tap into this highly-effective method to heal, grow, and transform your own life.

Heal Yourself with Journaling Power is filled with moving personal stories that form a guide to a successful journaling practice. Each story is followed by journaling prompts and helpful advice from people who have used the power of journaling to reduce stress, relieve physical pain, heal inner conflicts, improve relationships, boost memory, and gain clarity.

Are you ready to create a new life story, manifest a life you love, and bring yourself back to center? Then you’re ready to join the journaling revolution.

“The work Mari is doing is not only helping so many individuals but contributing to the growth of the modern field of positive psychology…it is part of this holistic wellness and positive psychology revolution.” – Paul B. Schlosberg, M.S. M.A. Professional Counselor and Wellness Coach

“The most important lesson illustrated in Heal Yourself with Journaling Power is that anyone can enhance their health and wellbeing through the therapeutic power of expressive writing. This is the definitive book that shows you how. So just grab a pen and a pad of paper and do it!” – Mike Bundrant, Co-Founder, iNLPCenter.org

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Mari L. McCarthy is the author of the new book Heal Your Self With JournalingPower as well as the multi award-winning self-help memoir Journaling Power: How To Create The Happy, Healthy Life You Want To Live.  The founder and chief empowerment officer of CreateWriteNow.com, she provides books, workbooks, and classes to help writers discover the mental, physical, and spiritual health benefits of journaling. She has authored 22 “Journaling Power” eWorkbooks and created numerous “Journaling Power Challenges” that have helped thousands of writers heal, grow, and transform their lives.

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Category: How To and Tips