Do you feel off sometimes? I do feel. And it is quite okay to feel off and do things that make you feel happy and you enjoy. Journaling is not always all about maintaining a tight schedule rather it’s a process. A process that makes your life disciplined and easier.
Today, I'd like to share with you my tips on how to journal daily. It's a totally normal part of journaling, but you don't have to stay in it. So let's just hop right to it!
How to Journal Everyday for Increasing Your Productivity
This is not a crime feeling a bit off once or twice a month. We as human beings, this is natural. So, don't assume something that will make you journaling 30 days a month with the same spirit.
With regard to that, this time, I'll share more practical journaling tips than ever. Good Luck!
Let Go Off Undue Pressure
My very first tip for you is to let go of any undue pressure. Recognize that what you're feeling is normal. Your interests will ebb and flow over time with journaling—and not just journaling, any sort of hobby that you do in your spare time—and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
So let go of the pressure to feel like you have to journal every day or do morning pages every day. I know morning pages is something that gets thrown around a lot in the journaling community, but if you feel like you're obligated to do it or that it feels like a chore, then you should reassess how you're journaling and if you're pressuring yourself to do it because you feel like you have to, and the same goes with art journaling.
I know with social media, it tends to glorify all of these really pretty pages, and while they are very inspiring, if you feel like your journal isn't measuring up, then you might find yourself setting up an expectation for yourself that you're not able to meet right now. Your journal doesn't have to be very pretty for it to be valid or real, but your journal is meant to serve you and not the other way around.
And undue pressure can dampen the fun of writing in a journal, so don't feel obligated to feel like you have to journal a certain way or journal how many ever times a week. Just go at your own pace, and take all the time you need to fill up a notebook.
Redefine Your Why
My second tip for you is to redefine your "why." First, you should know why you journal. What is the purpose of your journal? And it doesn't have to be anything deep or meaningful. It's just, maybe you want to write down your feelings, or document your life, or maybe help you plan out your goals through brainstorming, anything like that.
And if you feel like you're hitting a wall with your journal, think about your why, and then reassess if that reason is still adding something positive to your life.
We as humans, we are ever-changing creatures, and you may not be in the same place now as you were back then— mentally, emotionally, spiritually—so you might find that the purpose that you've set for your journal is no longer filling that need for you, and your journal might not be as fulfilling as it used to be. Make it a point to reassess your why on a regular basis, and let your journal meet you where you are in life. You should also put a lot of thought into the reason why you journal.
So for example, maybe it's to write down your feelings. Well, why is that the reason? Do you feel like it's because you don't have a good support system in your life? Do you feel like you don't have anybody to talk to, or you feel like you're not being heard?
Sometimes, the journal isn't the problem, so you want to also check in with yourself. Just how are you, really? Because oftentimes, when you're not feeling your very best, that kind of negativity can flow into all areas of your life, including your journal. So you definitely want to check in with yourself regularly.
Just check in with your emotions, check in with your mental health, and make sure that you're being as healthy as you can be.
Simplify Your System
My third tip for you is to simplify your system. As fun as it is to have a fancy setup, it can hold you back. This year has been really rough for a lot of people, so if you feel like your life is a little bit too complicated right now, simplify as much as you can.
And if you feel like your journal is being a bit too much, don't be afraid to cull what's not giving you joy.
For example, and this might be a controversial one, but I decided to take a break from fountain pens. I know, I know! But I just felt like I didn't want to have to deal with the pen maintenance. Like, I finished writing with a pen a couple of days ago, and I haven't even cleaned that yet.
I just felt like flushing it was starting to become this chore. I didn't want to have to load up an ink, I don't know. There was just something about fountain pens that wasn't really exciting me at the moment. As much as I still love my fountain pen collection, and I still do enjoy writing with fountain pens, I just really needed to have a pen that will just work and I didn't have to clean it.
I didn't have to worry about inks or anything like that. I went back to using a gel pen for now, and it's working just fine. So switching back to a gel pen has really helped me a lot mentally, and while that might seem like a really frivolous thing, it's made a huge difference in my motivation to a journal.
So take a look at your journal setup, what you're using, your notebook, your pen, and see if there's something that you feel is unnecessary right now. And you know that once things get better that I will find my love for fountain pens again.
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Prompts
My fourth tip for you is, don't be afraid to use prompts. Once you've let go of the pressure to a journal, you've reassessed the reason why you journal, and you've checked in with yourself, and you've simplified your system, and you feel like, "Yes, I can continue journaling but I just don't know what to write about," go ahead and use prompts. I often find that using prompts can help make you think about things that you've never thought of before.
I often use prompts on my journals when I feel like writing, but I feel like I have nothing to say, and it's great. I also find that prompts can help point you in the right direction as far as what you want to write about, and which parts of yourselves you want to explore.
Take A Break
My last tip for you for overcoming a journal rut is to just take a break. It's okay to take a break and focus on other things that you enjoy and make you happy. If you want to binge watch a show, or play a video game, or start a different type of crafting project, go ahead and do those.
It's totally fine to take a break. I take breaks all the time. I actually tend to take breaks every couple of days, and all I do is, I just make this little page that says something like three days later, and then I go back to journaling as usual, and it's not a big deal. So don't be afraid to take a break and take all the time you need to fill up a notebook.
I know that social media also loves to glorify those pictures of stacks of completed notebooks, and while those again are very fun and inspiring to look at, don't feel like you have to keep up with the Joneses, as they say, as far as journals go.
Final Thoughts
Prioritize your enjoyment in your spare time. Do what makes you happy, and take a break for as long as you need. Your journal will always be there for you.
So those are my tips for getting over a journaling rut. Do you have any tips on how to journal daily to share with everyone? Please do comment them down.