From Random Thoughts to Clarity; Unlock the transformative life-changing benefits of Journalling.

Lia Grace
Oct 10, 2024
7 min read

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

“Whether you’re keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it’s the same thing. What’s important is you’re having a relationship with your mind.” Natalie Goldberg

Put down your thoughts onto paper - the quirky ones, the random ones, the odd ones and everything else. Let your thoughts freely find a safe space for expression and exploration. And, perhaps you may find sense in the chaotic expressions of words, feelings and events in you and around you. Express your thoughts, feelings, mundane routines, your crisis points in words, drawings or art. And, get into a habit of journalling them. You will be surprised and amazed at the progress you make in getting clarity, breakthroughs as you pass through the pages. And besides making sense of what's going on in your life, you find in yourself a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.

There is no right way about what and how to journal. So be generously kind to yourself as you start journalling. You can journal about things that matter to you,like health, personal goals, or life in general. But start off with that pen on paper, and see your life transform.

How does journalling bring about life-transforming benefits?

Better Mental Well being

Writing down your thoughts, those unexplanable emotions, your crisises, and challenges helps you in expressing them, and seeing them. The mere act of putting down your thoughts to paper with a pen releases energy that's been weighing down on you. Seeing your thoughts in paper helps in processing them better. This makes it easier to understand yourself better, reduce stress and anxiety. Being able to process your own emotions helps you in feeling calmer,and cope better in adverse situations. It also results in understanding more about yourself and others- the obvious benefit being better emotional intelligence.

Inspirational Journal with motivational quotes — Inspirational Journal on Amazon

Boosts your Brain Health

As you put in the efforts to express yourself, you find it more easier to remember, and comprehend things. Journalling makes things easier for your brain to be working in it's best state, feeling calm and good about yourself.

Self Reflection and Personal Growth

As you write and express those random thoughts- You find it more easier to recognize your triggers , patterns of behaviour, and understand how and why you respond the way you do. This helps in seeing through, anticipating triggers and facing challenges in a more healthy and prepared way. Being able to understand yourself and creatively face challenges boosts your self confidence and paves the way for self growth.

Finding happiness in being able to express creativity

Those random thoughts, that early morning dream, or a quick flash of insight does not get lost when they are preserved while you write or doodle them down. You will be surprised by many creative ideas in your journal that are just waiting to get expressed on the bigger canvas of life. Journalling offers you a channelling of the creativity that lives in you. Expressing your creative side brings in an endearing sense of joy and fulfillment.

Finding motivation in goal setting and sticking to them

Write down your vision- where do you want to be in life. Carefully think through and write down the goals you want to achieve in reaching that vision. Keeping specific, time-framed ,actionable goals helps you in being accountable to yourself. Writing down those goals, and why they matter to you- keeps you on the path to achieve them, overcoming excuses, doubts and obstacles. Journalling also helps you in keeping track of your progress to the desired goal and outcome you want in life.And, if it helps you, remember, it's no secret that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them and find success in life.

“If you want to write, you need to keep an honest, unpublishable journal that nobody reads, nobody but you.” Madeleine L’Engle

The Different Types of Journals You Might Want To Explore

Depending upon your personal needs, goals and desired outcomes, you can choose an idea for the kind of journalling you want to keep. Let's go through some of the kinds of journalling people do.

Gratitude Journalling
Purpose- It helps to shift our focus to being aware of the positive things happening, and to be mindful of the little joys. People who practice gratitude journalling have a more positive outlook towards life, cope better in adversity, and generally find themselves feeling more happier.
How it works- Reflect and journal on a few number, say 3 things, that you are absolutely grateful and feel blessed about. Reflecting on the positive things makes life a lot easier and fulfilling. Regular gratitude practices helps in noticing our gifts and blessings, thereby helping to appreciate life more.
Stream of Conciousness Journalling
Purpose- An unstructured form of journalling, where we pen down our thoughts just as they are in our head
How it works- Set a space on paper or digital screen to write/ type your thoughts just as they come, without bothering about grammar, outline or even wondering if they make any sense. This helps to be honest with ourselves, be non judgemental and become aware of our thought patterns. It helps in exploring our subconscious thoughts, and reduce mental clutter.
Bullet Journalling
Purpose- Journalling that can be used to track your goals, habits, tasks in an organised manner
How it works-Track and record the things that matter to you in bullet points , with quick notes, to- do lists. You can also use time and date settings to record your progress. Bullet journalling can be done in a multiple number of ways- like, sleep tracking, daily mood tracking, water intake tracking, meal planning etc
Prompt based Journalling
Purpose- Deeply explore various aspects of your life, as you journal them with specific questions/ prompts.
How it works- You can use questions, suggestions or ideas to get you started in writing your journals. These prompts may be based on themes of self discovery, personal goals, mindfulness etc.
Some examples of prompts
What am I grateful for today?
What did I learn today?
A happy moment
Art Journalling
Purpose- Express and unleash your creativity without inhibition using art , writing or a combination of multiple art formats.
How it works- Drawing, doodling, painting or expressing yourself creatively in a visual diary with occasional written entries helps in exploring your thoughts and emotions. It allows you to experiment with your creative forces, while also holding a space for meditation and self awareness
Reflective Journalling
Purpose-Encourages expression of thoughts and feelings on experiences, decisions, and learnings
How it works- Describing, feeling, and analyzing your thought processes helps in easier processing of experiences, challenges, learnings or events in your life.
Dream Journalling
Purpose- Tap into your subconscious by journalling your dreams.
How it works- Journal your dreams to find and analyze their inner messages, themes and useful insights.
Food Journalling
Purpose- It helps in becoming mindful of your eating habits, cravings, discover food sensitivities, and have an overall understanding of your relation with food. It also helps in being accountable with yourself regarding your diet
How it works- Record entries of the quantities of food you took, the time at which you took, your mood and stomach satisfaction. You can also record who you ate with, or if you were alone, and when you were doing a particular task.
Manifestation Journalling
Purpose- Helps in visualising and setting intentions for what you want to achieve in life in tune with your desires.
How it works- Writing down your dreams and anticipations as achieved helps you in staying motivated and focused on achieving your dream life. It helps in working on your goals with a pleasant hope and sure determination.
Health/ Fitness Journalling
Purpose- It helps in tracking your physical health, fitness goals, energy levels and emotional well being.
How it works: You log workouts, meals, water intake, sleep patterns, and any relevant health data. Some people also use it to reflect on emotional well-being as part of overall health tracking.
Travel Journalling
Purpose- Document your travel destinations, and experiences. Travelling, by itself opens a whole new world, and learning. And, what better way to keep these personal learnings , except, by journalling.
How it works- Journal the places you have visited, the people you met, your experiments with the local food, collecting and keeping photos, travel tickets, and interesting mementos.
Five minute Journalling
Purpose- This type of journalling is useful for the busy moms, and other people who have hardly any time for themselves.
How it works- The journal is structured with specific questions/ prompts to reflect upon, usually requiring 5 minutes or less. Sometimes, it can be formatted into morning or evening checkins with yourself.
Memory Journalling
Purpose- Capture your important memories, moments and milestones in journals
How it works- The journal can help you in documenting and remembering significant events in your life. A personal journal to remember the way you came, the events that shifted your life. Can be useful as a keepsake for yourself, or future generations.
Spiritual Journey Journal
Purpose- A way to reflect on your spiritual experiences, practices and beliefs.
How it works- Journal your experiences and experiments in prayer, meditations, scriptures, meeting spiritual teachers, or new spiritual insights and realisations.

Guided Prayer Journal
Mindfulness Journal
Purpose- Writing your thoughts on the present moment to practice and promote mindfulness.
How it works-You focus on describing your current thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and surroundings to help stay grounded and present. This type of journaling is used to cultivate awareness and reduce stress.

“The very act of writing it down made her realize how easy it would be to forget, how important it would be from now on to put everything, everything, down on paper.”

— Donna Tartt

How to Start Your Journaling Journey

Choose the right medium- Pen-paper vs Digital apps
Although pen and paper works best in transfering energy from your thoughts to paper, sometimes digital apps can be quite convenient.
Set a Time & Place
Set up a journalling routine that fits your lifestyle.
Start Small
Overcome initial resistance by starting small, as 5- 10 minute sessions
Be Kind to Yourself
It's ok to experiment on the topics to journal about, and the way to go about your journalling practices. Journalling is for yourself only. So be kind to yourself, and you can figure out the journalling practice that works best for you with time.
Stay consistent
Pair journalling with another habit like morning coffe or bedtime.
You can use prompts to stay on track when it seems to tough to journal.
Revisiting your old entries helps you notice your patternsand progress. This further motivates you to stay consistent with your journalling practice.

“Writing in a daily journal is important but the reason why I journal is because I can read my own writing after many months have passed by. I’m able to reflect on my life, my actions, my behaviors, my memories and also the behavior of others around me.”

— Nando Prudhomme

Start your Journalling Practice Today

Use the tool of journalling to deeply explore the insights and experiences of your life. Journalling has been around for many centuries, and has helped many people find their meaning and purpose in life.