Journaling: Tips for Beginning the Process

How to Get Out of Your Own Way

You've been attracted to the idea of journaling, recently. Maybe you attended a workshop that talked about it, or perhaps a friend divulged to you her regular writing habit.

The practice of journaling makes sense to you, in theory. You like the idea of expressing your thoughts through the journaling process. Such inner healing has to be healthy, right? You even have a nicely bound blank notebook all ready to go.

But for some reason, though it's definitely been on your mind, you have yet to actually do it.

Journaling is excellent therapy and stress relief, but for many people, getting to the point of putting a pen to paper can seem impossible. There are a million reasons to put off simply sitting down and doing a bit of journal writing. There's always something else that demands your attention.

And then, when you finally do sit down with your journal, the blank page can stop you in your tracks. You freeze up, with no idea what to write.

So, how does someone go about getting out of their own way and getting to the page? What can you do to bypass all those objections and fears?

1. Find a community of journalers, where people discuss their challenges and experiences. You may be able to find or create a local group, or you can join an online network. Sometimes learning what's going on for other people can help your own process. CreateWriteNow offers a journaling community on its Facebook Page, http://facebook.com/JournalWritingTherapy.
2. Read advice from bloggers and article writers on the subject of journaling. You'll find analyses of journaling's inner healing process; counsel on dealing with issues such as “page fright,” inner critics, and self-sabotage; and step-by-step instructions you can follow as you start the process.
3. The most important thing to do is to be kind to yourself. One thing that helps is just sitting and doing some meditating. Take a few minutes and really reconnect with yourself, asking, "Okay, what's going on? What's happening?" in an understanding, soothing tone of voice.
4. Another recommendation is to just do it. Inhale deeply, exhale, pick up the pen and start writing, without thinking at all.

Above all, tune into yourself and discuss things with yourself in a lovingly compassionate way. Ease into it by doing one step at a time. That way, you are meeting your fears head on and showing them who is boss.

After you've practiced a while, you will much more easily manage and even master your fears. You'll start looking forward to your journaling sessions, perhaps fiercely protecting this dedicated time from any interruptions. Your pen will move freely, and the blank page will become a thrilling invitation instead of a terrifying challenge.