I’m so excited to introduce my friend (since high school!), Bethony with her inaugural guest post at The Mom Shift Hustle! She inspires me all the time to be a better mama and she wanted to share her love of journaling!
I love journaling! I was first introduced to it as a kid watching Nickelodeon’s Doug. I loved how he journaled without the “Dear Diary” fluffiness (even though he did start each entry with “Dear Journal”). I loved how he would chronicle each day, the good and the bad, and how it reflected that day and episode. It was a total game changer for me and my own diaries.
I do not journal as often as I would like. I have two crazy kids and taking some “me” time can be few and far between. But for as long as I’ve journaled, there is a therapeutic benefit and I love being able to go back and revisit random days in the past.
I hope this will inspire others to write their story.
Even if it’s just a sentence or two each day or week, your life story is an important one to tell and no one else in the world has your point of view.
So I’m sharing with you my top five tips when I struggle to begin a journal entry.
Top Five Tips to Start a Journal Entry
Tip #1: Write about your day. This may seem bland and boring but just starting with your drive to school or work can turn into a goals list for the week or a wonderful journal entry. One day, I went to my local Starbucks in my Lucky’s grocery store to kill two birds with one stone. The man ahead of me and I chatted for two seconds while waiting in line and when his turn came up he offered to buy my cup of Joe that morning. Random act of kindness?! How amazing! I didn’t expect it; there was no flirting or expectation. Just a friendly neighbor spending a few extra bucks to spread some joy! Boom! Instant journal entry completed.
Tip #2: Write about your feelings. This can be tricky because you never know what emotional floodgates will open. But start with your current mood or feeling and why you’re feeling that way. I have my sad days, like everyone else, so I’ll start with “I’m feeling sad today because…” and it’ll start to turn into an entry with more depth and insight. Sometimes when I go back to those sad entries, I’ll use a different color pen and write in the margins what became of that situation or write some encouraging words for my past-self.
Tip #3: Write about someone you love. This can be a personal love letter or something inspiring you’ve wanted to say to someone but can’t. Share why you love them and what they do to make you feel special and loved. You can even write it as a letter to the Universe about your ideal mate and what qualities they’d have. You can also go in the negative direction and give someone a piece of your mind or tell that rude driver off. Be sure to keep these entries locked up because you wouldn’t want a Mean Girl Burn Book situation…or maybe you do. *evil laugh*
Tip #4: Write about a place you’ve visited or vacationed. This can be a trip from childhood or your most recent spring break. Write where you went, how you got there (Plane? Train? Car?) and what you saw or did. If it was a big family trip, you can write about a special memory with a particular family member, print it out and frame it with a picture of where you visited. Now you have a unique personalized gift for that loved one. Your Nana will treasure it! You’re welcome!
Tip #5: Write about a remembered event. Think of a big family occasion like weddings, funerals, Christmas or Thanksgiving. Write your point of view and what traditions you loved or would like to change. Again, this could potentially turn into a great personalized gift for someone or turn into a family book where everyone can share their memories from that event.
I hope this gets your creative juices flowing. My additional tip is to try to finish your entry in one sitting. I’ve found that trying to continue from another day or week can be difficult because your mood and writing situation (at home, at a coffee shop, in bed) may be different so your writing voice will be different. Your experience may be different from mine so feel free to try it on your own and see. Maybe I’m just the weird one!
Thanks for reading and Happy Journaling!
Bethony is a San Francisco native and mom of two, a 6 year old social butterfly and an overly independent 4 year old. She always has a smile on her face and is always willing to help. When she’s not driving her kids to school or taking them to one of the many beautiful parks in the San Francisco/Bay Area, she’s caring for patients in her Chiropractic office in Union City, CA.
