Journaling

Psych! So I know I said last week I would share my skincare routine this week, but I actually have a skincare brand that wants me to feature them on Instagram next week rather than this week. So, I decided to hold off so my Instagram and blog post can be related.

So, this week, I decided to write about something that I have pretty recently gotten into. Journaling! Well, to be honest, what I do is hardly a typical “journal”, but it still helps me keep memories that I might want to look back at later. I really enjoy look back at where I was months, or even a year ago. It helps me to see my growth and the outcomes of the low and high points of my life. In this post, I am going to go through the types of journaling I use, types I’ve seen other people use, as well as tips on how to keep up with it! Enjoy!

1 Line a Day 5 Year Journal

This is the type of journal I mainly use. I saw this book at the Amazon store during Christmas of my senior year in high school. I asked my dad if he would get it for me for Christmas so that I could document my senior year and my undergrad experience. I LOVE this journal for so many reasons. First, the book itself is very cute. There are so many designs to choose from on Amazon! It’s also really small and compact so it is easy to take it places when traveling. Second, the space to write for the day is perfect for me. I like to just highlight the main points of the day, and with a small space, I am not overwhelmed to write a lot everyday so it is a lot more doable in my opinion. Third, it is a 5 year journal. Each page is 1 day and has 5 separate places to write for that day. I’m on my second year with the book, so when I write in it, I am able to see what I was doing today, last year! It’s actually really fun to see what i was doing and what part of my day made it memorable. If you are worried about not being able to write much in a journal, or don’t want to spend too much time on it, try this 1 Line A Day journal.

Wreck This Journal

So a lot of people probably won’t consider this a journal, but I do. I got this Wreck This Journal right when it was a pretty big thing on Instagram and Pinterest. I actually really like it. I do admit that it’s been a while since I’ve done anything in it, but I plan to get back to it this semester. Wreck This Journal is full of prompts that make you be creative and let out your emotions through the book. It’s fun. How I use it is to use the prompts to keep track of my likes, dislikes, memories, and events that happen in my life. For example, this Starbucks page, one of my best friends Kelly and I would go to Starbucks and get drinks together. One of the pages tells me to spill coffee on it. Perfect memory to capture! This journal takes more time, but only if you want it to. I also know people who get multiples of the book and after a couple years, they will do it again and see the differences between interpretation and creativity of them.

Scratch Off Map

This one is for travel lovers and I want to start one soon. I just need to get myself a map. With a scratch off map, you scratch off the places you have been to reveal color. It is almost like a travel journal that is also super cute room decor. There are so many on Amazon, but I personally like the ones that also have the 50 states outlined. I have also seen people take pictures from where they have been, cut them into the shape of the state or country, and have created a map out of those pictures. That is a little more work, but just as cool. Travel journals are really fun because you can keep ahold of all tickets, brochures, and photos that hold memories of your wanderlust.

1 Second A Day

I have also thought about doing this one because I saw so many people doing it my freshman year of college. I just forgot. But, there are many apps that have you take a one second video everyday and will cut and edit it for you into a mini movie at the end of your time frame. It’s pretty cute. If you like videos and capturing moments IN the moment to remember it, this one is for you!

Bullet Journal

I don’t do this one just cause I have tried, and I hate my handwriting, but I have seen AMAZING bullet journals from my friends. They love it. It is another artistic way to journal and can include photos, tickets, and even pressed flowers! There are so many inspo boards on Pinterest and Instagram for bullet journal spreads. So, if you are artistic, or just want to try a bullet journal, do it! Although kind of time consuming, it is relaxing and rewarding.

Snapchat 1 Year Ago

Snapchat has this amazing feature now that allows you to look at your stories from a year ago or even 2-3 years ago! This is great, as long as you post to your story. Create your own private story, and post things that will help you remember the moments in your life! It‘s easy and automatically keeps the info stored on the app. Just keep in mind that the memories could be gone if the app changes, you change your account, etc. So if you really want to keep the memories, save them onto your camera roll and create an album.

Gratitude Journal

This one is a little more uncommon, but I think it‘s a really important one to have. Gratitude journals make you look for the good in every day. There are so many bad days that make you think nothing is good, but someone smiling to you in the hall, a teacher extending a deadline, or even your roommate making you laugh when you are sad are reasons to be grateful. Try to find the light in the world because there are so many things to have gratitude for. Write them down, and when you have a bad day, look back at them, and it will make you feel better. I promise.

Here are a couple others that I have briefly talked about in previous posts that are great journals as well:

Blogs

Polaroids

YouTube Channels

Scrapbooks

Photobooks

Tips For Keeping A Journal:

1. Don't Force Yourself

You will never make a habit if you hate doing it. That is why I have given so many different journals you could try so that you realize all the types there are. You are not limited to one over another. Find what makes you excited. If you like writing a lot, write a lot. If you like being more creative and drawing, do that. If you like photos, print out pictures. Tailor your journal to who you are as a person. Journaling is meant to be fun and relaxing.

2. Set Aside a Specific Time

Ever get started with a journal and can't seem to make it a daily habit? Same. Set aside a specific time everyday or week or however long to focus on your journal. I personally do mine right before I go to bed. It is a habit I developed slowly and sometimes I still miss it, but you can always recap on days you missed. Just get back into it, and get a flow going. It will be a nice break from your life and you'll be able to relax while reflecting on the days ups and downs.

3. Look Back

If you ever need motivation to keep a journal, I would say that trying it out for a bit, then looking back at what you wrote. For example, I have journaled now for a year and a halfish. I love to look back at what I wrote a year ago. It reminds me of the good and bad times I went through. It's really cool to see how times change and how you change. So try journaling for a month or so, then look back, and see what happened in your life the past month!

Thanks for reading! I hope this inspires you to start your own journal! I never thought I would be able to journal, but now that I've found how I like to, I love it! Like I said, next week will be all about skincare!

Alena