Mindfulness, gratitude, journaling, meditation, these words get thrown around a lot as buzzwords and trends, but what do they actually signify?

They are all interrelated terms that can add to positive wellness and wellbeing, but they are a little different. Journaling is a wellness technique for practicing all of them, as well as other common mental health strengthening methods.

Journaling can be anything that you need it to be, but the point is self-expression and recording your thoughts. Whether you deal with stress, sadness or maybe feel really happy, getting out of your head and putting the words on the page is a beneficial practice for building self-awareness and emotional control.

To make journaling a habit, figure out your favorite way of expressing yourself. It is not all writing and feelings, it can be creative or involve pictures, whatever medium allows you to express yourself. Find your kind of journaling method to incorporate this mindfulness and wellness habit into your routine.

Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude is practicing being thankful for your life, from the small aspects to the big moments. Folks who practice gratitude often usually report long-term happiness and the ability to reframe conflicts or difficult moments for the better.

To start gratitude journaling, start by writing down three good things in the morning, and later come back to write down three good things that happened during the day. If you have the time to write down other comments to build more awareness it is great, but even just simply taking 5 minutes to reflect is a great way to start making journaling a habit.

Related: What Does Gratitude Do For Your Life

Bullet Journaling

Bullet journaling has become extremely popular through social media as a form of self-expression and organization. It is essentially a self-made planner, it starts with a blank page and the creator can make the calendar with the days of the week, pencil in tasks and around the planned projects or appointments there is room for artistic creation.

On social media, many people use special pens to create designs, drawings, stickers and thoughts. The best part is making a bullet journal your own instead of finding a planner that fits your style. It can be as elaborate or simple as your choose, don't let social media make you feel bad about keeping it simple.

Calendar Journaling

Calander journaling isn't so different than bullet journaling except there is a bit less emphasis on creative design and more on keeping track of your schedule.

Similar to the bullet journal, start with a blank page and write out your weekly tasks or reminders. There is still room for recording your thoughts and being creative with the layout, but this form of journaling is for folks who need to stay focused by building a productive week. 

Meditation Or Mindfulness Journaling

When meditation or mindfulness comes into play, that is when journaling gets a little more involved with the traditional sense. Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts and emotions, which can be practiced in many ways, one of which is meditation. Whether you are doing a mindfulness technique or accompanying it with meditation, journaling alongside is a way to express your thoughts and emotions.

To practice this kind of journaling, simply write down your thoughts judgment-free, allow the words to flow out of your head. You can start by meditating to get into the right mentality for words to flow, or simply start writing and see what happens. There doesn't need to be an end goal, and it takes time to see progress in your awareness.

Related: What Is Meditation And How To Make It A Practice

Creative Journaling

Some people express themselves through art, let creativity be your own form of journaling. If you feel like your own thoughts or emotions feel blocked, create characters or scenarios, it doesn't matter how based they are in truth it is still your form of expression.

Get creative as your form of self-expression, draw pictures, create verbal and visual art, there is no wrong way. Many poets like Rupi Kaur use this form of journaling to generate their work.

Hobby Journaling

Hobby journaling refers to the many different forms of self-expression that can be accompanied by your hobbies such as travel, food, garden and outdoor journaling and even visual journaling.

For folks who love to travel, write about your experiences from the small cafes you discover, the best ways to get to destinations and the people you meet. Food lovers can write about what they eat, what recipes they love or want to alter for the better, and even about restaurants.

Video journaling is kind of like vlogging, but it can just be for you to talk things out instead of writing them out. Ultimately all of these forms of expression are getting at the fact that expression comes in waves for different people. Don't force it, find a medium for which it flows naturally for you.

Next: 10 Ways To Practice Mindfulness And Gratitude

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