The simplest part. All you need is a journal and something to write with. You can choose whether you want to use a physical or a <a href="https://gratefulness.page.link/blogpost?ref=blog.gratefulness.me">digital journal </a>.Another important part would be to have a place where you can sit and write freely. You should be free of disturbance and be really sure that your words are for your eyes only. Here a digital journal comes in handy.Another tip to block the outside world is to listen to white noise while you write. I’m listening to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLOM8R6lbzg&ref=blog.gratefulness.me">this track </a>as I am writing.

1. Tools

In contrast, think about a day when you had a fight with someone or were worried about something. It’s highly probable that that feeling stayed with you for the whole day.Even if you did routine stuff that you would generally enjoy, it didn’t feel enjoyable because there was heaviness inside you.It’s really helpful to have a good start to the day, and one of the ways that you can create that for yourself is by morning journaling. Yes, very simple, isn’t it? But, don’t underestimate it because it’s not a novel idea.Journaling, any time of the day, has a lot of benefits.

<ol><li>It can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress and cope with depression</li><li>It provides you with the opportunity for positive self-talk and to identify negative thoughts and behaviors</li><li>It improves our awareness and perception related to life events</li><li>Expressive journaling helps in lowering blood pressure and improving mood<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231337110_Emotional_and_physical_benefits_of_expressive_writing?ref=blog.gratefulness.me">^ </a></li><li>Journaling also helps us think clearly and be more creative with our ideas</li><li>Journaling helps us understand ourselves and therefore become capable of helping ourselves</li></ol>

Benefits Of Journaling 

Morning Pages is a concept from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s basically about writing three pages of all your thoughts and feelings in the morning.There’s no structure, no expectations. You just have to write your thoughts. It can be incohesive, no expectation of perfectionism here at all.Think about it like you are unloading all of the buzzy thoughts in your head so that you can have a somewhat lighter and clearer mind throughout the day.

To begin, you can write one page, or if that’s too much, just one paragraph of your uninhibited thoughts and feelings and a sentence describing the positive part of the last day. If you want to do more, you can do it. Increase it gradually. Maybe you can write more pages, more things you are grateful for, but start small, especially if you are new to this. I’ll now share some prompts that can help you with your morning journaling:

How To Practice 

These prompts are to help you get into the flow of expressing yourself and help you keep writing if you get stuck.<ol><li>How am I feeling in this moment?</li><li>How did you feel when you woke up this morning?</li><li>What are the most prominent thoughts in your head this morning?</li><li>What are you looking forward to today?</li><li>What are some of the things on your mind from yesterday?</li><li>Is there something that you’re worried about?</li><li>Is there something that you’re excited about?</li><li>What are some of your dreams for the future?</li><li>Is there something that’s bugging you? Why do you think it’s on your mind?</li><li>How are you feeling about today?</li></ol>

Morning Pages Prompt 

<ol><li>What do you think about a lot these days?</li><li>How are you feeling about your life these days?</li><li>Describe yourself in 5 adjectives and express why you chose them.</li><li>What is something that has been weighing on your mind lately?</li><li>What is something you would like to improve about your life, and what steps can you take to make that happen?</li><li>What is a positive change you have made in your life recently, and how has it helped you?</li><li>What are some things on your mind for today?</li></ol>

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Try these tips to help you get started with journaling:.Try to write every day:Set aside a few minutes every day to write. This will help you to write in your journal regularly.Make it easy:Keep a pen and paper handy at all times. Then when you want to write down your thoughts, you can. You can also keep a journal on your smartphone.

How To Journal

Keeping a journal helps you create order when your world feels like it’s in chaos. You get to know yourself by revealing your most private fears, thoughts, and feelings. Look at your writing time as personal relaxation time. It's a time when you can de-stress and wind down. Write in a place that's relaxing and soothing, maybe with a cup of tea. Look forward to your journaling time. And know that you're doing something good for your mind and body.

Conclusion 

And once you do this, I suggest ending your exercise with gratitude. Write about one positive thing from yesterday. Anything that you remember to have made you smile or feel good. Just one thing.These practices together give you the space to be expressive and also to switch your thoughts toward the good parts of your life. Ending your journal entry with gratitude will help you keep the thought of being blessed despite everything else.

Coming to the question of what to actually write about, most people struggle at what to write and they quit. I suggest a mix of Morning Pages and Gratitude Journaling.

3. Template 

Prompts are a useful tool to help you get ideas on what to write about. I’ll divide these prompts into two: Morning pages prompts and gratitude prompts.

Morning Journal Prompts 

Write or draw whatever feels right:Your journal doesn't need to follow any certain structure. It's your own private place to discuss and create whatever you want to express your feelings. Let the words and ideas flow freely. Don't worry about spelling mistakes or what other people might think.Use your journal as you see fit:You don't have to share your journal with anyone. If you do want to share some of your thoughts with trusted friends and loved ones, you could show them parts of your journal.

Now, let’s talk about how we can do morning journaling. You will need tools, time, and a template to follow so it becomes very for you to do this regularly.Keep in mind that journaling is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle for better managing stress, anxiety, and mental health conditions. To get the most benefits, be sure you also:Relax and meditate each day.Eat a healthy, balanced diet.Exercise regularly—get in some activity every day.Treat yourself to plenty of sleep each night.Stay away from alcohol and drugs.Use your journal to make sure you follow these guidelines daily.

How Do I Start Journaling In The Morning 

The way we start our day has a great impact on how the rest of it goes. Think about the time when you had a great walk and feel invigorated. How was your energy throughout the day? How did you feel?In contrast, think about a day when you had a fight with someone or were worried about something. It’s highly probable that that feeling stayed with you for the whole day.Even if you did routine stuff that you would generally enjoy, it didn’t feel enjoyable because there was heaviness inside you.

Begin your day with journaling!

Now, think if we were to focus on the beginning of our day, of our mornings, and take the help of journaling to experience these benefits. By morning journaling, you will help yourself start your day on the right foot and consciously choose how you want to approach it. You will be in control of your day instead of the other way around. The purpose of morning journaling is to clear your mind, set intentions for the day, and focus on what's important to you. This helps you feel more grounded and centered throughout the day.

How this helps me is that firstly, as I live in a busy neighborhood with a lot of vehicles passing on our street, white noise reduces that. And another amazing benefit is that because I’m now used to writing with white noise playing, whenever I listen to it, I naturally get into the mode of writing.

we want to do something good for ourselves, we have to commit to it and do what’s necessary to make it through.So, you’ve got to decide the amount of time you can make for journaling in the morning and then figure out how you can do it.Start with something easy. Say, you will write for 5 minutes. Now, can you take out 5 minutes after you brush your teeth or while you drink your coffee? Set a reminder on your phone for this then.Don’t overpromise yourself about how your whole morning journal practice will be. Just begin. And keep showing up. You can add the frills later.

By journaling, I discovered my authentic self, my values, what I like to dislike and many more.

Rise and shine with morning journaling! Discover morning pages and learn how to kickstart your day with gratitude and morning journal prompts.

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