We’ve all seen those TikToks and IG Stories of people sharing their morning routine. They get up at the crack of dawn, sneak in some journaling and a workout all before 6am, and then make themselves the healthiest breakfast you’ve ever seen.
If you’re like me, you probably wrestle with feeling ashamed about your own morning routine, and also trying to hold back a huge eyeroll at how perfect theirs seems.
And yet, during this never-ending year of quarantine and staying at home, I’ve realized that maybe there’s something there I should be taking in. No, I’m not about to start waking up early to do all-the-things before 6am. However, maybe I should be taking some time for self-care throughout the week.
If this year has taught me anything, it’s that taking care of your mental health and focusing on personal growth is SO important.
And yet, most of us don’t make time for it—and don’t even know where to start.
So here are my top 5 ways to get in a journaling mood. Just watch out—maybe it’ll even turn you into a morning person.
- Find a journal or devotional that inspires you. Maybe you’re one of those people where words just flow from you as you put pen to paper. But if you need some prompting to do deep internal digging, I highly recommend my current favorite. It’s called Take Back Your Life by Levi Lusko, and it takes you on a 40-day journey to get out of your own way and change your mindset, so you can start living a more healthy life. If you want to check it out, head over to takebackbook.com.
- Get some nice journaling pens and/or stickers. Does this sound childish? Maybe. But as someone who sneaks my favorite pens in the office after a fresh restock because of that fresh ink feel, it can totally make a difference in your motivation. So take yourself on a little trip down the aisles of your local Target or craft store, and pick up some pens, post-its, stickers... whatever speaks to you. Only let yourself use them when it comes time to journal! You’ll be surprised at how you start making a little more time.
- Find that perfect playlist. Normally, I’m someone that needs silence to really focus. But when it comes to journaling, I’ve found that the perfect playlist can get me thinking more deeply than normal. My personal favorite? Dean Lewis. His album is the perfect mix of soulful and calming, but also upbeat enough that you don’t fall asleep mid-sentence.
- Stock up on your favorite beverage. Nothing gets the juices flowing for me than a warm cup of tea or hot cocoa. The second I have one of those in my hand, all I want to do is cozy up and take some time for rest and self-care. Maybe yours is coffee, or a Diet Coke, or even a glass of wine (holla!). Whatever it is, after you pump up that playlist and grab those new pens, make sure you curl up with you drink of choice to help get you in the mood.
- Give yourself grace to come as you are. It can be so easy to put pressure on yourself to do something right, even something like self care. With social media constantly showing us how influencers are living their best life, we feel the need to do it all just right. But when it comes to journaling, take that weight off. One day, you might write 3 sentences and just move on. Another, you might have 4 pages worth of processing you want to get out. Just embrace each journaling time as the space to get what YOU need. And that’s all that matters! So enter in, and let yourself just be in the moment.
Hopefully at least one of those tips had you going “YASSS QUEEN” and ready to start your journaling journey. If you decide to pick this up, make sure to tag us on social media so we can see your journaling mood! It’d be nice to see some realistic routines on our feed ;)
