What Is Journaling?
Journaling is the act of writing down thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Physically, journaling is an act of writing, whether pen to paper or typing on your computer. Or, in this day and age, talk-to-text.
Mentally, Consciously, Spiritually, journaling is an act of release and fluidity. It is the act of self-reflecting and self-discovery, organizing thoughts/feeling/emotions, and relaxation. It is all of these things and so much more.
The “so much more” comes down to what journaling means to you.
When it comes to journaling, many of you may have a “dear diary” vision in your head. Journaling seems like something you have to treat with formality. If this is you, and because of that journaling seems daunting, have no fear. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Journaling does not need to be a memoir of sorts. It doesn’t need to have structure.
Journaling can be messy and sloppy and it doesn’t even have to make sense.
What Makes Journaling So Fantastic
Journaling helps you process the inside and outside buzz. And, if you are dating: talking to people and going out on dates, then I betcha you have a lot of buzz going on.
The buzz is coming from all directions: your family, friends, work, school, books, movies, social media, etc.
I think many of us become over-stimulated without realizing. We go through the motions of life and the routines of our day and forget to connect with our own selves.
On top of the day-to-day, you insert potential for romance and it’s hard to keep track of what’s what.
I’m not here to say you’re not in touch with yourself. But, I do know that even the most grounded of souls will falter from time to time.
Journaling forces you to stay in your mind and focus on its path.
And, what I mean when I say journaling can be sloppy, I mean grab a sheet of paper and scribble whatever comes to your mind.
Dating Is A Rollercoaster Ride
Dating adds nuance to your life. Whatever you perceive as every day routine is thwarted by adding new humans in the mix. And, not any ole human, but the ones for romantic connection. I don’t need to tell you how nerve-wracking that is.
Clients have said to me: I don’t know what I’m doing.
If you feel like this is you, write stuff down and start gaining control. Even the most smooth and perfect relationship developments add change to your life which results in a kaleidoscope of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
When it comes to dating, you have a lot to think about. Who to date, where to go, how often to date, how many people to date, do you like the person, do they like you, are you feeling the right feelings?
So many questions.
You can present yourself with the questions and proceed to answer them. From there, you figure out what is right for you.
Journaling helps you take a step back and helps you see things with objectivity.
Dating is a messy time and emotions are unsteady. Journaling is a way you can re-acclimate and steady yourself. It slows you down and restores perspective.
Think of a time you were particularly high strung or emotional, and you had a chance to let it out because you called someone and talked. Then somehow, the over-stimulating energy you were feeling dissipates.
It’s the same thing with journaling.
Journaling is your on-the-spot bestie. It helps tame your existential crises.
Getting Started
As mentioned, journaling doesn’t have to have formality. Cute bound journals* help, but they’re not necessary. Random sheets of paper do just fine.
I also mentioned talk-to-text. If writing is tough for you, but the rewards of journaling sound good, try speaking into a device. You don’t necessarily have to document your talking, either. I personally have conversations with myself all the time. However, for the purpose of keeping yourself focused, it might be better to create tangible evidence. You’ll know best.
My Favorite Paper
For me, paper quality matters. Cheap paper is dry and scratchy and slows down your pen. Smooth writing is happy writing.
I most often use premium paper* and print lines, but these are some of my favorite notebooks:
This one is also great for open writing and bullet journaling.
My Favorite Pens
I also have to love the pen I’m using. Grabbing a basic Bic* will work, but the process might not be as gratifying.
These are the ones I use most often:
For me, handwriting is one of my favorite ways to create art, and I find it soothing and restorative when my pen glides across the paper.
The Mindful Dating Path: A Journal
I designed this dating journal to help you process thoughts and feelings as they relate to who you are deciding to spend time with. This journal is a mix of guided prompts and plenty of free flow. You may want to view it as a mix of a plain journal and an interactive workbook. The prompts are recurrent based on Date 1, Date 2, Date 3 and more.
**Affiliate links, which means that I receive a small commission when you purchase these items. The cost is the same to you. This is how I keep my posts ad free. I greatly appreciate your support. Lydia 🙂
