CONQUERing Collaboration: How to Start Journaling for Beginners

A huge part of feeling empowered is feeling like you have control over your life. Being in the driver's seat and knowing that you make the decisions. There is a lot that can happen in life that can make you feel like you're a passive member of your own life. 

Demanding jobs, health setbacks, competing responsibilities, and more can get in the way from a person feeling empowered. Keeping all of that bottled up with no outlet can lead to burnout, meltdowns, and total discouragement. 

One easy and effective way to feel more grounded is by starting a journaling practice. Journaling gives you a place to process your thoughts, work through complex emotions, and understand who you are. 

In this guide for beginners, we will explore: 

• Why is journaling important? 
• How to start journaling for beginners
• 5-minute journaling prompts to start your practice 
• Journaling prompts recommended by the CONQUERing Community

Why is Journaling Important?

There are many different benefits that come from journaling. When you were a teenager, you might've kept a diary that helped you work through all of the confusing thoughts that come with being a teen. You can reap the same benefits you did as a teen in your adult life. 

The benefits of establishing a journaling practice as an adult are very similar to those of writing in a diary as a teenager. Here are five reasons that explain why journaling is important: 

• Expression of overwhelming emotions. Journals can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress, and cope with depression. It can help you make sense of any overwhelming emotion your experience. 
• Uncover sources of conflict and stress. Writing down the conflicts in your life and looking internally to uncover true sources of stress can offer some relief and help you address problems head-on. 
• Achieving goals and tracking progress. Journaling is a great way to track your progress towards your goals. You can return to early prompts to see how far you've come in the pursuit of your goals. 
• Improves writing and communication skills. Long-form writing is a great exercise for your brain in general. It can help you verbally articulate your thoughts and feelings to others. 
• Sparks inspiration. When you're in a creative slump, you can use journaling to spark inspiration. Having a place to dump everything in your brain can clear things up and help you think creatively. 

There are many other benefits to keeping a journal. If you're an over thinker, a busy bee, or simply need somewhere to keep tract of your thoughts, a journal can be a positive addition to your life. 

How to Start Journaling for Beginners

The beauty of starting a journal is that there's no right way to do it. Journaling is meant to be a personalized practice—what works for someone might not work for someone else. 

If you're looking to start your own journal, these simple steps can help you build a sustainable practice: 

• Determine what type of journal you want to keep. There are many different ways to journal. You could keep a gratitude journal to log what you're grateful for. You could focus your journal on reflection for self-improvement. You could even choose to just write a stream of consciousness for five-minutes everyday. Figure out what you want your journal to be to offer some structure to your practice. 
• Slot journaling into your routine. If you don't actually dedicate the time to journaling, you'll probably lose interest pretty quickly. Figure out a time in your routine that allows you to journal. Be realistic about the amount of time you'll spend journaling as well. For me, I like to journal for around 5 minutes every morning before I eat breakfast. 
• Choose your medium. You don't have to buy a new notebook and handwrite your journal. You could keep a journal in the Notes app on your phone. Figure out how you want to keep your journal in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. 
• Be flexible. Don't force it to the point where journaling feels like a chore. If you don't do it every single day at the same exact time, that's okay. Take breaks when you feel like you need to. Journaling should be something that helps you, not something you dread doing. 
• Use journal prompts. You don't have to come up with pages upon pages of writing all on your own. Use existing prompts to generate ideas and help you get started. 

Use these tips to tailor your practice to fit your needs. How you journal is probably going to be different from how I journal. As long as you feel like it's working for you, then your'e doing it right. 

What are 5-Minute Journaling Prompts? 

We wanted to focus on the last tip we shared above for starting your practice. Using prompts is a great way to get started and generate ideas. 

These 5-minute journaling prompts are perfect for beginners that need some help to start writing: 

1. I am grateful for...
2. What would make today great?
3. What is causing me stress?
4. What is something good that happened yesterday? 
5. What lesson did you learn today? 

We also asked the CONQUERing Community to share prompts and affirmations they use in their own journaling practices. These prompts came from CONQUERing members Jenny D. and Rachel C.: 

• I am allowed to take up space
• My feelings are valid, even when I don't understand them
• I choose progress, not perfection
• i'm doing the best I can with what I have
• What are the small things I can celebrate today? 

For affirmations, you can either write the affirmation down over and over again or build off of them by exploring how they can apply to your life. 

Establish Your Own Journaling Practice

Now it's up to you! Journaling can be a step you take towards feeling empowered. It's time to sort through all of the thoughts that are weighing you down and start taking control over your life. 

If you're looking for more affirmations and prompts, check out our classic fidget jewelry collection for inspirational messages that you can wear throughout the day!