5 Easy Ways to Use a Journal to Simplify Your Life

There are a few truths that I consistently live in, and that’s the belief that one can never have too many journals, nor too many ink pens. As a teacher, word enthusiast, and blogger, journals and pens elevate my heart to a whole new destination of happiness. I can only hope as you read this that your heart will feel the same. As a lover and collector of all things journals, I have devoted lots of time to “perfecting” my journaling craft.

Using a Journal to Simplify Your Life

Therefore, I am even more excited to be sharing with you 5 easy ways to use a journal to simplify your life. These five tips are meant to encourage your heart and mind as you dive deeper into your soul and learn more about what makes you, YOU! And with my Southworth Paper Blue Terrazzo Flex Journals, I think you are going to absolutely love these 5 simple ways to use a journal to simplify your life.

Therefore, I am even more excited to be sharing with you 5 easy ways to use a journal to simplify your life. These five tips are meant to encourage your heart and mind as you dive deeper into your soul and learn more about what makes you, YOU! And with my Southworth Paper Blue Terrazzo Flex Journals, I think you are going to absolutely love these 5 simple ways to use a journal to simplify your life.

Fitting all these expectations and then some, I recently discovered my beloved new journal company with Southworth Paper. Easily shopable on Amazon, these journals are the perfect combination of cute, light-weight, and easily transportable, perfect addition to any of the many bags that may accompany you on your everyday journey. With gorgeous designs and even better quality, all ready to arrive straight to your door, thanks to Amazon’s quick and efficient delivery. I highly recommend Southworth Paper’s three-pack of Blue Terrazzo flex journals. Definitely a must-have for all things simplifying your life.

5 Easy Ways to Use a Journal to Simplify Your Life

Now that you have your journals ready, accompanied with your favorite pens and insert favorite beverage, it is time to go. Get ready loves, as I am going to share with you, additional ways to take your journaling to the next level. Helpful strategies to help take your heart and mind to that next level, releasing the extra stress along the way. Get ready friends, here are 5 easy ways to use a journal to simplify your life.

#1 USE YOUR JOURNAL FOR UNLIMITED BRAINSTORMING TO UNLEASH YOUR PASSIONS

You may remember this from your years in school, but did you ever have those creative brainstorming sessions in writing class where the only instructions were to just “Write!” Goodness, I loved the challenge of forcing pen to paper to pour out everything from your mind to see it sorted out along the margins with written words. Personally, this tool is something we can use so purposefully beyond our years in school and help allow us to cultivate the ideas and values we already care so much about and unleash them into our passions.

Try this exercise: Take out your journal and favorite pen and respond to either of the following prompts: “What makes ME happy?” “I am thankful for?” or “Things I should let go of?” Take any of those prompts, set a timer for five minutes, put your phone aside, and start writing. The key here is to continue to write, and not stop. Allow your heart to pour into the pen and abide in the power of a good brainstorming session. Furthermore, this can be done in so many other various ways, all leading to a powerful unleash of your passion. So if you are feeling unmotivated in your creative passion or stuck in a rut, try this brainstorming session as I am sure it will not disappoint.

#2 ALLOW YOUR JOURNAL TO HELP YOU PIVOT THE STRESS INTO REST

The second way to utilize a journal to help simplify your life, is one that I think we don’t take serious enough. There is so much power that comes through written work. More specifically, there is incredible power and strength that happens when internal thoughts become permanent on a surface. When things are written down, it is as if we are giving our brain and mind, spirit, and soul the permission to let it go. It’s as if the paper is saying “I got this, I will take it from here.” Therefore, I strongly encourage you to use your journal as a way to take a load off. To remove the stress. To get rid of the unhealthy spiritual and mindful weight that pollutes our everyday thoughts and corrodes our well-being. The next time you are feeling anxious or start to feel the stress build up in your shoulders, take a moment, and even deeper breath, and jot down all the thoughts and feels and allow your journal to take care of the rest.

#3 BULLET JOURNAL, ANYONE?

Any bullet journal fans here? A co-worker and I at work went through a major bullet journal phase a few years ago, and to be honest, it gave me life! I absolutely loved it. If you haven’t heard of bullet journaling before, definitely GOOGLE it. Or search “bullet journals” on Pinterest and get ready to create your own new journaling Pinterest board. (Which is a great idea by the way!) Speaking of Pinterest – I am always sharing my favorite inspiration here on my Pinterest feed. Anyways, back to the bullet journals. Bullet journals allow one to take a journal and create everything they could ever need and more from it. You can create designs, spaces for different sections; such as: to-do list, I am thankful for, to get done ASAP, take care of ME here, etc. Bullet journaling allows you to take a journal and treat it like a planner, without the expectation that you have to complete it every single day!

#4 LET YOUR JOURNAL BE YOUR OUTLET FOR PROCESS, PROCESS & MORE PROCESS

Why not allow your journal to be a place where you truly reflect and process your day? Set aside a few minutes nightly, to spend time alone with pen and paper and jot down a few thoughts on the day. Did anything significant happen? How is your heart? Is anything worrying you or concerning you? As humans, we think so much internally, that we often forget the process of each given moment, hour, and day. Yet how cool and powerful would it be to be able to have more of the nitty gritty reflected on paper, to truly allow us to appreciate and look back on weeks, months, and years later. By doing this, by allowing our journal to be a place of process, we are allowing ourselves a greater opportunity to truly see how far we have come, and how much we have grown. That incredible process as a whole is one worth paying attention to.

#5 INTENTIONAL GOAL SETTING & PURPOSEFUL DREAMING

I have shared a specific post on intentional goal setting & purposeful dreaming that you can check out HERE! The fifth and final way, I would strongly encourage you to use your journal to simplify your life is to create moments and carve out tangible space to intentionally goal set and purposefully dream. Do this every few months, or even weeks if you want to work on a shorter scale and allow yourself to check in with YOU, to intentionally set goals and dream BIG, purposefully! Start with a weekly goal, then maybe a small daily goal that you know you can easily attain. Not only should you use your journal to set goals, but also to REFLECT on them and to see how well they are working, and if you need to adjust. The most important thing with goal setting and purposeful dreaming, is to build in room for grace, and allow the moments of setback to be true moments of strength and growth. And if you can do that, then you are definitely on the right track to simplifying your life.

Well loves, that is it. 5 easy and simple ways to use a journal to simplify your life. I hope you found something that you can take with you, whether it was just one, two, or all five tools. My hope is for you to feel encouraged to spend more time (even if it’s just a few extra minutes) a day with your honest emotions and feelings, allowing your heart to truly cultivate great things. And yes, all of this and even more can come just from the act of journaling.

Xo. Haley