The Journal Ritual You Didn't Know You Needed - Gratitude Journal
Self-Care is doing the inner work to discover what makes you uncomfortable because the more you know about yourself, the deeper you can heal & the more you can grow.
Everyone who knows me well, knows that I am obsessed with journaling. Literally, I can remember the very first diary I ever got as a little girl. It was red and it had a pretty deep gold lock on it. It was so precious and I was absolutely so fascinated by it.
A private little book where I could pour all of my thoughts and secrets I didn’t want to share. It felt so satisfying to hold secrets with my little red companion. I also was very specific about the pens I wrote with. For a while, I even was obsessed with mechanical pencils, I loved the way you had to click the top three times to get just the right amount of led for my hand to glide across the pages.
It was bliss to me.
Even today, you can never find me without some kind of notebook in hand. There are so many benefits to journaling, you can read them here. I am always jotting down ideas, thoughts, plans, realizations, etc. When I learned the importance of de-cluttering the mind with journaling, the impact on your mind it is when you write something down and how morning pages can change your life…I became unstoppable.
In 2018 I wrote my first guided journal which was so personal to me at the time.
So then in 2021, I went through some major life changes and I was craving an up-level in my life. I actually started a new journaling ritual that stepped up my journaling in an entirely new way.
I included gratitude journaling every single day.
After a few weeks, I noticed a difference in how I felt after I journaled. I felt more powerful, more ‘together’ and more in control of my thoughts and mindset.
I’m a double Capricorn, so I appreciate structure and guidance along a path. I love guided meditations, guided workouts, guided recipes and guided journals. It feels good to me to have direction and freedom to do it my way and at my pace. So, naturally, I had to create a beautiful journal for you (and for me) with my exact journaling ritual process so you could do it, too.
Here’s my journal ritual breakdown:
I always light a candle to set the mood. The mood is everything and the lighting from the candle just sets an ambiance that has you feeling calm. cozy and supported. You want a safe space to express your emotions. This is my absolute favorite candle ever.
I always need a cup of tea next to me when I am spending time with my journal. I love a lemon ginger tea the most, something about that combo always feels good to me. Because a warm cup feels so warming and comfortable. It just puts me at ease and preps me to open up my heart in the deepest way. It really gets you into your senses.
When journaling, sometimes I need to start the flow by writing out what I am grateful for. It helps for me to slow down my mind and get into the zone of appreciation and happiness. It warms my heart up a little so that I can fully get into letting out my soul onto the paper.
Then I take a moment to read the guided journal prompt. I close my eyes, take a deep breath and allow my soul to answer the question. Typically when we go to journal, our mind is ready to go, expressing all the fears, worries and what needs to be fixed. But try to move past/through that and see if you can bare your soul and share from the heart. Write as much as you can, the more the better. Even if you feel afraid to put certain things out on paper, it is a very cathartic and cleansing process. You’ll forge a deeper bond and connection with yourself when you do.
With each journal prompt, I add in an affirmation for you to recite to yourself throughout the day. Affirmations are thoughts geared toward increasing your self-love and confidence. They just feel so good when you let them really become your truth. I try not to just say it once and forget it. I repeat the affirmation in my mind all day long because the only way to reprogram your mind is through repetition and consistency.
In my new guided journal, The Daily Bliss, I created 111 journal prompts and affirmations as a daily personal reflection to inspire self-love, nourish your soul and realize your worth. I also have space for you to everyday write down a few things that you are grateful for. It’s a beautiful ritual to embark on every single day to help you connect to your inner self.
Your new journal can accompany you everywhere so you can always practice a little self-love and self-care on the go. When you feel an anxiety attack hit, a negative thought spiral, get in a tiff with a co-worker or feel frustrated by the world around you. Your journal will be your ability to connect back to your own bliss within. That feeling when you pour into your own cup instead of giving so much of yourself, you feel depleted.
I’d love to know, do you like to journal?
