Journaling Trends to Soothe the Mind and Feed the Soul

This content was developed in partnership with Conscious City Guide.

Quiet daily rituals like grounding your feet on the floor upon waking and taking three deep breaths or making your morning cup of coffee in silence to create space to connect with your innermost self, and journaling is one of the most powerful rituals of them all. It offers a chance to reflect and—depending on the facet of journaling you choose—deepen your understanding of yourself, others and the world. If you’re looking for a new way to start or end your day, one of these journaling practices may be a restorative fit.  

To enhance your connection to the present moment… try mindfulness journaling

Practicing mindfulness in daily life can be as simple as consciously listening for the sound of wind rustling the leaves on your morning walk. Yet, if you want to bring even greater awareness to your surroundings and your place within them, start a mindfulness journal. Use it to pour your thoughts as they float into your head—from the mundane (“I’m cold”) to the deep (“My existential dread has come creeping back”).  

To practice gratitude, manifest your dreams or embrace positivity… try themed journaling

Your journal can be a space to reflect on your day or reveal your deepest insecurities, but it can also be a platform for working toward a specific goal. That’s where a themed journal comes in. If you want to experience more gratitude, keep a gratitude journal and list five things you’re grateful for each morning. If you’re hoping to achieve a goal, use your pages to create a plan and visualize success. If you want to learn to view life as an optimist, reflect on your hardships and challenges and how they’ve helped you, taught you or changed you.

To indulge your creative side… try sketch journaling

You don’t need to be an artist to bring artistic flare to journaling. Simply break out the coloured pencils and start drawing. You can sketch your surroundings, memories or ideas for the future and incorporate words, paint or even cut-up photographs or text. Embrace your skill level, whatever it may be, because these pages are just for you. 

To promote community and collaboration… try shared journaling

We typically think of journals as private spaces, but they don’t have to be. Instead, they can be a place where two or more people can come together with a mutual goal. Whether you want to learn more about each other, work through a problem, revisit a memory or process a trauma, set a prompt (say, “Tell me about the moment that most influenced the person you’ve become”) and take turns writing. 

Photo courtesy of Joanna Kosinska.