Let it Out, Honey: Journaling

Really hope you guys got that Mean Girls reference. Anyway…

It’s pretty obvious that I love to write. That’s why I started this blog, after all, and it’s what I do for a living, too! While I spend most of my day in front of a computer screen, I love getting my hands on a good old-fashioned notebook and going to town. For some reason, I swear the thoughts just come to me more quickly on paper.

So when my new therapist (told you I’d make that a priority in 2019!) asked me if I “journal,” I thought…sort of. I definitely talk about my feelings a lot on this platform, and I’ve been known to write a novel-sized Instagram caption here and there. But I don’t technically journal.

She requested that I spend 5-10 minutes per day jotting down my feelings. At first I didn’t think it would do very much since I’m already pretty open about how I feel. But let me tell you: it’s been a gamechanger!

After my very first week of journaling, I decided to read my entries and see if anything stuck out. Turns out I was able to identify a pattern right away—there were three sources of anxiety that crept into my life consistently. And two of the three really surprised me! 

One thing that’s a pain is that feelings don’t strike when it’s convenient. I’m not always in my apartment with my notebook in hand when I feel like writing something down. And since I’m freakishly organized, I hate disrupting the flow of my notes.

Then I was asked if I wanted to try these new Hamelin notebooks. You may be asking: does a notebook really deserve a full blog post? When it’s an interactive notebook, the answer is absolutely.

That’s right. These guys have an accompanying app (it’s free!) called Scribzee. It’s just as simple as depositing a check into your online bank account…and I know you all do that! The pages feature little markers in the corner. You just line up your phone’s camera with the markers and it automatically scans the notes into the app! You don’t have to worry about the lighting, angle, or clogging up your camera roll with photos of lined paper.

From there, you can change the title of your notes, file them by subject, add images, combine or delete notes, and export them through text, email, or social media. You can share them with your friends, classmates, coworkers…even your therapist.

Do you guys journal? Whether you’re in therapy or not, I completely recommend it. You may be surprised by what you learn about yourself!

Colorfully Yours,

Haley