Journaling: T = Types of Journaling

I have already mentioned several different types of journaling so far:

• Gratitude Journaling
• Morning Pages
• Five Year Diary
• Spiritual Compass
• Travel Journaling 
• Stepping Stones
• Milestone Memoir
• Expressive Journaling
• Letters (to self - to others - from others)

But there are several other ways to journal, which I will briefly outline here.

• Coat Hanger - I discovered this idea from reading, A Year of Writing Dangerously. Similar to the Five Year diary concept, write a single sentence that summarizes your day. This serves as the "coat hanger" from which other memories will hang.
• AM / PM - Write twice each day. In the morning, write the blessings from yesterday. In the evening, write the purpose for today. This method helps us realize that we always have something to be grateful for... and as long as we have breath, we have purpose.
• Best / Worst - For the pessimists realists in the world... this is to help counter our natural negativity. On the left-hand side of the page, write one "bad" thing that happened during the day (not a list!) Once you've finished venting journaling, then on the right-hand side, write one good thing that happened.
• Prayer - rather than silently voicing your prayers, write them down. Occasionally re-read and identify those prayers that have been answered.
• Scripture - don't just list the scripture verse(s), but also elaborate: what do they mean to you - what spiritual truths have you discovered. Personalize the scriptures and insert your name for the listed pronoun.
• Pick-a-Theme - While many of us select a word of the year to help with personal and spiritual growth, this activity could easily be culled down to a word of the week. Ben Franklin focused  13 virtues over the course of a year. This helps us to focus on what really matters - what we desire to cultivate in life.

Of course, there are still a few more techniques I will outline in the days to come:

• The Wellness Wheel
• Nature Journaling 
• Core Values and Beliefs
• Dreams (both nighttime and personal desires)
• Reflective Journaling

Please understand that I am not advocating using all these different techniques all the time. You will drive yourself batty!

Rather, if you find yourself stuck for what to write, experiment with one or two of these methods and see if they don't help with writer's block.

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While I have mentioned several journaling styles here, I know this list is not exhaustive. I'd love to hear what techniques you find helpful in your journaling practice.

Up next in this Journaling series: U is for Underlying Themes