With Self-Love September we have challenged YOU to set aside 5 minutes of your day for the next 15 days to journal.

I personally love journaling, it is my favourite form of expression and allows me to be my truest, most raw self.  I journal when I feel inspired, when I’m feeling lost, and I want you to get the most out of this challenge. To help you, I have compiled a list of tips for journaling. Use them during Self Love September OR whenever you feel like it! 🙂

Self-Love September

Write as if no one was reading, not even YOU – We sometimes journal with the mindset that someone is going to read it. We then try to make our words sound pretty.  There is a time and place for that, but in your journal – I encourage you to write in your rawest expression. Write as if even you would not be reading it in the future.  This will help get the real emotions out and feel a true sense of self-expression 

Keep a consistent practice – Whether it be a daily journal entry every morning, or once a week – a consistent practice, like with exercise, will become easier with time. It will get more effective the more you do it and you will feel less resistance towards doing it (cue 15 day journal entry challenge!)

Be completely present – The time you put aside journaling should be time for YOU. Time for you to be with yourself.  Time to express how you’re feeling and maybe even to get to know yourself a little better. Try to minimize any distractions that are around you – and write your heart out

Ask yourself a good question –  A part of journaling is definitely writing about how you feel.  Sometimes, a good question can spark your intuition and well, do all of the above and see what happens from there  

If you begin journaling with negative emotions, expressing these on paper (or electronically) can feel like a sigh of relief.  You can journal when you’re feeling inspired, to help you come to conclusions or to figure out a plan. Sometimes there’s no measurable benefits at all! After you journal check in, but how do you feel afterwards is the most important part! 

I hope the rest of your September is full of self-expression, self-appreciation, and self-love ♥

Happy writing!

Carolyn