Some reasons why you may feel that journaling isn't working for you are: you are expecting the wrong things from the practice, you are not asking yourself the right questions, you are forcing yourself to write more than you actually need to, you are not personalizing it.
There are of course more reasons why journaling may not be working well for you, be those are some very common reasons.
Expectations:
If you expect things that are not realistic, such as journaling being a cure for what ever you are dealing with, then you may end up very disappointed when the practice does not provide those results. Understand that journaling is not a magic trick, it will not suddenly change your life. It is a practice that takes time to get better at, to build up the patience and acceptance of the practice. It takes time to build up the benefits it can provide. Give it the time it needs.
Asking the right questions:
Are you asking yourself the right questions? Searching online, you can find hundreds of journal prompts to give you examples and inspiration for questions to ask yourself while journaling. Don't stick to the same ones if they aren't working. Try out different prompts, explore them and see which work best for you. There are no rules when it comes to which questions to ask yourself, just as long as you feel they are benefiting you and not making things worse. Try asking questions based on the reason you are journaling in the first place, ask yourself how you are feeling, why you are feeling that way, and continue from there.
Forcing yourself to journal:
If you don't want to journal, don't. If you don't have anything to write, don't. If you only have enough for half a page, or a few sentences, then write just half a page or a few sentences. The point is to not force yourself to write when you don't have anything to write. The point of journaling is not to write as much as you can, but, to write what you need.
Personalize journaling:
Journaling is a very personal practice. You decide how to do it and what's best for you. Find your own way to do it. Find a spot that makes you more comfortable, that makes your thoughts flow better. Use a notebook and a pen that you like that you will want to write in. Ask the questions that get your mind flowing. Write in your own style, without fear of judgment from others. Your journaling practice is your own, and no one else's. Make it your own, however you like to do it.
With all of the benefits that journaling can have, there can also be negative impacts if given too much priority in one's life. Like everything, journaling must be done in moderation, and should be used responsibly.
If you spend your time journaling by just going through the bad and the negatives in life, while blaming yourself and others in the process, you could just be reinforcing that negativity. This is especially true if these things are your main focus while journaling.
Remember, journaling is a tool to help you understand yourself better, and the world around you. If you focus only on the negatives in this world, it will be very difficult to find any positives. The more you linger on the negative parts of life, the harder it will be to let go of them and to focus on more positive aspects of life.
I always like to start by asking myself, "Why am I journaling?". If I chose to start journaling and to start writing, there must be a reason for it. If I can understand that reason, even if i just partially understand it, I can use that as a guide to asking myself further questions.
There are many questions you can ask yourself, some people like to stick to the same questions, some like to ask different questions each time, and some like to mix it up. There aren't really rules or "right" ways of journaling, it just depends on why you are journaling and what you hope to get out of it.
Based on the reason you are journaling, you may want to try different journaling types, such as mindfulness journaling, gratitude journaling, or reflection journaling. There are many different types, and each may have different prompts that can help get you started and get your thoughts flowing.
If you are doing morning journaling, or are considering starting to do it, here is an article about how to start a morning journaling habit, which includes 100 prompts.
The type of journaling that is most beneficial to you really depends on you and what you are trying to get out of journaling, and the reason you are journaling.
One popular type of journaling that can have many benefits is gratitude journaling, it's also one of the simplest to do. At the very least, all you need to do is to write down a few things that you are grateful for. This alone can help you better put things into perspective, especially if thinking about things you are grateful for is a difficult task, this can really help improve that.
This, of course, can be built upon. You can start by writing down just a few things that you are grateful for, and then you can also write down the reasons why you are grateful for them. As you progress, you may notice that you are able to find more things that you are grateful for, and that finding these things gets easier and easier. This can have a positive impact on your life, causing you to have a more positive attitude and a better understanding towards life, people, and yourself.
There are a few things that are best to avoid when journaling. It's not that they are necessarily wrong per se, but, they could impact your journaling practice and the effectiveness of it.
One important thing to avoid is to not judge yourself and what you are writing. Journaling is a safe space for you to write down what ever you feel you need to write down. This could be your thoughts, emotions, feelings, things that have happened that day, things you want to have happened, or anything else. It's a place for you to vent, to clarify and understand yourself, and to go on a journey of self discovery.
Another important thing is to keep it simple. Don't try to have perfect grammar, it's not the point of journaling. Don't try to copy someone else's style or write in certain styles other than your own, just be yourself. And don't try to fill out a whole page or multiple ones every time you journal, just write as much as you feel you need to, even if it's just one sentence.
Here is a longer article I wrote on this site's blog that covers more things to avoid and things that can help your journaling practice: The Essential Guide To Journaling: Dos, Don'ts, And Tips For Success
ADHD can make it difficult for people to navigate through their thoughts and emotions. Journaling can help slow things down for them and allow them to focus better on these things.
Journaling causes your mind to slow down, which can allow you to catch up with it and actually understand what you are going through, what you are feeling, and what is on your mind. It also allows you to better focus on a single item, whether you are writing about an event that happened, a feeling or emotion, or a thought you are trying to explore.
It is important, though, to understand that journaling may take time to get better at. For some it may come more naturally, for others, especially those who are not used to writing things down, it could be a little bit more difficult to start the practice. The key is to keep at it and to not get frustrated or impatient if it doesn't work out right away.
Journaling is not a spiritual practice in itself, but it is used by people who are on a spiritual journey. Journaling is used by many all over the world, regardless of their spirituality, religion, age, or gender.
I have met many spiritual people who use journaling as a tool for clarity and for understanding themselves along their path.
The path people are on is not always straight forward or easy. People lose sight of their path and lose clarity about where their path is leading to. They discover many difficulties and struggles along the way.
They use journaling as a tool to correct themselves when needed, to understand if their ways were true to who they are or not. They use journaling to understand themselves and who they are better, and to keep learning about themselves as they go down their path and evolve.
What do you feel you need to write down? For me, I always feel that it's not necessarily about what I should write down as much as it is what I should not write down, or not focus on.
There are basic things I like to keep in mind about journaling, such as, it's not a diary. It is not something that I must do every day. It is also not a place for me to write down everything that has happened that day.
Journaling for me is the place I go to understand myself better. To make the things that are foggy and unclear in my mind, clear. For the most part, it works.
Of course, it's not a magical solution to my problems or what ever I am facing or feeling. But it is one of the best outlets. It's a place where I can just write down what ever I am feeling, with no judgment, and no worries about how it may sound.
Another important thing to not focus on is your spelling, grammar, and how what you are writing down sounds. Those things are not important. What is important is what you are writing, not how.
As for what to actually write, it depends on what you are feeling, and what brings out the most from you. For me, I like to ask myself the question, "Where am I now?". This question makes me take a step back and realize if I am stuck in the same place, or if I moved forward or backwards. From there, I ask more follow-up questions to further explore my mind, such as "Why are you still here?", "Why did you go backwards?".
These questions can get my mind, thoughts, and emotions flowing. But that is just me, everyone my have different prompts that work better for them, so it's just important to explore the different prompts, or make up ones yourself, and find what works best for you.
If it is of any interest, here is an article on this site's blog that I wrote about morning journaling. It has a list of 100 prompts to use and to get inspired from for your journaling practice: 100 Morning Journaling Prompts: The Morning Habit That Can Set You Up For A Better Day
