I try to journal as often as I feel I need to. There are times when I journal almost every night, right before bed, and there are times when I barely journal at all.
I am sure journaling is still very much alive. Even just by going to online communities and reading about peoples journaling experience and how it has helped them, you can clearly see that people still journal.
Whether people use actual journals or notebooks vs computers and phones is another matter. I personally do not like journaling on my phone or on my computer, I prefer the old pen and paper.
I personally have some trouble trusting apps with such personal information about myself. It's one thing to put in your email and phone number, or even credit card, but it's entirely different to put in all of your most private thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
You never know what the apps company does with this information. I can understand the positives and benefits of journaling with an app, especially if they can sort of analyze the journal entries and show you information such as things that trigger you or things that cause you stress, or other insightful things, but even with this, I still could not feel comfortable with it.
Journaling for me is probably the most private thing I can do, it's the most private time of my life that I do not share with anyone, nor do I want to. So having all of the things I write, on my phone, in an app, on the internet, is just not something I would even consider. Even if it's not on the internet, the fact that it is on a phone, or digital device that is hackable, is just not something I would be comfortable with.
Journaling prompts are ideas that help you better focus your attention on what to write, while also giving you some guideline and inspiration. Common prompts for journaling are usually in the form of questions, such as:
What am I feeling today?
How do I want to feel instead?
Other prompts that are not in the form of questions could be:
List three things you appreciate about yourself.
Reflect on a moment of abundance in your life.
There are hundreds of prompts, you can also make up your own. There isn't any rule or specific prompts that should be used, they are just meant to help guide you and give you better focus on what to write.
I can say that journaling has really helped me in my life. Not just journaling though, but generally writing things down instead of just thinking about them.
When I am faced with a puzzle, problem, or anything I am having difficulty understanding or solving, I write it down. I start writing things down and exploring what I understand out of the situation, what may have caused it, the consequences, solutions, and anything else I can think of.
This is the same way I journal actually. I write my thoughts down, and continue exploring them, asking myself more and more questions.
I use this for my personal life when I am facing difficult situations, and also for my professional life when I need to solve a difficult work related issue.
So for me, journaling is 100% worth it. It really has helped me make sense out of things in my life, and to improve things that I was stuck with for a long time.
I do find it difficult to keep up with this habit at times, I have an issue of devoting time to the things I know will help me, but, I am certain that if I would actually make a habit out of journaling, and do it more often, my life would be somewhat less difficult.
Sitting on a block, pillow, or anything slightly elevated makes it easier to balance while sitting cross legged with a straight back, and makes it a little bit more comfortable.
I usually sit on a yoga block, which I find for me is the perfect amount of elevation. It allows me to sit comfortably with a straight back and with much less effort. This allows me to actually sit and meditate for longer.
I would actually love to live without it. At least for certain periods of time.
It's actually less about the internet, and more about technology, and what it has done to society.
At the dinner table - everyone is on their phone.
After dinner - everyone is watching TV or on their phone.
Long drives where you, the driver, would like someone to talk to - others in the car are on their phone.
You try to talk to someone while they are on their phone - good luck! They won't even hear you speaking!
This is something that really makes me want to take more than a few steps back and away from people, and society. Seeing how everyone is so addicted to their phones and social media is just awful for me.
I also have times where I am on my phone, maybe I'll play a game, talk to friends, read articles, but it doesn't consume me. I am not addicted to it. I don't spend hours on it. If someone talks to me, I put it down.
When I am with a partner, and they are on their phone and I mention something about it, only then do they put it down and then say "ok, what do we talk about?".
Verbal communication has been demolished by phones. Couples have difficult time having proper conversations with each other over lunch, or at any time.
I can go on about this, but the answer to the question is yes, gladly.
