Master the art of journal writing as Aakriti Patni brings you some nifty and creative ideas that will make you fall in love with this creative process
The phrase ‘dear diary’ has been heard, but not experienced, by many a young girl and teen today. The fad of keeping a diary was popular up until the early 2000s and you would, almost without fail, be able to spot a pink diary, sometimes even with a lock and key, in every girl’s bedroom. But, while that angsty phase probably lasted for only a few years with most girls, the art of journaling is truly a far superior task, one that can bear lovely results.
Creating a safe space to express your thoughts and vent your frustrations, a journal is a world into which you can retreat, without the fear of being judged. Research has proven that journaling can actually be therapeutic, and it helps to relieve anxiety, nervousness, stress and even depression. A journal will never question you or give you unsolicited advice, but is simply there to listen to it all. Penning down your thoughts immortalizes you on paper, allowing you and your emotions to live forever. While the daily diary type of journal is common, there are many new options, each of which can help in different ways. Here are a few unique journal ideas we think you should try.
MIND PLANNER
Daily planners are quite common and even available in bulk. From a day-to-day diary to weekly journals, keeping track of your work becomes easier and it helps you be more organised. And a mind planner is a nifty way not only to organise your work related tasks, but to organise your cluttered thoughts too. A good idea would be to divide your day into four categories:
- Summary of the day (fill in at the start of the day)
- Important things (fill in at the start of the day)
- Tough stuff (fill in at the end of the day)
- For next time (fill in at the end of the day)
This will help you evaluate your entire day and improve the next. Not only is this a nice technique to organise your work, it is also a helpful method for those who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.
OUR PICK
Plan it all
This Many Plans Plans hardbound journal is the ideal choice as a mind planner. With ruled, plain and square grid pages, it allows you to organise your day and mind easily!
Get it on www.artchetypestudio.linker.store for Rs 850
RECORD YOUR DREAMS
As new fads and trends crop up in different industries, journaling isn’t left behind. A fascinating concept, dreams often reveal our underlying wants and desires — ones that we won’t acknowledge to our conscious selves. If you have vivid dreams, which include a lot of characters, action or elaborate stories, penning them down would do you wonders. It would help you keep track of recurring themes, characters and feelings. Simply pick a journal of your choice and start a daily record of your dreams. You could even draw them out and note the feelings and emotions that they leave you with.
OUR PICK
Dream journal
Cheaper than a shrink, this midnight blue dream journal allows you to record, sketch and reflect on your dreams. It is an easy yet fun way to evaluate your dreams and the emotions that follow. It also helps that the design of the book is quirky and pretty!
Get it on www.knockknockstuff.com for Rs 883 (shipping charges extra)
THE BIBLIOPHILE’S JOURNALA dr
eam come true for any bibliophile, apart from a cupboard full of new books, is to be able to record their triumphs relating to reading. And what better than a pretty journal to do that? If you’re a fan of new stationery, like we are, and you love reading books, this is just perfect for you! Choose your favourite journal and start recording. From the books you have read to the one you are currently reading, from the ones on your to-read list to a list of classics and foreign language books you want to try, list it all out.
Better yet, pen down your views and reviews of the books you have read and start a vocabulary section in your journal. Write down words you hadn’t heard of before and their meanings, phrases that intrigue you and the descriptions you love. If you’re an aspiring writer, this activity will help your writing skills and allow you to expand your vocabulary while letting your creative juices flow.
OUR PICK
Fall in love
Truly be enamoured with reading and writing with this gorgeous pink and gold journal. Each page has inspirational quotes, allowing your creativity to flow freely and making it a joy for you to record your reading every day. And, it comes in a beautiful box with a gold embossed ballpoint pen.
Get it on www.kikki-k.com for Rs 1,923 (shipping charges extra)
WHEEL OF LIFE
A tool often used by life coaches, the Wheel of Life helps you examine all aspects of your life, especially those that are often neglected. Every once in a while, there will be a project that consumes all our energy and throws our life out of balance. This is where the Wheel of Life plays a significant role. As the name suggests, it is a wheel that divides your life into categories. While making your wheel, you can choose which categories to include and how many of them you want, such as personal health, romantic relationships and financial status. Rank each area from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level of satisfaction. This will help you understand which areas in your life are imbalanced and where you are lacking satisfaction. Review your life using the Wheel of Life every month and use it as a tool to track your progress at work as well. Just make sure you choose the appropriate categories to divide your wheel, before you can assess your life.
OUR PICK
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The anchor journal
This candy-striped hardcover journal is the perfect life companion. Anchor yourself as you fill the pages with your wheels of life and reflect on your actions with the pages in this journal.
Get it on www.thepapierproject.com for Rs 1,200