Tips to Develop a Journaling Practice, One Word at a Time

By Jen McCurdy

My bookshelf is full of journals; some are full, others just have a few pages with random words spattered about. But each book captures a moment in time holding parts of my story; some joys, many struggles.

My introduction to journalling began as I struggled with postpartum anxiety. Both of my births were difficult, and it took a lot of time for me to get grounded. My internal chatter was overwhelming, and writing helped me find a bit of calm in the chaos. When my boys were little, I used to call my journal the ‘Notes in the tent,’ because the only way I found uninterrupted time to write was in their play tent while they were busy growing up and playing hard. Being a mom doesn’t necessarily provide moments of silence for introspection! But as my children grew, my journal gave me space to hold my memories and let go of my fears. My boys are now 11 and 14 and my struggles look very different, yet journalling always brings me back to myself.