Three Daily Writing Practices for Clarity & Healing

Writing is a powerful healing modality. The practice of journaling offers priceless moments of reflection, connecting us to our deepest thoughts and desires. Pen to paper is a place for us to discover and provides us with clarity and hope for the future.

But do you ever find yourself rambling away in your journal and completely unclear on how this could ever be powerful? I feel you!  Sometimes letting it all out is the name of the game. And while there are plenty of benefits to free-flow writing (such as Morning Pages) sometimes structure can make all the difference. We can actually intentionally use writing prompts to work on the areas in our life that we might feel stuck in or places in our heart we want to open up.

Here are some of my favorite writing practices:

1. The Gratitude Practice:

Simple, pure and powerful. It is scientifically proven that practicing gratitude daily is good for your health. My thing is you can’t actually be in a bad mood when you are thinking of all the things you are grateful for. Take it from me, a moody Cancer girl, who definitely goes in and out of my crab shell. There’s so much benefit, especially if you're stuck in a negative thought pattern. Write out 5 things you're grateful for and WHY daily. It can be as simple as the breakfast you had or having clean water. I recommend this first thing in the morning but it can really be any time.

Here's your writing prompt:

I am grateful for……….. because………….

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2. Honoring Your Accomplishments:

With our ever growing to-do lists it can be easy to ask ourselves, are we even moving forward? At the end of the day, write down your accomplishments. It could be in list form or you could reflect on what your priorities are and how you feel about those accomplishments. This kind of journaling is especially fun for my type A crew! This is actually a self-love practice and totally reduces overwhelm if you stay consistent.

Here are your writing prompts:

Today I accomplished:…….

I am proud of myself for…….

My top 3 goals I want to accomplish tomorrow are….

3. The Desire Practice.

Think about it. What do you desire? For me it’s fun to think about this on a daily basis. I suggest using the word “desire” rather than “I want.” The reason being is that I heard once that the Latin origins to the word desire Latin desiderare originally meant "await what the stars will bring,” the phrase de sidere "from the stars.” The words we use matter and the word ‘desire’ can evoke a direct connection to the universe. The word “want” evokes a sense of lack…you want something you don’t have. I’m so over the lack mentality. It’s time to elevate to the abundance mindset and empowering yourself by writing out your desires can be one small step in the right direction. These things can be goals for the day or long term dreams. Just do it.

Here's your writing prompt:

I desire….

Have fun with this. Choose whatever resonates with you and leave the rest.