Ending Your Day With Journaling
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Most daily devotional books and journaling teachers say that “morning” is the by far the best time to write in your spiritual journal. They maintain that by spending your just-awakening time with God, planning your day and writing down your observations from the previous day, you can focus better. Yes, you have to get up earlier for solitude in most households, and I would have to skip my reading of the early morning newspaper but you can have your morning coffee while you reflect and journal. My choice, though, is to journal in the evening as the day is ending.
I consider spending the ending of the day journaling to and about God as a special time:
- It is unhurried and relaxing; the morning seems more of a “hurry up and get this done” kind of situation for me.
- In the evening, I don’t have any thoughts jumping into my mind about forthcoming appointments, meetings, schedules, etc.
- It’s easier to remember and reflect on the day’s events and then plan tomorrow’s; by the next morning things have been forgotten if not jotted down during the day. (See my “2 Sentence Journaling” post for another possibility).
- A quiet time and place is easy to find since the household is getting ready for or are already in bed.
Now I realize that some people are night owls and some people are morning roosters so a lot depends upon when you are the most creative and productive. Interestingly, creativity guru Julia Cameron maintains that after free writing three pages in your journal, you really start generating ideas just like one of those stand-up popcorn makers has popcorn exploding out of the cooker all around the glass cage. So maybe the quantity of your journaling entry is as important as the time of day that you write in your journal.
If you have not found your regular time/place yet, it may take some experimentation to find the best one for you but this task should be one on your most important resolutions for the New Year. (I have settled on sitting in bed in the evening right before sleep time.) And add a contract to your resolutions:
I am inspired to journal during 2010 and contract with myself to write at least once per day, at _________ while sitting at ______________. Signed ______________________
When do you journal? Let me know and I’ll publish the survey results.
I do my journaling in the morning, after I have spent time in the Word. It is then that the Lord gives me fresh insights, and sometimes amazing “rhema’s” of His ways.
Here is one that I saw for the first time. When Paul finally persuaded the sailors to eat after the fast (recorded in Acts 27), he blessed the food and broke it. It hit me that this is particularly significant, since that is what Jesus did the night He was betrayed. The night He was betrayed, He took bread, and said, “This is my body which is broken for you.”
It hit me that Paul felt betrayed by others in charge of getting him to Rome.
Paul, sorry for the delay in responding. I have been dealing with a bad hip and finally had a transplant. Lots of time for journaling.
Morning, noon, or night; journaling is certainly the activity to follow.
God Bless.
I journal one of the last things before going to sleep. The house is quiet and I can reflect on the days activites and what is upcoming for the dy ahead.
Patty, thanks for the comment. I do too; but now I find that sometimes during the day, when waiting, I need to jot down a 2 Sentence Journal like I posted about earlier. Have a Blessed day.
In recent times, journaling in the evening has become the practice for me. Finish everything, shower, do whatever writing I need to do to keep my deadlines and then snuggle in bed for my nighttime ritual. Somehow it seems to but a good and serene end to a busy day and gets me in the right state of mind, heart and body to welcome much needed sleep.
Cheryl, that sound like a plan to me. Thanks for reading the post; promote it to your friends for a great way to practice self-care.
I enjoy journaling at night in bed as the last thing I do before turning out the lights. I have found that it is a good way to release any negative thoughts that arrived during the day and a way to write about my blessings of that particular day. When I’ve completed my writing whether it is a short paragraph or several pages I sleep like a baby.
I have been trying to keep journaling but I do not seem to stay with it. I read the book Journaling As A Spiritual Practice by Helen Cepero but still it seems I do not stay with it. Any suggestions?
Alma, try the One Sentence Journaling for a couple weeks; just one sentence and one period. That focuses you on the most crucial thing that you want to say. Then when you just can’t stay within one sentence, extend it to two, and so on. Good Luck. Let me know how that works.
Great place to find everything you need to know about journaling. I’ve never been able to do that and envy those who do. Stick with it!
Thanks for the comment; I’ll keep on keeping on.