Remember those diaries that you protected fiercely as a child. You held on dearly to them for good reason. They were places where you could express your inner-most thoughts without judgement from others or where you could doodle to your heart's content. Without consciously realising it perhaps, your diaries/journals were effective little tools for nurturing self love. Something that adults around us might have dismissed as frivolous or distracting was actually quite valuable.

Studies have  suggested that journaling offers the following benefits:

*Increasing our IQ

*Encouraging mindfulness

* Helping to realise goals

*Developing our emotional maturity

*Strengthening memory

*Improving comprehension

*Strengthening self discipline

*Promoting healing (emotionally, physically and psychologically)

*Igniting creativity

*Boosting self confidence

Despite these advantages, as we transitioned into adulthood, many of us abandoned our beloved confidants in the name of focusing on 'real life'. Interestingly, as grown up's, we probably stand to gain even more from revisiting the old practice. What's nice is that there are so many pretty ready-made designs available these days. Although, if you are crafty, you can make your own. Just as enjoyable as choosing your journals, is deciding what you want to journal about. You can approach this the old-fashioned way of keeping one journal for writing down varied musings. I have come to prefer   keeping several journals and organising them according to  category. Presently, I have four journals dedicated to the following areas: 1}Travel 2}Gratitude 3} Relationships and 4}Affirmations/Manifestion. I rotate them depending on what I'm going through or want to contemplate on any given day. By all means, tailor your journaling ritual to suit your preferences. Above all, have fun putting your deepest desires or playful whims on paper. 

Here are the 4  journals that are currently either in my purse or at my bedside table...

*Travel Journal

 Travel is one of the most fulfilling experiences we can enjoy in life, whether it is to a far away land or to an almost forgotten corner of your home town. The moments we have while traveling, even the seemingly challenging ones, can inspire us in infinite ways. These days digital photography, especially with the help of our ever present cell phones, makes it easy to record  these moments visually. Yet, there are certain details that even the most vivid photograph can not quite capture.  A picture may be worth a thousand words but it can not convey each sensation. Taking a journal on your travels, allows you to jot down the beautiful details of your adventures: each sight, sound, taste and scent. You can do this while sitting in a cafe,  on a beach or in your hotel room . It's a pleasing way to be fully immersed in the moment and still have the memories stored for savouring later.

*Gratitude Journal

These have become a bit of a trend but that is a good thing. Expressing thanks for the positives in our lives is a powerful way of lifting our moods and channelling more good. When things are good, it may be easy to take the blessings for granted and when things are challenging, we may forget that there are reasons to smile. Making a habit of listing the things we're thankful about helps to keep things in perspective. Whether you start or end your day with a written expression of gratitude, it's bound to be transformative. 

*Affirmation/Manifestation Journal

Conscientiously saying kind, uplifting words to ourselves may seem like a strange or unnecessary thing since most of us have been conditioned since  childhood to speak harshly to ourselves. Changing patterns of negative self talk requires consistent attention. You can utter affirmations to yourself at any time and this would be helpful. However, I have found that writing them down is one way to make this exercise in personal kindness a regular, very intentional  thing. You can jot down just one affirmation each time or go on a spree by filling a page. Apart from specific affirmations, you may also note goals you would like to accomplish or dreams you would like to manifest. You can itemise steps to take or what you visualise the outcome to look like. In this journal, I like creating mini manifestation boards on the pages by gluing photos and  words clipped from magazines.

*Relationship Journal

When I'm facing difficulties in a romantic relationship or with single-hood, I resort to journaling to help process my emotions. There may be things that I don't feel comfortable telling even my closest friends or that I can only process through introspection. Transcribing my feelings regarding matters of the heart is often cathartic. Then I read those entries much later and  situations that previously felt so insurmountable seem so distant and minute. It's cool to look back and realise how much I've survived and grown.

I look forward to hearing about how you use journaling to nurture self love.