Journaling has recently come to the forefront of many self-care and mental health initiatives as a means of becoming more mindful in our busy lives. Not only does it help those who participate in it to reach their goals and improve their quality of life, but it has also been scientifically proven to positively impact your mind. Studies have shown that when you journal you primarily use the left side of your brain, which plays upon your rationality and your analytical nature. While this side of your brain is occupied, your right side is given the opportunity to relax, and therefore flourish creatively. This is why journaling (particularly guided journals) has been known to reduce stress, boost your mood, and enhance your feelings of well being.

While more and more benefits of journal writing are being discovered every day, it is a difficult habit to start. Sitting down and knowing what to write can be hard for a lot of people — especially for those who have active minds. Even creatives who sit down and will themselves to write find it hard because they are putting too much pressure on their art. Therefore, instead of sitting down with a book of blank pages, if you are looking to get into journal writing, you should start with a guided journal.

A guided journal is a collection of prompts, exercises, and activities that help for you to dive deeper into your feelings, your goals, and your ideas. The journals are filled with thoughtful and inspiring passages that motivate the reader to write or draw or do something specifically related to the concepts on the page. Most people who have completed a guided journal have spoken to the fact that, due to those prompts, they were so easy to use. This ease of use takes the stress out of knowing how to approach your mindfulness, and instead encourages the creative and playful aspect of a human being all while helping them to work towards starting a sustainable habit.