There’s one tiny little practice you can do any time of day, anywhere, and for absolutely zero cost. It improves your mental and physical health, helps you prioritize goals and set intentions, be happier, and be more creative and better at problem solving. Can you guess what it is?
It’s journaling!
Are you picturing your Lisa Frank diary from first grade right now? Me too! It sounds funny but the truth is, journaling as an adult, mom, and business owner isn’t all that different from the journaling I was doing all those years ago. I was writing down what was important, using words and images to express myself and investigate my feelings, and getting my thoughts and ideas out of my head and onto the paper.
Grown up journaling really isn’t any more complicated–and you’ll probably be as excited about its benefits as I was when I first learned about them!
In this post, I’m sharing the benefits of journaling for entrepreneurs (especially those of us who are also moms!), 58 journal prompts to get your creative juices flowing, and tips for getting started.
As a bonus, I’m also including some of my favorite essential oils blends to unlock creativity, promote grounding, and help you get the most out of your journaling practice.
Let’s get started so you can grab a pen and start reaping the benefits of journaling!
How Can I Use Journal Prompts to Get My Creative Juices Flowing?
First, let’s be clear–there’s no right or wrong way to journal. Journaling is simply writing, and it can take place formally–at the same time every day, in a special book, with specific questions–or it can be completely informal–making a quick note on your phone, for example.
There are, however, a few specific types of journaling that tend to be super helpful for women like me–women trying to grow our businesses and be great moms, wives, and friends in the process!
I fully believe that journal prompts to get your creative juices flowing can help you set intentions for the day, focus your energy and time, channel your emotions and passions, and open up whole new realms of creativity and problem-solving!
Benefits of Journal Prompts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
Writing for ourselves (as opposed to writing for others, like I’m doing here) has a well-documented history of helping with everything from stress to better health to more self-confidence.
But journaling can also:
- Help your body heal faster
- Develop a higher I.Q.
- Decrease symptoms of diseases like arthritis and asthma
- Make you happier!
Are you convinced that journal prompts to get your creative juices flowing can change your life? If so, here are my favorite types of journaling for entrepreneurs, moms, and anyone looking to grow their creativity and impact!
My Top Favorite Types of Journaling for Entrepreneurs and Moms
1. Gratitude Journals
When it comes to journal prompts to get your creative juices flowing, I love gratitude journals. Oprah was one of the first to start telling us about gratitude, and she’s been practicing it–and keeping a gratitude journal–for decades (along with other highly successful people like Tony Robbins and Ariana Huffington).
Gratitude journals are about helping you stop and be present in the moment, instead of suffering from the stress of wanting to be somewhere else. This article in Harvard Health shares numerous studies that have shown people are quantifiably happier when they focus on gratitude via journaling.
To start your own gratitude journal, simply begin a daily list of 3-5 things you’re grateful for. You can set a timer on your phone and do this in the middle of the day, but I like to do it first thing in the morning or at night before bed.
My Favorite Essential Oil Blend for Gratitude:
Bergamot is known as the gratitude oil, and pairs beautifully with spicy frankincense and floral ylang ylang. Here’s the recipe:
- 4 drops bergamot
- 2 drops frankincense
- 2 drops ylang ylang
Other essential oils that can help you open up your heart to find greater forgiveness and more gratitude while you journal are rose, spearmint, lime, geranium, and copaiba.
2. Stress Logs
You certainly don’t want to spend all day ruminating on your stress–that’s not helpful to anyone–but what if you could use writing to purge the stress, find creative solutions to your problems, and reframe your perspective so that your thoughts aren’t dominated by your stress?
That’s Marie Forleo’s goal with her stress logs–she encourages people to write down what’s stressing them out, and then spend a few minutes brainstorming solutions to the problem or ways that they can think differently about their challenges.
She says it’s been an amazingly helpful solution for her in her own rapidly growing business!
My Favorite Essential Oil Blend for Overcoming Stress:
Ylang ylang has powerful anti-anxiety properties and so does frankincense! Diffuse both together to help release fear and welcome obstacles as opportunities, not problems.
- 3 drops ylang ylang
- 2 drops frankincense
- 3 drops tangerine
3. Daily Intentions Journal
Mom, entrepreneur, and NYT Bestselling author multiple times over Rachel Hollis considers her daily journaling practice to be one of the keys to her success. She believes it helps her–and so many others, now, too–focus their thoughts and set their intentions for the day.
Rachel’s unique twist is that she writes her goals down as if she has already accomplished them. For example, if your goal were to reach a certain level in your business, you might write every morning, “I am a gold level distributor.”
This kind of journaling isn’t open-ended, but it can be wildly helpful to help you stay focused and on-task day after day until you reach your goals!
My Favorite Essential Oil Blend for Setting Daily Intentions:
Peppermint, citrus, and rosemary are amazing for helping increase focus and wake you up–perfect for diffusing while journaling each morning.
- 3 drops peppermint
- 3 drops lemon
- 2 drops rosemary
I also like to pair crystals with essential oils for increased motivation and energy–apatite is one of my favorites. You can learn more in my guide to crystal and essential oil pairings here.
4. Daily Prompts
Journaling with daily prompts like the ones below is extremely helpful when it comes to practicing self-reflection. I like to pair it with one of the other journal activities listed above–gratitude, for example.
Simply set your timer, pick a prompt, and write until your timer goes off. The trick is to not self-edit or worry about things like spelling or penmanship. You can even type into your phone or your laptop if that’s more convenient.
My Favorite Essential Oil Blend for Daily Journaling:
Frankincense, spruce, and lime combine for a refreshing woodsy smell (and all three, by the way, pair great with lapiz lazuli, which helps with wisdom, good judgement, a desire for knowledge, and truth).
- 3 drops frankincense
- 2 drops spruce
- 2 drops lime
How to Get Started Journaling Right Now
Using journal prompts to get your creative juices flowing is highly effective for your day, whether you’re parenting, growing a business, or (like me!) doing both! The great thing about journaling is you don’t have to wait to start–a piece of scrap paper and a random pen work great. If you’d like to invest in a beautiful journal, go for it, but don’t let that hold you back.
And don’t forget to check out the prompts below. Happy journaling!
58 Journal Prompts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
