The Joy of Journaling: Angie Simmons

Angie Simmons fell in love with journaling so much that she designed her own journal called “How Am I Feeling Today?” Journaling also helped Angie cope with the sudden death of her mother, just over four years ago. Since then, Angie has not looked back and is now a huge advocate of journaling, as she shares below:

1. Why do you keep a journal? What do you think are the main advantages of journaling?

The main advantages I’ve found are that journaling helps with encouraging the writer to get all those thoughts out of their head, so there is less rumination, less stress, which allows for better sleep and improves mental and physical health.

2. How long have you kept a journal for and why did you start?

I started journaling just over four years ago when I suddenly lost my mother to cancer. I had heard about journaling but quite honestly didn’t understand the power of it until I started my own journey.

3. How often do you write in your journal – have you established a regular habit, or do you just write when you need to? How much do you write?

I journal every morning and every evening for around 15-30 minutes and just allow my pen to flow, which is dictated by my own thoughts and feelings.

4. What sort of journal do you write in? Do you write by hand in a notebook or electronically on your computer or other device?

I am so passionate about journaling that I designed my own to incorporate my mind management tool kit that I have been using for over 7 years now.

5. Do you have any challenges journaling, e.g. not writing as consistently as you’d like, not having time to write, not knowing what to write, finding the right journal, etc.

Journaling helped me to move forward, and not back into the depths of depression and anxiety where I had lived for so many years. When we are trying to achieve goals, they can sometimes feel so far away, journaling allows you to see what direction you are going in, so you can adjust course, should you need to.

Angie is the founder of Growth Development Foundation in the UK, and a personal development and mental wellness mentor who uses journaling and The Margjala Method to help people switch on their inner light. Her 7-week mentorship program teaches the science behind this powerful process and gives her students a toolkit that empowers them to regain control of their life and become the person they want to be. Learn more at www.instagram.com/growthdevelopmentfoundation.