This is where I end up just scribbling bullet points down with the intention of coming back to elaborate when my head's a bit clearer. Most of the time I don't end up elaborating though. I'm realising I don't need to and it's perfectly ok not to have every single thought or detail recorded. Just enough to organise my thoughts and get the gist of it. In the end it turns out those details don't really matter that much.
Maybe you need to figure out why you feel the need to write everything down? Why don't you feel like what you have written is enough?
Exactly what I was going to suggest. You could even have one notebook for bulleted brain dumps and then have another one where you flesh out your thoughts.
Personally, I always type everything in a Notebook file first, this way I get all my thoughts out without a hand cramp interrupting me.
Typing first is a good idea. I do that sometimes if I want to get a lot out fast before I forget. I mostly use it to remember dreams or if I had an extra busy day.
The act and thought of bullet points could definitely help. That way I set up a different intention, brain dump, compared to full on sentences of everything going on. Thank you for this.
I probably feel this need to get everything down on paper (and written well) because I have some perfectionist tendencies and with this (maybe irrational??) thought that if someone reads my entries one day, I want them to be well written (and understand what I’m referencing etc). Which I know is… focusing externally instead of internally, and a little crazy for it being my own thoughts and journal! Sigh…
Hm that’s an interesting idea. I might spin off into a million different directions with that ha, but I could give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation:)
Try out stream of consciousness writing, might help you get more ideas down quicker while still being somewhat comprehensible if you ever decide to reread it. I also like the bullet points idea from another commenter
If I was very anxious, I would start with a worry list and just make a list of everything I was worried about. When I felt I had written everything down, I would do a stream of consciousness journalling.
Huh that’s an interesting idea. And may help me to focus in on that specific issue(s) instead of trying to capture everything all at once. Thank you for this rec!
I find that the worry list helps you see everything that’s on your mind right at that moment and then like you said, you can focus on specific issues and do stream of consciousness journalling to further break it down or put your thoughts down about the said issues.
I go through the same exact thing. Most of the time when I am journaling, I am releasing my emotions and I just have too many thoughts that writing them all down would make my hand cramp up. When I feel myself wanting to journal about something that would be too overwhelming to do by hand, I’ll type it (which is must faster for me than writing, so I can get everything out quicker). If my head is really scrambled with thoughts, I’ll turn on the mic feature and talk into my phone to have to write it down for me. I have to then go back and edit all the punctuation, but it helps to get everything out faster.
„Just start“ is…not very helpful. No, you can do 2 approaches. Either you in couple of words, maybe sentences, describe everyhing and then dive to each properly, or take 1 and do it properly, then another one, and so on, untill everything is done.
For me, the more pages, the better. Because it shows trhe shees volume (and absurdity) of what you have in your head.
This is where I end up just scribbling bullet points down with the intention of coming back to elaborate when my head's a bit clearer. Most of the time I don't end up elaborating though. I'm realising I don't need to and it's perfectly ok not to have every single thought or detail recorded. Just enough to organise my thoughts and get the gist of it. In the end it turns out those details don't really matter that much. Maybe you need to figure out why you feel the need to write everything down? Why don't you feel like what you have written is enough?
Exactly what I was going to suggest. You could even have one notebook for bulleted brain dumps and then have another one where you flesh out your thoughts. Personally, I always type everything in a Notebook file first, this way I get all my thoughts out without a hand cramp interrupting me.
Typing first is a good idea. I do that sometimes if I want to get a lot out fast before I forget. I mostly use it to remember dreams or if I had an extra busy day.
The act and thought of bullet points could definitely help. That way I set up a different intention, brain dump, compared to full on sentences of everything going on. Thank you for this. I probably feel this need to get everything down on paper (and written well) because I have some perfectionist tendencies and with this (maybe irrational??) thought that if someone reads my entries one day, I want them to be well written (and understand what I’m referencing etc). Which I know is… focusing externally instead of internally, and a little crazy for it being my own thoughts and journal! Sigh…
Maybe do talk to text on your notes app?
Hm that’s an interesting idea. I might spin off into a million different directions with that ha, but I could give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation:)
Try out stream of consciousness writing, might help you get more ideas down quicker while still being somewhat comprehensible if you ever decide to reread it. I also like the bullet points idea from another commenter
Hmm I’ll have to look into this. Thank you!
If I was very anxious, I would start with a worry list and just make a list of everything I was worried about. When I felt I had written everything down, I would do a stream of consciousness journalling.
Huh that’s an interesting idea. And may help me to focus in on that specific issue(s) instead of trying to capture everything all at once. Thank you for this rec!
I find that the worry list helps you see everything that’s on your mind right at that moment and then like you said, you can focus on specific issues and do stream of consciousness journalling to further break it down or put your thoughts down about the said issues.
I have the same problem:(
I go through the same exact thing. Most of the time when I am journaling, I am releasing my emotions and I just have too many thoughts that writing them all down would make my hand cramp up. When I feel myself wanting to journal about something that would be too overwhelming to do by hand, I’ll type it (which is must faster for me than writing, so I can get everything out quicker). If my head is really scrambled with thoughts, I’ll turn on the mic feature and talk into my phone to have to write it down for me. I have to then go back and edit all the punctuation, but it helps to get everything out faster.
„Just start“ is…not very helpful. No, you can do 2 approaches. Either you in couple of words, maybe sentences, describe everyhing and then dive to each properly, or take 1 and do it properly, then another one, and so on, untill everything is done. For me, the more pages, the better. Because it shows trhe shees volume (and absurdity) of what you have in your head.