How to Make the Most Out of Stream of Consciousness Journaling

When it comes to journaling, there are an endless amount of ways to do it. That is one 
of the beautiful things about a journaling practice, since you can write about anything, in 
any way you want, and you will benefit from it. 

With stream of consciousness journaling, you are essentially doing a brain dump, where 
you simply write down whatever is on your mind. Instead of using a journal prompt or a 
specific topic with this form of journaling, you just start writing. Whatever comes to your 
mind, goes on the page. 

Here are some tips for making the most out of stream of consciousness journaling and 
using it to find clarity, be more mindful of your thoughts and emotions, and set intentions 
for yourself.


Don’t Go Into it With Any Perceived Notions

This is something you will learn in time when you begin journaling in any form, but 
especially with the stream of consciousness journaling. If you start writing because you 
want a specific benefit or to gain clarity about a particular situation, you might end up 
frustrated and start writing about something that is not going to help you the most.

The purpose of this journaling is not to have anything specific in mind or to think about 
what you will gain from it. It is a brain dump, meant to help you get all those thoughts 
and feelings and emotions out of your head and onto paper. It is like releasing and 
letting go of everything so you can start fresh.


Allow Yourself to Write Freely

This is also a form of freedom expression, which means there are no rules and nothing 
you have to do or not do. You can write about anything you want in any way you want. 
This might look like one long journal entry about the same topic, or multiple topics all 
mixed together. Your stream of consciousness journal entries are similar to the thoughts 
in your head; disjointed, complicated, and complex. 


Let Your Mind and Thoughts Wander

As you begin working on this style of journaling, let your mind, thoughts, and emotions 
wander. You will not stick to the same topic, and you might even switch up what you 
write about halfway through a sentence or thought. This is normal and should be 
embraced fully! This is how you are going to gain clarity and unleash everything that is 
in your head. 


Use Prompts to Get You Started

For some people, it can still be difficult to get started, so it is okay to use prompts, but 
be careful which ones you use. You want broad, vague prompts that simply give you 
something to focus on. Once you do that and start journaling, the rest tends to fall into 
place.

An idea of some prompts to use for stream of consciousness journaling include:

Who do you want to be?
Are you happy in your life right now?
What are 3 things you would change if you could?
What has been on your mind recently?



