[amundskm]

I use journaling to slow down so paper and pen being slowing is a feature not a bug. I have come up with a formula that takes about 15 minutes and I get what I want out of the journaling process.

I use journaling to reflect on my day more than a record of what happened. I do it right before bed and I follow the same format. I write a paragraph to a half page about my day. Specifically, how it made me feel. Then I write down what I ate and what kind of exercise I got that day because those are the two most important things I am working on right now. Then I finish with writing 3 things that I am grateful for that day.

I have found I sleep better and feel less stressed the next day because I took some time in the hectic day to slow down and examine the thoughts and feelings I had. My job and responsibilities require me to be a very rational person, but I also have a non-rational emotional side that needs nurturing as well. Having a journal focused on my feelings has helped me be a more balanced person.

[HankStallone]

Same here. I'm a fast typist, so the effort and slowness of pen and paper make me think more about what I'm writing. My longhand notes make me feel more like I've really gotten the thoughts out of my head and examined them and can stop stressing about them, which is funny since I'm more likely to lose the paper notes than if I typed them into a file which would automatically be backed up. So it's more about the process of writing for me than the recording.

And despite being slower, I'll often find that I've knocked out a couple pages pretty quickly once I get started. Getting started is the hard part.