A lot of us are easily influenced (there’s a whole profession for it these days!), so she notes to be cautious of how wording may influence the direction of our thinking. “Just like therapists, self-help books, speakers, and any other source of information or wisdom out there, be aware of the underlying beliefs of and make sure they align with your values,” says Dr. What should you be wary of when shopping for one? Ruan recommends looking for guided journals that are written by or recommended by experts or other trustworthy sources, like authors, speakers, or organizations, or one that’s a companion journal to a book or course you found beneficial. Is it written in a way that immediately sparks thought? Do you like the tone? What’s more, Dr. You’ll want to read the description and some example prompts before buying too.

If it is a chore to sit down and do it each day, try another one.” Then commit to one guided journal at a time and give it a week of regular use to decide if it is a good fit. If you want to explore and heal your beliefs around money, choose one that explores that. If you want to increase gratitude, choose a gratitude journal.

“The best place to start is to choose an aspect of yourself or your life you’d like to work on right now,” says Dr. There is a breadth of guided journals out there-so many that it might be kind of overwhelming. What should you look for in a guided journal?

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