Last Updated: February 12, 2023, 15:38 IST
The key to dream journaling is speed and immediacy. Keep your dream journal and a pen nearby. (Image: Shutterstock)
One key advantage of keeping a dream journal is that it can provide anecdotal but useful health information.
Dream journaling is the practice of writing down fragments of your dreams first thing in the morning while they are still fresh in your mind. Good dreams can be just as informative as bad dreams. Over time, dream journaling can reveal patterns, such as recurring dreams or the repeated appearance of important details. The more familiar your mind becomes with these patterns, the more useful it might be in decoding them. However, if you are a first-timer, there are some things you should keep in mind.
What to keep in mind?
The key to dream journaling is speed and immediacy. Keep your dream journal and a pen nearby. That way, you’ll be able to write down everything you remember when you first wake up, whether it’s in the middle of the night or the next day.
- Describe your dream in the present tense, as if it were happening right now. This may assist you in reviving details and following the action more clearly.
- Also, try to record your emotions and not just what you saw in your dream. Emotions are what help you understand the root cause of the problem.
Tips to start journaling
- While the idea of keeping a dream journal may conjure up ideas for jotting down on paper. Go ahead and use a notebook if that’s what you’re most comfortable with. It’s also possible to use your phone’s note-taking app. You can also use a recording app to simply talk about your dreams. Some people also prefer to draw it out.
- You can begin analysing your dreams right away or wait until you’ve collected a few more entries, depending on the content of your dreams. The advantage of waiting for more entries is that patterns emerge gradually.
- Dreams and emotions do not always manifest in a linear pattern. Therefore, don’t panic if you are unable to make sense of your dreams. Just note down whatever you remember and do not indulge in thinking about it the entire day.
Comparing your dreams to your mood, sleep, or fitness levels could provide introspective insight into self-care management if you track these metrics.
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