Why Journaling in 2026 Might Be the Thing That Finally Breaks the Cycle
- Shaniqua Smith
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Welcome back, friend.
If you’re new here, I’m Shaniqua, and my heart is simple: to help you become your better self, mentally, emotionally, spiritually… wholeheartedly. That’s the calling God placed on my life, and as I walk into 2026, I’m walking fully in it.
This space is for the woman who feels stuck.
The one who loves God but still feels mentally exhausted.The one battling anxiety, depression, confusion, or that quiet feeling of “Why do I still feel like this?”
If that’s you, you’re in the right place. And today, I want to talk about something practical that has been life-changing for me: journaling.
Looking Back Changed Everything
Toward the end of 2025, I pulled a stack of old journals off my bookshelf. Some of them dated all the way back to my teenage years. And let me tell you — reading them was eye-opening. Those early journals were full of everyday teenage thoughts: feeling misunderstood, family frustrations, relationships, loneliness. At the time, I didn’t have language for what I was experiencing. I didn’t know about depression or emotional cycles. I just thought,
“This is life.”
But reading them years later, I realized something painful and powerful at the same time:I had been feeling the same way for years.
Different ages. Different seasons. Same emotions.
Why Journaling in 2026 Might Be the Thing That Finally Breaks the Cycle
When Your Spirit Knows Before You Do
As I kept reading, I noticed something else. Even before I was fully walking with God, I was writing to Him.
I was praying on those pages. Asking him for help. Telling him I was tired, confused, lonely. My spirit was reaching out even when my mind didn’t fully understand what was happening.
And it hit me — sometimes your spirit knows you need healing long before your flesh can name it.
Those journals showed me patterns I couldn’t see while I was living them.
The Moment I Got Tired of Repeating the Same Cycle
When I saw myself writing the same feelings at 18… then again at 22… then again at 25… something in me snapped.
I said, “No. I’m tired of this.”
Not tired in a dramatic way — tired in a fed-up way. The kind of tired where you realize the enemy has been getting way too comfortable replaying the same thoughts in your mind.
That was the moment I understood: Healing wasn’t going to happen by accident.
It was going to start with intentional work, beginning with my mind.
Why Journaling Matters More Than You Think
Here’s the truth: when you write things down, you expose them.
Journaling gives you the ability to:
See emotional patterns clearly
Track growth (or stagnation)
Process thoughts instead of carrying them
Recognize when cycles repeat
Catch yourself before another year slips by unchanged
That’s why I always say:
📌 Date your entries
📌 Title them
📌 Write where you are and how you feel
One day, you’ll look back and thank yourself.
This Is Your Invitation for 2026
I’m encouraging you — gently, but firmly — to start journaling now.
It doesn’t have to be fancy.
Grab a notebook from Walmart, Dollar Tree, Five Below — wherever.
Call it whatever you want:
My prayers
My conversations with God
My healing journal
My book to God
Just start.
Write the thoughts you’ve been holding in.
Lay everything out.
Let it breathe on paper.
Because when you read it later, you’ll either say:
“Wow… look how far I’ve come.” or
“Okay. We’re not doing this another year.”
And either way, that awareness is powerful.
God Is Too Good for Endless Cycles
God sees you.
He hears you.
And He didn’t create you to stay stuck in emotional loops He already gave you the tools to break.
Journaling isn’t just writing — it’s clarity.
It’s accountability.
It’s healing in motion.
So as we step into 2026, let this be the year you document your growth — not just survive another season.
You’re going to make it through this.
You don’t have a choice.
God’s got you.
Take a deep breath… and release it.
In Jesus’ name — it’s done.
— Shaniqua 💛
Download the printable Christian journal to start documenting your healing journey today, and watch the full video for encouragement and prayer.
Why Journaling in 2026 Might Be the Thing That Finally Breaks the Cycle
Psalm 64:5 (KJV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2064%3A5%20&version=KJV
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