Dream Journal Tips
1. Use a notebook exclusively for your dream journal. Get yourself a NICE dream journal.
Dreams contain valuable information. Honor your dreams. If you get a special book, you're more likely to make a point of using it, and keep using it...just for your dreams!
2. Keep your journal and pen next to your bed and turned to a blank page for tonight's dreams. If using a device, be sure it is charged and ready.
3. Maintain a consistent format for writing notes about your dreams. Make sure you date each page. An example format may be the date, your bedtime emotions, an area for quick middle-of-the-night or wake up notes and then another are or subsequent pages for your dream in a more detailed or story format.
4. Write as soon as you wake up.
You'll remember the most details as soon as you start waking up, so write dreams down as soon as possible. Also, if you wake up in the night remembering a dream, write it down ASAP
5. As you are writing down details, ask yourself what these dream symbols, themes or emotions may mean, add your thoughts about that as well.
6. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation when you are quickly writing down details. The goal is to get the ideas on paper before they fade. You can then incorporate these quick notes done in your own shorthand into well written dream documentation or stories if you so desire.
7. Title your dreams. Just pick something that fits well or is interesting or amusing. I usually like to title the Dream as if it were a story or movie. Eg. 'Flying cats and witches in the basement.'
8. Read your dreams back to yourself. Even if you don't have time to do a full interpretation, often just quickly reading a dream back to yourself can be useful. Simply hearing yourself read the dream can often reveal some levels of meaning.
9. Keep it Fun! While dream journals are important tools to deciphering dream meanings don't get overly concerned about them. Keeping the process fun and informal will help you in the long run in keeping them going. If you miss a morning, or if the dog jumps on the bed and wakes you up before you have time to write, it's ok. The important thing is that you keep going and eventually you will find that writing will be as natural as putting on your socks in the morning. But keep it fun and light and don't let keeping the dream journal control your mornings.
10. If you can't write as soon as you wake up, shout out some key words at least three times; the act of vocalizing the words, which may be easier than writing them makes it more likely they'll stick in your mind so you can write them down a few minutes later, after your brain has started working.
11. Or draw a quick picture of one or two of the key scenes in your dream. You know what they say....
A picture is worth a thousand words!
12. To remind yourself of your intentions and get yourself into the spirit of Dreaming, read through your dream journal at bedtime.
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