Finding Your Journalling Sanctuary

How location transforms the experience

My journal goes everywhere with me

If you’ve just recently discovered my newsletter ‘with ease’ and would like to support my writing, be offered first refusal on my writing & wellbeing retreats with best selling authors, and receive FREE access to my weekly ‘Journal with Ease’ workshop, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you

Dear friend

How are you feeling today? Where in the world are you right now, I’d love to know and connect with you. I’m on the move this week. I’ve headed to west Wales to the home that I’ll never own. I’ve been invited to attend a site visit at the beach house, to meet the owners, the architect, the builder and tradespeople to discuss the refurbishment that we hope will commence in spring 2026, fingers crossed. It’s all very exciting, the plans I’ve seen so far have are incredible, more so because the beach house is base to Ease Retreats. I’m hoping I’ll be able to share some behind the scenes footage of the development once the team have access and the refurbishment is under way.

So for the majority of this week, I’ll be journalling and writing from a variety of locations, unsure if I’ll have much time to Substack. So in case I’m short on time to write, I’d like to share this essay I wrote a while back, it’s timeless, you may or may not have read it. I hope you enjoy it.

There’s something quite magical about finding that perfect spot to open your journal and let your thoughts flow. I’ve discovered that where I journal, profoundly influences what emerges on the page - sometimes in unexpected and wonderful ways.

When I settle into the corner of my favourite cafe as rain taps against the windows, something shifts. The gentle background hum of conversation and espresso machines creates a cocoon of anonymity. I love the fact I’m simultaneously part of the world and completely alone in my thoughts. There’s a reason writers have flocked to cafes for centuries, this liminal space where we’re alone together seems to give permission for our most authentic thoughts to surface.

On days when my mind needs expansiveness, I find myself drawn to one of my favourite sandy bays on the West Wales coastline. The rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shore and the vast horizon line, create a natural invitation to think beyond immediate concerns. Although I do catch myself daydreaming, almost forgetting I have dogs to walk and work to get back to. I’ve started to notice that when I journal at the beach, my entries take on a more gentle tone, addressing larger questions and patterns in my life that bring me joy. I’m not sure, but I think that the endless water meeting endless sky dissolves artificial boundaries in my thinking.

Perhaps my most cherished journalling spot at the moment is inside my camper van, parked up with nothing but panoramic sea views as company. There is a huge sensation of liberation in my mobile sanctuary. Where I’m held within a private space while facing the wild openness of nature. The words I write in my journal when in the camper often feel like a perfect balance of groundedness and possibility, practical reflection and dream weaving.

And then there’s my bed, the most intimate and familiar of locations. Journalling here, especially in the early morning if I’m lucky, or late evening before I read my book, tends to produce my most vulnerable feelings. The physical comfort seems to extend to psychological comfort, allowing thoughts and feelings I might otherwise keep at bay to find their way onto the page.

Why does our journalling change with location?

This location specific variance isn’t just a personal preference, there’s psychology behind it…

Environmental psychology - teaches us that our surroundings directly impact our cognitive processing. Low lighting and comfortable seating in a cafe can lower inhibitions and encourage deeper disclosure, while natural settings activate neural pathways that expand our creative thinking.

Context-dependent memory - this means we access different mental states and memories depending on our location. My bedtime journalling taps into intimate personal stories, while coastal journalling activates connection to my larger perspectives on life.

Sensory stimulation - this varies dramatically between locations. The rich sensory input of a bustling cafe (the smells of fresh coffee, ambient conversation, visual variety) engages different parts of the brain than the simple, rhythmic sensory experience of waves on a shoreline.

Give yourself the permission to practice “Anytime, Anywhere Journalling”

While I cherish these ideal journalling environments, I’ve learned that waiting for perfect conditions can become another form of resistance. Some of my most powerful journal entries have happened in the most unlikely places and there’s incredible liberation in embracing “anywhere, anytime” journalling because…

Emotional processing doesn’t wait for convenience - often when we most need to write is precisely when we find ourselves furthest from our ideal conditions.

Emotional flexibility develops through varied practice - what I’ve learnt over the years is that by dropping into a reflective writing state, regardless of external circumstances, it has helped build resilience and deepen my journalling practice.

Different contexts reveal different aspects of ourselves - ever noticed how your thoughts that emerge in a crowded train or on the drive home, might never surface in your carefully curated writing nook?

Life’s richness happens in imperfect moments - some of my most interesting ideas have come from journalling in chaotic, messy, or disruptive spaces. I think this is due to the fact that these spaces reflect the true nature of life itself.

I’ve developed some practices that help me and others I coach, to transform almost any space into a temporary journalling sanctuary…

• Using noise cancelling headphones or listening to a specific music playlist

• Keeping a small comfort object in my journal, it could be a letter, a photo of my children or a quote I’ve saved from a favourite author.

• Choosing a physical position or gesture like stretching my arms and rolling my shoulders before I start to write. It’s as though it’s a portable doorway into a reflective state of mind.

• Giving myself the permission to write differently depending on the location has helped free me from expecting the same kind of writing. I use bullet points, list of 100, or a mind map during busier times. They are just as valid as flowing sentences written in ideal conditions.

If this essay has resonated, I invite you to experiment with location in your own journalling. Notice how different environments shine a light on different aspects of yourself. Pay attention to what emerges when you write at a bustling cafe versus your quiet bedroom or at the kitchen table.

But equally, I encourage you to embrace the beauty of the imperfect journal entry, the thoughts captured on a scrap of paper, or a few words typed into your notes app on your phone. These moments of presence, snatched from the midst of everyday life, sometimes hold the most authentic truths.

In case you’re in the journalling mood right now, please help yourself to this prompt, you may find it will springboard your writing…

“Observe three different people in the cafe around you. Without creating fictional stories about them, write about what emotions or energies they seem to be carrying. Then reflect, what might a stranger observe about your own energy today?”

Until the next time

Take care and stay safe xx

About me… I’m Tanya Lynch, a mother, a ridgeback owner and the founder of Ease Retreats. I love what I do, collaborating with authors and creatives, hosting retreats in beautiful venues across the UK. Most recently I became a certified bibliotherapist offering book prescriptions and launched The Bibliotherapists podcast with my co-host Toni Jones. I’m also a therapeutic journalling coach and through my programme ‘Rage on a Page’, I help midlife women channel their emotions into something more positive and creative in less than 60 days. Each Thursday I host an online journaling club ‘Journal with Ease’ and it’s free for paid subscribers to attend. If you have any questions about the benefits of therapeutic journalling, please reach out and connect. I’m usually on a beach walking the dogs, hosting retreats, writing in my journal or on Substack.