So you want to start journaling!? Love that for you! It’s going to be so much fun, and good news – there isn’t a right or wrong way to journal. But if you don’t know where to start, this guide might be able to help you.
I’ve been journaling since I was about 16 and a junior in high school. I can remember being in English class and thinking “wow, this was such a fun day, I really want to remember it.” So I went home and wrote like 3 sentences about it in one of the many notebooks I had. Then I just kept doing that!
My journaling habits have evolved over the years but it’s still a part of my daily routine most of the time.
Why journal?
I’ll take a wild guess and say moooosssstttttt of us hated writing in school. Research papers and essays and open ended questions on tests were such a pain.
So why is it that now, in our adulthood, writing has become more fun? And dare I say, trendy? The short answer is (I think) that we can now write about whatever we want. Humans are naturally creative creatures and love to find ways to express ourselves – journaling is a perfect outlet for the aspiring creative! Plus we love talking about ourselves.
Not only that, but it also has numerous benefits for our mental health. It’s a great way to organize your thoughts, do a brain dump, or remind yourself what you’re thankful for. Journaling is low risk and low cost.
Journaling can also be a great way to ground yourself. It is a completely safe space where you can write and be 100% honest.
Journaling rules.
As you probably guessed, journaling has no rules! This means you can’t get it wrong. Journaling is a deeply personal activity and works as a safe space for you, and you alone.
You can journal about pretty much anything and you can do this anywhere, anytime. You can journal using full sentences and paragraphs or you can stick to bullet points or incomplete sentences.
Some people like to journal daily and want to integrate it into their routine, and others journal as needed. It really should be an enjoyable activity and not feel too much like a chore.
Deciding what to journal.
So where to start?
Journal your day to day life. For over 10 years, I have been journaling about my regular life. Sometimes in the evening and sometimes in the morning, I’d simply summarize my day.
If you’re journaling day to day, you could just simply write the chain of events, or you could add in emotions as well. I wrote as if I was talking to a close friend about my day. Remember, your journal is for your eyes only, so don’t be afraid to say what you want to say!
Journal your highlights of the day. This is a great way to reflect on how lucky you are. Especially on a bad day, it’s really beneficial for your mental health to pick out the good parts of the day. Before bed you could bullet point 3 to 5 good things that happened during the day.
It could be as simple as “my outfit was cute,” or “there was less traffic on the way home from work.”
This is a really helpful way to end a bad day. There is always some good in the day if you look for it.
Journal what you are thankful for. Gratitude journaling is similar to journaling highlights but the difference is it doesn’t need to be a specific incident from the day. You could do this any time in the day and just list a few things you are thankful for in the moment.
Journal using prompts. One of the easiest ways to begin journaling is with prompts. There are so many free lists of journal prompts out there. You could try a 30 day journaling challenge and answer a prompt every day. Pinterest is a great resource for this!
Your answer could just be a sentence or you could write a few paragraphs if the question resonates with you. AND if you don’t like a prompt, don’t answer it!
Free write. Write literally whatever you want. As I mentioned earlier, there is no right or wrong way to journal. Word vomit counts as journaling. Sometimes you just need somewhere to put on your thoughts or to brain dump.
Free writing can be extremely therapeutic, especially in stressful times or if you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed.
Whatever writing you do, it counts as journaling. And what you choose to journal could be different every day. And it’s okay if it’s all in the same journal. Put a the date at the top of your entry and write whatever you feel called to do.
Deciding when to journal.
In the morning. Journaling in the morning can be a very grounding way to start your day. This is especially true if you pick up your journal before you pick up your phone.
It’s a great practice to integrate journaling into your morning routine. I usually do my journaling in the morning because I seriously cannot be bothered to do too much in the evenings. And I don’t want journaling to ever start to feel like a chore.
In the evening. But maybe you don’t have time or energy in the morning! Journaling in the evening or night is a fantastic way to wind down. It can also be a great way to get all of your thoughts out before going to sleep.
Unpack your day in your journal to allow your mind to fully relax.
Daily? Weekly? To reiterate – there is no right or wrong way to journal 🙂 If you’re up for it though, try to write daily. Commit to it for 30 days to see if it’s for you.
It’s also entirely possible that you’re someone who would most enjoy journaling “as needed.” Just because you don’t keep a perfect daily journal, that doesn’t make you less of a journaler! Write when you feel called to do so.
Deciding where to journal.
Digital. You can absolutely journal digitally. Literally, right on your phone, there is a built in notes app.
You could also send texts to yourself as a form of journaling. I tried this for a little and texted myself a few good things that happened at the end of each day. It was like having a running “happy” list.
I know there are also online platforms where you can journal. I’ve never tried this myself, but you can journal using just a word document or Penzu (I’ve heard good things).
Physical. Keeping a physical notebook as your journal is so whimsical feeling.
First decide on what type of journal you want (if you don’t already have one):
- blank notebook
- notebook with motivational quotes or images
- notebook with prompts
Beyond choosing the type of journal you’d like, think about the actual physical pages in your notebook. Do you want regular lined pages? Or graph paper? Or maybe simple blank pages with no lines at all? The options are out there. This is your journal and you should have one you love.
I frequently get my journals from the Homegoods section of Marshalls or TJMaxx. These lined journals are where I journal my day to day life, but I do also keep the 5 Minute Journal as a way to write what I’m thankful for every morning.
Keeping multiple journals is totally allowed and even encouraged, especially if you find yourself being very passionate about your journaling.
Writing tools.
Continuing on with the fun part – what to write with?! Pens, pencils, different colors? Once again it’s totally up to you!
I almost always use a black pen. But I think it’s so fun to have a special pen specifically for your journaling. Why not make the journaling experience as fun as possible!? Try out different colors or a really fancy pen to make the experience feel elevated.
Here are some top rated pens you can find on Amazon:
Decorating.
Decorating your journal is another fun layer you can add to this new hobby. You can add doodles in the margins, or highlight certain words or sentences that stood out to you.
You can even add stickers to your journal cover or entries.
Final thoughts.
I think it’s amazing that you’re looking into starting a journal. Let it be messy and don’t put any pressure on yourself; you’ve just unlocked a new hobby! Have fun with it!
Always remember that keeping a journal is deeply personal and will probably look different for everyone. Try out different journal entries to see what you like and what you don’t. Some things will feel like a chore while other things will just flow.
Best of luck on your writing journey and I hope you found some value in this post <3
