I'll shout it from the rooftops until my voice is fried and raspy—journaling. Changes. Everything. It's one of the simplest, most affordable ways to upgrade your life and feel better about yourself. The list of ways journaling can impact you is endless, from coping with depression to boosting your sense of self-efficacy, to increasing confidence, managing anxiety, leaning into romance, and even boosting career success.
Yeah. Journaling IS that bitch. Now I bet you're wondering where to begin? Look no further!
As a beginner, it’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed or unsure about where to start. Journaling is writing, and writing can feel intimidating, even to the most experienced writers. Lucky for you, there are quite a few tips and tricks that can help ease you into a journal practice that works for YOU and your personality.
ACTIVITY: Design your journal playbook.
I encourage you to pause here and go grab yourself a journal. Take some notes so you can dogear the page and refer back to it when you need a little reminder.
As you read along, write down the number and it’s corresponding Takeaways. Be sure to customize the ones that require it, and feel free to add your own twist to anything! The point here is to make this feel very ✨ YOU ✨
Got your notebook? Okay, let’s get into it.
[Your Name’s] Journal Playbook
1. Understand What Journaling Is
It's important to understand what journaling is, and what it isn't. This can help clear away some of the mystery behind starting a new practice.
Journaling involves writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences as you navigate your day-to-day life. It’s a deeply personal practice, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it.
It DOES require a bit of effort, showing up, presence, and openness. It’s also more likely to become a habit that sticks if you grant yourself permission to show up imperfectly. Those 30-day challenges are so alluring, but in my experience, they usually just lead to discouragement when we inevitably have to miss a day. Life happens!
It does NOT require a fancy leather notebook embossed with your initials or a multicolor 48-pack of Japanese Le Pens, nor does it require a TikTok-worthy haul from the stationery store. Based on your personality, you can make it as basic or ornate as you please. It also does not require you to commit to a specific output of entries per week or month. It all depends on your style, preference, and capacity.
TAKEAWAY: Journaling is _______. Journaling is NOT _______.
2. Choose Your Medium
Part of making journaling a habit that sticks is tailoring the experience to suit your needs, preferences, and personal style. Decide whether you want to use a physical notebook, a digital app, or even a simple doc file on your computer. Some people find the act of physically writing with pen and paper more therapeutic, while others prefer the convenience of digital tools.
Are you more of a maximalist or a minimalist? Are you attracted to any specific aesthetics on Pinterest? What's more appealing: vintage or contemporary? Take all of your style notes into consideration when deciding on your medium. Once you find the method that best suits you, it'll feel right.
TAKEAWAY: My medium is _______.
3. Set a Consistent Time
If you're serious about giving journaling a try, consider allocating a specific time each day for writing your entries. It could be in the morning, during lunch, or before bed. The time doesn't really matter. What's more important is that level of consistency, which will help you form a habit over time.
TAKEAWAY: Goal time to journal is _______.
4. Start Small
Don’t overwhelm yourself with the expectation of writing pages and pages. Begin with just a few sentences or bullet points. You can always expand later.
TAKEAWAY: When in doubt, K.I.S.S. Just write one little sentence. (Keep It Simple, Sweetie) / (Or Keep It Simple, Stupid . . . depending on your sense of humor lol)
5. Write Freely
Please try to let go of your judgments. You need to be able to express yourself honestly and openly for this journal writing to work its magic, so don't filter yourself. Remember, this is for your eyes only. Write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar, structure, or perfection. Just let it flow.
TAKEAWAY: Permission to write freely: granted.
6. Explore Different Styles
There's no "one size fits all" for journaling, but there is a size for everyone! Does that make sense? You just need to try on a few different kinds and see what fits you best. Here are a couple of types you might try:
Daily Journaling
Write about your day, what you did, and how you felt. You can write in the morning and mull over what's ahead of you that day. Perhaps you have something you're stressed about or looking forward to; write it down! You can also try this in the evening after the bulk of your day has passed. Reflect on how the day went for you.
Gratitude Journaling
List things you’re thankful for. It really is that simple! Don't overcomplicate this one. You can list things big or small, silly or heartfelt, material or emotional. Just try to be genuine if you're interested in reaping the proven benefits of gratitude journaling (improved mood, less tension, more patience, less impulsive spending, more confidence, etc.).
Reflective Journaling
Dive deeper into your emotions, experiences, and personal growth. Think about something or someone in your past. What feelings arise? Why do you think this is? If you could go back in time, would you have handled the situation or relationship differently? Why or why not?
Bullet Journaling
This is a great option if the emotional stuff feels too intense at the moment. The options for filling up a few pages in the style of bullet journaling are endless. You can make a chart to track something this week: sleep, exercise, reading, dietary stuff, finances. You could make lists, too. What are some movies you've always wanted to see but still haven't? List them out. If you're interested in more ideas for bullet journaling, send me a DM on Instagram or TikTok, and I'll share some more!
TAKEAWAY: My current style is ______.
7. Use Prompts
Sometimes, following a straightforward prompt is helpful to guide your writing. I'm working on building a creative list of my favorite journaling prompts, but in the meantime, here are a few of my faves:
What's one thing that's guaranteed to make you giggle every time? This could be a personal memory, an inside joke, a scene in a movie, a meme, a haircut, etc.
What challenges were you facing this time last year?
Is there anything you'd like to learn more about, like a new language or a skill like baking? Maybe how to salsa dance or do oil painting?
Describe a dream you had recently.
Have you ever had a pet? If yes, what was your first one like? If not, what would be your dream pet?
What did you want "to be" when you were a child? Is there any correlation between that and what you currently do for work or hobbies?
Describe your ideal conditions for journaling. Make it as simple or outlandish as you want. Include every detail, from your writing utensil to the city you're in, the temperature and weather, and the sounds (or lack thereof) happening around you.
TAKEAWAY: Bookmark Secret Librairie for when you need prompts.
8. Create Structure
If the idea of freewriting feels daunting or unappealing to you, try dividing up a journal entry into sections. You can create a little template for yourself and use it each time you journal. Think of it like filling out a brief questionnaire. Some things you might include on the template:
Date, day of the week, time of day, and season
One thing you're excited about or looking forward to
Something you're dreading
Current song you’re listening to
Dinner plans
One affirmation for the day
Two things you'd like to focus on improving this week
Three things you're grateful for
Four things you heard today: specific songs, birds, traffic, gossip, rain, your friend yelling "RATF*CKER" at their broken keyboard, etc. Get creative.
5 things you saw yesterday
TAKEAWAY: My template will include ______.
9. Personalize it
It's important to adapt your journal practice to really suit your preferences. Don't try to journal at 6:00 AM if you're not a morning person. Don't try to do the Pinterest-y minimalist, perfectly uniform cursive journaling if it's really a little chaos that sparks joy. If you like doodling, journal like Frida Kahlo. If you like bells and whistles, get some fun colored pencils and cute stickers. If you love nature, press some leaves or flowers into your journal. Think about who you are and how that can translate into journaling. If you need some ideas, message me on social media!
TAKEAWAY: I’m the captain of this ship and we can alter course whenever the winds change!
10. Be Patient and Kind to Yourself
There's a reason why it's called a journaling practice. It takes some practice! No matter how deep into journaling you might get, there will be days when you feel uninspired. That's part of life. Don't create too much pressure around writing or it takes the pleasure and reward out of it.
Also, don't judge yourself for what you write. It might not be poetic, pretty, or even make any sense at all. You don't need to analyze what comes out. It's in the act of writing where the magic happens, not in the words themselves.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to journal. It’s about connecting with yourself, understanding your thoughts, and finding clarity. So go ahead, grab that notebook open that app, and start writing!
LAST TAKEAWAY: An affirmation for you! “I am patient with myself, and I know showing up imperfectly to this journal is better than not showing up at all.”
Thank you for being here and for giving yourself the gift of journaling! Just give it a try. You might like it. You might even love it 😉 If you know anyone who might benefit from journaling for mental health or to fuel their creative fire, please send them this post! You never know whose day could be positively changed by receiving a new self-care resource.
This marks Secret Librairie’s Essay N°1 of the 24 Essays Club, a challenge hosted by the fabulously sparkly
, of and . If you’re interested in learning more, please check out Claire’s post on the club and join in on the fun!P.S. Warmest thanks to Claire for dreaming up such a fun idea for the community! We appreciate you so!
Loved this! I've been journalling consistently since I was 14 (11 years now!) and I'm so glad for it. My number-one rule that helps me keep the habit is to never, ever make myself write an entry when I'm not on the mood for it. That way, journalling becomes a chore, and not a pleasure. I usually end up writing once or twice a week, though I'll sometimes go a fortnight without touching my book, or write lots for several days in a row. 🖤 (And with that, I'm off to write something now!)
Journalling fascinates me. I am settling into it so love reading everything I can.