How to get Started with Journaling

This entry is part 7 of 10 in the series Self Development Tools

Self Development Tools

Journaling techniques

Free writing: Free writing means setting a timer and letting your thoughts flow, unedited and unscripted, onto the page. Or you can set a goal to write continuously for a specified amount of pages. Free writing is all about keeping your hand moving and not pausing to go back and edit or construct a perfect phrase. Free writing is a journaling technique that’s all about letting whatever emerges in your head flow onto the page without letting your inner critic silence you. But free writing is incredibly powerful to unpack a confusing dilemma or make sense of your mixed emotions. It also helps you unlock suppressed emotions you’d otherwise abashedly skip quickly over. Getting things down on paper puts you in touch with your honest, uncensored self. It also helps with self-acceptance. The more you free write, the more accepting you’ll become of your own thoughts and let them spill out without judgement. Free writing is all about getting things out – not about making yourself sound acceptable or polished. Writing down whatever comes to mind is a seemingly simple but powerful technique to gain insight. Tips for free writing: Start small and aim for a page a day, or 10 minutes of continuous writing, in the beginning. Start with writing about how you’re feeling. Do a brief check-in and write about what’s bothering you and what’s going well. Jot down any worries or anxieties currently on your mind. Use free writing in the morning to gather your thoughts, during the day to re-energize or at night to reflect. How and when you write matters less than if you write at all.

 

Morning Pages: There are good reasons to write in the morning. You’ve got a limited amount of willpower to work with during the day, and writing first thing lets you take advantage of it before it shrivels up as you perform demanding tasks throughout the day. There’s evidence that the prefrontal cortex is most active in the morning. This means you’re more creative and your ego is still laying low. You’re likely in a better mood because the world hasn’t yet had any opportunities to vex you. Morning Pages is about unleashing your creativity. Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages. They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritise and synchronise the day at hand. Do not overthink Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow. Once you get into the habit of Morning Pages, you’ll look forward to slower and more productive mornings. If you’re a night owl, you’re likely thinking it’s impossible to write so much that early. But Morning Pages might surprise you. They’re great for clearing early morning brain fog and gaining some clarity over your cups of coffee. And although it takes about a half hour for most people to fill up three pages, Morning Pages actually makes your day more productive. Tips for morning pages: Don’t look back on what you’ve written to edit or second-guess yourself clarifying your thoughts as you go along, write by hand: the slowness of the writing process makes Morning Pages more effectiveness, the recommended page size is 8.5″ x 11″ (or A4 paper), get a separate notebook for Morning Pages for easy and organised access, experiment and shift your morning routine to make extra time for writing

 

Lists: Lists are great to write when you find free writing too daunting. They’re also an incredible journaling technique to organise, track and record anything related to your career, personal life, relationships, hobbies and more. Lists are quicker to write than long-form journal entries, but they’re still a great record of your life. Lists challenge you to dive deeper into a topic and let you to focus your attention on a particular area.

 

Art journal: If your thoughts flow easier in a visual format, then why not try an art journal for sketches, collages, doodles, inspirations and experiments? There aren’t many rules to art journaling and no single way to “do it right.” Your art journal can be a mix of images and sketches along with writing, or it can be purely visual. Or it can depend on the day. Your art journal is your platform to explore your creativity, keep track of your ideas and work through challenges. It’s a ground to plan and explore new ideas. An art journal helps you get in touch with your creativity (and we’re all creative) especially if you’ve always loved art but never considered yourself an “artist.” Start with some doodles in an old notebook and take it from there. An art journal can be a great place to express your feelings, whether you had a terrible day or want to celebrate happy moments. This artsy journaling technique boosts your creativity and gives you a judgement-free space to create without worrying about public reception or Instagram likes. 

 

Unsent letter: An unsent letter is never meant to be sent. It’s an incredible journaling technique to help you get closure or foster forgiveness and peace of mind. Whether it’s an ex-boyfriend that you’re still fuming over or a loved one who’s passed away, writing an unsent letter can give voice to everything you’ve left unsaid. Unsent letters can also help you manage anger if you write everything you appreciate about that person. Unsent letters written to people currently in your life can help you clarify your emotions and make it easier to express yourself to that person in real life. An unsent letter can also be a powerful tool if you’re recovering from addiction and writing to people you’ve wronged. For an incredible boost of confidence, try writing a letter from your future and wiser self to your current self. This lets you tap into stores of wisdom that you didn’t know you had and gets you in touch with your intuition especially when you’re facing tough decisions. Thank you letters can be a great way to express gratitude to those who’d made a difference in your life, past and present.

 

Dream journaling: Keeping a dream journal may sound outlandish and mystical, but there’s plenty of evidence on how this journaling technique helps you understand your emotions. Start by writing down whatever you remember from your dream. The more your journal, the better your memory will get. And when you become aware of your dreams, you understand how a good dream or a nightmare can subconsciously impact your day. It helps you with new ideas or solutions – Einstein used his dreams to develop some of his formulas and theories. Write about your dream as soon as you wake up because dreams become more difficult to remember as the day goes on. Write in detail and make illustrations if needed for those strange, indescribable images that often occur in dreams. Once you pick out patterns or reoccuring dreams, you can reflect on their interpretation and meaning. Recording your dreams also improves your overall memory and exercises your brain. It helps you explore your subconscious and boosts your creativity. Many incredible ideas reportedly came from dreams, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’s monster to the Beatles song Yesterday.

 

Bullet journaling: A bullet journal includes brainstorming, to-do lists, reminders and schedules all in one convenient place. It’s brilliant to keep notes and stay organised. Any blank notebook will do to start. A bullet journal can be minimal and practical or wildly colourful and creative – or anywhere in between.

 

Plan your day: A journal can help you plan your day, whether that’s a detailed to-do list or reflections on upcoming challenges. Writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them and helps you identify your priorities. What’s getting in the way, and what are you making good progress with?

Here’s how to gain perspective on your day:

This short exercise gives you focus on your priorities, infuses some positivity into your day and releases any negative emotions or anxieties. This journaling technique can help you divide lofty goals into smaller tasks. You can also reflect back on the previous day and identify what went well and what you’d do better. Ask yourself if you’re feeling stressed during your day or calm and inspired? Are you taking too much on, or spending too much time on tasks that don’t make much impact?

 

Reflection journal: A reflection journal can be a safe place to look back on your day. It can help you process complex events and analyse why things happened a certain way. You can look back on previous entries and see how you’ve grown. Or write about your relationships and how communication can be improved. This journaling technique lets you track your goals or any healthy habits you’re trying to establish. Being honest with yourself can lead to powerful insights that move you towards change. Lists are a great way for quicker reflection: you can list the best and worst things that happened, or what you’ll improve tomorrow. Writing out a to-do list before bed is a great way to declutter your mind and is proven to help you sleep better. Writing at night is a calming experience that helps you sleep better.

There are dozens of beautiful ready-made journals full of prompts. Here’s a couple of my favourites: The Daily Stoic Journal is packed with quotes from the great Stoics and includes a daily question to focus on. It’s a great tool to manage bad habits like procrastination or anger, and an inspiring source for a more courageous life. Instant Happy Journal is a compact and colourful journal with daily prompts and motivational quotes.

Or start your own reflection journal with these prompts:

 

Reading journal: A reading journal helps you get more from the books, articles or blog posts you read. Just writing something down makes you more likely to remember it. And a reading journal can be your record of inspiring quotes, insights and more technical info that you come across in your reading. You can track your reading if you hope to read more books, or record quotes, tips, or beautiful passages from literary novels. Or use it for lists of books you’d like to read, books to re-read, books to buy as gifts, etc. But don’t just jot down quotes and notes. Interact with the information – respond, reflect and analyse – and this will help you learn better.

 

One line a day journaling: Writing just a single line a day helps preserve your memory, makes you a wittier writer and lets you notice patterns. It’s especially sweet for parents to track their children’s growth and remember everyday moments in those baby years when time flies so quickly. Don’t try to capture everything. Just capture the key moments and record even the mundane. What seems ordinary now will soon be a memory you’ll love to reminisce about. One line a day journaling can help you get into the habit of writing everyday. It’s not too overwhelming to jot down a sentence, so you’ll be more likely to keep at it. The primary advantage of journaling one sentence each day is that it makes journaling fun. It’s easy to do. It’s easy to feel successful. And if you feel good each time you finish journaling, then you’ll keep coming back to it. A habit does not have to be impressive for it to be useful.

Prompts for one line a day journaling:

 

Gratitude journal: From fighting depression to improving relationships and boosting your self-confidence, there are numerous benefits to writing down everything you’re thankful for. This is one of the most powerful journaling techniques with life-changing possibilities that’s proven in studies to make you a happier and more productive person. It also lowers your stress and calms you at night. A gratitude journal reminds us to stop always striving for more and just appreciate the present. But don’t rush through it. Write in detail about what you’re thankful for and let yourself feel those emotions and experience the sensation. Diving deep into a few things you’re grateful for is more beneficial than listing off all the blessings you can think of. Write in depth about the people (past and present) that you’re grateful to have in your life. Don’t make your gratitude journal another thing to tick off your to-do list. Savour the experience and take your time. Writing a gratitude journal once or twice a week makes a bigger impact than hurried everyday journaling.

Here are some gratefulness prompts:

 

Worst case scenario journaling Mark Twain once said: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” We all have fears, worries and anxieties that seldom transpire in real life. Although that doesn’t stop us from anxiously replaying the worst-case scenarios in our heads. Journaling about the worst case scenario helps you come to grips with your fears and realise that many anxieties are irrational. Write about the worst that could happen, how likely that scenario actually is, and how you’d react and handle that worst case scenario. This practice will reassure you that things aren’t as bad as you imagine. You can also look back on previous entries and compare your worst fears to what actually happened. How often do your fears actually come true? As you keep writing, you’ll understand the consequences aren’t as bad as you imagine even if some of your worst imaginings come true. Worst case scenario journaling also helps you identify sabotaging thought patterns like catastrophic thinking (ruminating about irrational worst-case outcomes) or overgeneralization (“things never work out for me”) Writing about your strengths and coping strategies for your worst fears empowers you to face them. Ask yourself what you’re worried about. Then write down your fears. Follow that up with the question: If that happens then what? Keep asking yourself that question until your anxieties allay.

Or try the “fear-setting” method on defining and conquering your fears:

 

Nature journaling: Create a nature journal to raise your awareness of the nature around you – and the seasonal changes that are often easy to overlook. A nature journal is an incredible tool that teaches you to be more observant, to slow down and notice all of nature’s breathtaking details. Even if you live in a big city, you’ll be surprised how much natural phenomena – from birds to changing colors on the leaves – you can observe when you take notice. Use your nature journal for some simple sketches of the leaves, animals and trees around you. Make some notes about what you observe, and how the seasons change over time. Include personal reflections on how the surrounding landscape makes you feel – and how you interact with it. If you’re in the city, explore your local parks and nature reserves. Take along your journal to make quick sketches and study the flora and fauna native to your area.

 

How to keep the habit

Learning how to start journaling is the easy part. It’s making it a daily habit that takes self-discipline. But nobody said building good habits happens overnight. If you stick to it, you’ll start to see the positive outcomes of journaling manifest in your personal and professional life. Use it as a tool for personal growth, self-discovery, relaxation, or visualization. There’s no right or wrong way to journal. Make it your own.

 

Myths on journaling

You don’t have to keep a paper journal: The usual advice is to write on paper because writing in cursive forces you to slow down and relieves stress. The speed and ease of the keyboard sometimes works better. You can type faster, feel more productive and less likely to censor yourself and more likely to write stream of consciousness. Because it’s not much effort to type something out versus getting hand cramps from paper journaling. The trick is to be self-aware. Try a few ways of keeping a journal and observe how it makes you feel. Do you obsess over your handwriting when you’re writing in a paper journal? Try downloading an app for gratitude journaling that will give you daily prompts you can simply type in. Are you more of a visual person who struggles with words? Start an art journal and express your emotions with daily sketches and doodles that incorporate some writing. Experiment with writing on paper, on a laptop or on your phone and find whatever works best for you. 

 

You don’t have to write first thing in the morning: There’s been a lot of talk lately about Morning Pages – the practice of filling 3 sheets of A4 paper each morning with your stream of consciousness thoughts when your mind is still fresh. But there’s a myriad of ways to journal. The only way that’s right is whatever works best for you. Writing in the morning lets you plan out your day, reflect on how you’ll deal with any anticipated challenges or even jot down whatever you’re grateful for. Evenings, for their part, are great for reflecting back on your day, what you’d do differently and what’s on your to-do list for tomorrow. The only question is: what do you want to get out of journaling? And what time and technique would work best for you? Try writing at different times of the day and notice the difference. When are you at your best, and when does it feel most valuable to journal?

 

How To Start Journaling If You’re Not A Writer

Pick your journaling tool of choice. (I explain these further on), Pick a topic to write about, e.g. your daily routine., Set a timer, While writing, don’t stop to edit yourself or edit for punctuation, The timer sounds and you are finito!

Here are some journal prompts for this activity: 

What do I journal about some days?

What’s on my mind?

How should I have reacted in hindsight?

How are things different now?

What would I say to a younger version of myself?

What am I grateful for?

What do I value?

Who helped me?

 

General Journaling Ideas and Concepts

Write about what you did for the day

Write about what scares you

Journal about your goals for the next five years

Jot down your ultimate dreams

Write about decisions you need to make

Write about what you will do for the day ahead

 

My Recommended Journal Writing Tools

A notepad: No updates. No WiFi Issues. 

Day One: a dedicated journaling app for Mac and iOS users.

The Daly Stoic Journal by Ryan Holiday: Keep a copy of this book of journaling prompts on your desk.

The Early Morning Pages by Julia Cameron: a guide to writing in the early hours.

A password-protected file: nosey-parkers, keep out!

OneNote or Evernote: both are useful if you like tagging entries.

WordPress: you can password-protect journal entries.

 

Lastly my top tips for journaling

Journal Consistently

Journal 5 Minutes A Day

Set Reminders to Journal

Eliminate Distractions While Journaling

Carry Your Journal With You

Keep Journal Entries Short

Have Fun with Your Journal

What you write about doesn’t have to be perfect

You can write about anything you want

Don’t limit yourself to writing only

You can change your mind if you don’t like a prompt

There is no right or wrong way to journal

Make the experience enjoyable

Keep a brain dump

You don’t have to finish what you start

Series Navigation<< How to Create a Daily Meditation Practice.Creating a Daily Journaling Habit. >>

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