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How To Start A Journaling Habit in 2024 (And Stick To It)

A simple journaling mini guide to get you started with a bang

I have been consistently journaling for nearly five years now, and more if we count the sporadic outbursts of writing novel-lenght thinkpieces for a month and then forgetting about that notebook for a year. 😬 Establishing a daily writing habit can be difficult and you might make some journaling mistakes along the way, but I’d say I’m something of a pro myself in this field now so don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Among many piles of handwritten notebooks and various online documents, I have found out what worked for me to turn this into a lifelong habit. These methods were tried and tested by a professional procrastinator, you’re welcome. 😃

Interested in journaling? You can also read this article:

Before I get started with my tips to stay consistent with your journaling practice, let’s quickly go over 👇

The Benefits of Journaling for Mental Health

Journaling is a free, private way to process your emotions and gain insight into the world around you. It can be a great tool to help you stay connected with yourself and assess your experiences in a confidential, secure space. Writing in a journal can be a useful method for improving mental health as it helps with:

  • Self-awareness: It’s easier to process our experiences in a greater context when you objectively log your daily life and can look back at your notes to notice patterns in thoughts and behaviours.
  • Self-care: Journaling is a harmless way to self-soothe, take a break from the stress of everyday life and focus on your present. Think of it as a sort of meditation practice where you can safely be honest and practice self-compassion.
  • Emotional release: A journal is a secure space to express and process difficult emotions. Use your journal to identify and understand your feelings, and make sense of your experiences. Writing things down gives you insight into your inner workings and can help you develop better strategies for self-regulating.
Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

As you can see there’s a good number of reasons why journaling should become a part of your daily practice. You know how they say when you’re angry you should count to 10 before you say anything? Or how you should write that angry text and then delete it without sending it, just to get it out of your system? That’s the kind of stuff journaling is made for. For me, it has been an irreplaceable companion that has helped me deal with my frustrations or keep my excitement at bay whenever I feel the urge to overshare.

Should You Use a Physical or Digital Journal? đŸ“–â”đŸ’»

If you’re going to start journaling, the first thing you’ll need to do is choose how you’re going to write: in a notebook or on an electronic device?

Some would argue it’s the physical act of putting pen to paper that helps us establish the habit of daily writing and it’s the only proper way to journal, because it gives you enough time to contemplate over your words. Personally, I don’t subscribe to any idea that there is a wrong or right way to journal; what’s most important is the mental process of exploring our thoughts, trying to make sense of them. Having it all written down to re-read and reflect on works well regardless of writing medium. As long as you’re doing it and it helps you that is your journaling method and you should stick to it if it serves its purpose.

For example, I journal both in a physical diary and digitally in Notion and, most recently, Anytype. I like the flexibility and don’t mind that sometimes I have one day written in my digital diary, while another is in a notebook. Some days I prefer writing it all down by hand, decorating with stickers and collecting physical mementos. Other times I rely on the convenience of being able to take daily notes on the Notion app on my phone while I’m outside, and then getting back to the draft later on in the day to expand upon it with my full thoughts.

Photo by ConvertKit on Unsplash

What is your “Why”?

Okay, so you’re motivated to start this new habit, you’ve got your writing tools and you’re ready to start journaling
 but why? What is your reason to journal? Perhaps you’ve heard people rave about the different benefits, or you’ve started going to therapy and your provider recommended it to you Maybe you’re looking to reduce stress, record your thoughts and daily experiences, track progress, or simply document your life?

Whatever your motivations are, determine your main reasons so that you know what you’re doing. Otherwise you might find yourself anxiously hovering over a blank page, wondering what you should write about, which can cause additional stress and anxiety, and that the opposite of how journaling is supposed to make you feel.

Here’s a couple of things I always include in my journal that you can use as a foundation to get started with yours:

  1. Mood tracker: Self explanatory and I deem this one essential. It has helped me figure out and get a grip of my emotional patterns, especially as a woman who oftentimes felt confused by my own fluctuations, which are dictated by my natural hormonal cycle.
  2. Weekly and Monthly reflections: Every Sunday and every last day of the month I answer a short set of questions to reflect on what I went through. This could be whatever you want to keep record of, but I suggest keeping it at no more than 5–6 questions. In one sentence I write down the good and challenging experiences I went through, what I’m proud of and where I can improve. I also like writing down my favorite experience of the week/month. Looking back at things, it reminds me of all the good times I went through that otherwise I might have forgotten.

6 Prompts To Help You Start Journaling With Purpose

Not sure what to write about? Use prompts to guide your daily entries! When you’ve got specific questions already laid out for you it’s easier get going. I’m planning an entire article (or more than one 😉) with journaling prompts for different needs, but here are a few simple ones I often use to get you started:

  • how did you feel today?
  • your biggest challenge today was

  • “I am so proud of myself for
”
  • what gave you joy today?
  • what can you improve upon tomorrow?
  • are there any new things you experienced today?

Creating Routine: Set a Schedule and Create a Dedicated Space

I’ve addressed this one before, but consistency is the way to go with any new habit and that includes journaling too. The key to making daily writing stick is to set a consistent schedule. This could look however you want it to: best would be every day, or every other day, if possible. If you’re too busy, get too distracted or don’t have enough privacy to write daily, pick one day of the week as you “Journaling Day”. That will be your scheduled day where you’ll sit down and spend as much time you can allocate to reflect on your weekly happenings.

Creating a dedicated space is also another thing you should consider. Journaling is a private practice so you’ll need time and space where you can spend time with yourself alone and do your daily practice. Find a quiet spot in your home that is comfortable and safe. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies within easy reach so that you can easily settle into your journaling routine. It can be helpful to stick to a specific time of day and that’s also down to personal preference. Many prefer doing their daily writing right after waking up, while enjoying their morning coffee. Others, myself included, prefer writing in the evening, right before bed, when the day has passed and they can look back upon everything that happened.

In Conclusion

If you’ve made it to the end, I hope you’re feeling confident enough to finally start that journaling thing that everyone is talking about 😄. Don’t overthink it, don’t doubt yourself; get out there and get inspired. Write about your life like you’re writing the most exciting memoir, even if all you did today was drink tea and watch YouTube videos (I won’t judge, I’ve been there đŸ˜†).

Always remember, it’s a personal voyage; find what resonates with you. Your journal mirrors your world: what do you see in its reflection?