How to Start Journaling
I can speak personally about journaling as someone that started out like most people. I had heard about journaling and keeping a diary, but had no idea how to get started, what journal prompts were, goal setting, the beauty of being honest (in life and in journaling), and so much more. Journaling really started to change my life when I faced a life-altering health challenge, beginning in 2016. More on that in a bit. For now, we are going to talk about how to get started and why journaling could literally save your life (or at least make it better).
Journals, journal notebooks, and diaries are what this site is all about. The content showcases journaling as a way to chronicle your life. For some, it may seem silly, but it actually does help. Help with what…almost everything.
Journaling for men and journaling for women doesn’t necessarily have to be worlds apart. We all have anxiety, worry, challenges, trauma or drama in our lives. I would argue that it is false to think about journaling as exclusively for one gender or viewpoint. One of the big things giving you a better chance of reaping all of the benefits from journaling is first of all, to start and second, keep going. Some people think of a diary (journal) as something with a lock and key, that stays in your hope chest (who even knows what a hope chest is anymore). Some of the greatest minds in history kept (keep) journals. Some of the most profound quotes we enjoy today come from journals or diaries.
See if any of these eight famous (and not so famous) journals from the lives of great people ring a bell:
The Diary of Anne Frank
Letters to a Birmingham Jail – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Reagan Diaries
A Brief History of Seven Killings: A Novel
The Broke Diaries: The Completely True and Hilarious Misadventures of a Good Girl Gone Broke
A Day at a Time: The Diary Literature of American Women Writers from 1764 to the Present
When I Was Puerto Rican: A Memoir (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)
Letters From Heaven By the Apostle Paul: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II Timothy (The Passion Translation)
Any number of “Letters” from America’s founding fathers or religious, social, community leaders
Writing letters and journaling (keeping a diary) used to be one of the ways history was passed on. Future generations could look back and see exactly what was on the mind of people as they went through events. Not as many people journal today, but it seems to be making a comeback, with so much going on in the world. An Android or the latest iPhone are okay, but something about technology, at times, seems so impersonal (and unsafe).
I will tell you a little about my journey at the end of this article. For now, let’s get into it.
Journal writing is not all unicorns and cupcakes (although I love both). The process can be misused. If it is approached incorrectly, journaling or writing in a journal notebook can send you down a terrible rabbit hole of being self-absorbed and lost in the past or complete complaining. I want to encourage you now to be absolutely honest in your journal writing, but resist the urge to stay in a “funk” without a plan for coming out. It’s really important to be structured and solution-focused as you record what you are thinking about. Or, you could end up doing more harm to yourself than good.
This is a good place to say a little about therapy. To keep it short, if you feel like you need it – USE IT!!! That being said, Journaling is a helpful part of your mental wellbeing and mental fitness.
A final warning. Use your plan and don’t spend too much time in your journaling on the blame game or self-justifying you and your actions. Be careful not to use journaling solely to rant and rave, without true self-reflection and analysis.
When you get a chance, read this blog I wrote on using Journaling to Relieve Stress and for Spiritual Growth.
If you want to start journaling or writing down your first words in a journal notebook, here are some tips.
- Don’t be too focused on the how or on having a particular way of starting. (The platform)
A piece of paper, a grocery bag, a candy wrapper all work fine to start. Just Start. Then, think about getting yourself a journal to keep your thoughts in. Here is my shameless plug. You can always visit my author page on Amazon for dozens of journals, or find a notebook around the house. I’ll say it again – just start.
Remember, it’s all about you. It all depends on what will work for you. Traditional paper diary (notebook journal) obviously works. But, if you prefer the convenience of typing and if you like to move quickly with your thoughts, you might like to try an online diary or note-taking apps like Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, or another password secured website. Try a few different platforms out and pick the one that works for you. One more time – just start!
- Keep your thoughts private
Your diary or journal notebook is your eyes only. It isn’t for Instagram, Facebook, Tiki’s Tok, YouTube – wherever. Remember – what happens on the internet, stays on the internet (and could end up costing you a job or relationship). Resist the urge to “share” with your friends, partner, or family. Why? Because when we share thoughts and feelings with others, we will sometimes edit them to be more acceptable for others, rather than being pure and uncut. Your journal should be a safe place to write freely without the fear of judgment.
You might also like to find a way of keeping your diary secure. You could use a password protected website like Evernote or, if you are using a physical diary, hide it really well! The more confident you are that your thoughts will stay private, the easier it will be for you to write uninhibited.
- You are not in English class anymore, stop it!
As someone who frequently writes, I sometimes find it hard to just get my thoughts out. I will try to edit as I write. For me, it just doesn’t work. If I get too worried about the correct words and punctuation, I get stuck.
As Elsa said in Frozen, Let it go!
It can be challenging to just let go and write. Eventually, you will realize you don’t have to meet anyone else’s standards It feels so much better when you give in to the idea that no one is going to grade what you write. No boss or internet troll is going to ridicule you for a missed comma or for another grammar mistake.
- Be gooderer at work, but when you write in your journal notebook.
The purpose of journaling isn’t to write a literary New York Times bestseller, it is to reflect and record your thoughts and feelings as you move toward “the better” version of you (whatever that means for you. Write whatever comes into your head and don’t worry if it sounds good or gooderer, or goodererer (you get the point).
- Be Regular
Getting from starting to a habit means setting time aside regularly for journaling. My writing can be in the morning sometimes and in the evening other times – it just depends. You you, it might be different. Pick one period of the day and try to stick to it. There are no hard and fast rules for writing in your journal, diary, or journal notebook.
- Be Brutally Honest
Journaling is an intuitive activity because it requires you to tune into your feelings and blurt all of that out on paper. For me, and many others, journaling is the most effective when it is a space where our deepest thoughts and feelings can be shared and mulled over. For instance, I love exploring my latest emotional insights, problems, and existential epiphanies in my journal. Sometimes I will write for a minute, and at other times I will write for up to an hour: it all depends on how I am feeling. So don’t be afraid to delve deeply into your mind and heart.
- No (Time) Limits
Start, be consistent, and be forgiving. There is absolutely no need to be rigid with the amount of time you write. Even if it is one sentence, just do something consistently.
- Jump start yourself
When an engine is just getting started, sometimes it has to be primed. You have to give it a little fuel to get it going. There are a lot of tricks to get yourself started with writing. The term here is “journal prompting.” This is giving yourself a little idea to get the juices flowing. By asking yourself starter questions, you will be amazed at how quickly your brain will get going. Even experienced writers get stuck. You may have heard of the term, “writer’s block.” If you ever have trouble starting to write, ask yourself questions to stimulate yourself:
- How do I feel today?
- What am I thankful for?
- If I could change one thing about today, it would be…
- What is one thing I can learn from a bad situation that happened to me in the past?
- If time or resources were not a factor, what could I do to improve a challenge I am facing right now?
- What was beautiful in my life today?
- What is in my power to change in my life right now?
- Am I seeing the big picture?
- In what ways can I be more mindful?
- What step can I take today to reach my goals?
- Am I sabotaging myself in any area?
- Jump into the deep – Don’t shy away from the tough topics/situations in your life
Journaling is about growth, progress, and truth. Sometimes the experiences we went through in the past were terrible, traumatic or disturbing. Don’t be afraid to dig into these experiences in your journal notebook. Just remember not to get stuck without a plan out of a negative place.
- Reflect and repeat
Once you’ve finished your journal entry, spend some time with it then, or sometime in the near future. Reading it back will give you more clarity on what you just poured out.
I promised I would tell you about my journaling journey. Stay tuned and I will get into that in the next blog. Please comment and share your thoughts. We can all grow together. Let’s go!
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What is on your mind that you could write about?
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