How to Write a Journal? Getting Starts and Writing Tips

Are you thinking of starting a journal? It's one thing to want to do it and another thing to know how to do. You probably want to keep a journal that's worth the while. Thanks to prolific journal writers like Virginia Woolf, more people have begun to explore how to write a journal. Read on for tips to get your journaling journey started.

How To Write A Journal

Writing a journal entry starts with simply deciding to recreate your thoughts and moments in writing. But more than just that, there are necessary steps you should take when you want to write a journal.

For starters, it is important to plan your writing in your schedule. But more than just scheduling your writing, additional writing at odd hours is also a great idea. Write when you're in a good or bad mood, excited to write, and indifferent about it. Build that practice with discipline.

Related: Check out our guides to some of the best eco-friendly journals and sustainable diaries and planners for the perfect journals to get you started. Further, if you find writing difficult, you might also like some of our ideas for alternatives to journal writing.

Consistency

Make a point to start a writing entry every single day. Whether in the morning when you've just woken up or at night, write every day. This way, you can overcome unfavorable issues like writer's block. Plus, it will help you improve your writing and reap journaling benefits even quicker. Being consistent with your writing will also help you build a journaling habit over time.

If it is possible to undertake journal writing up to three or four times daily, you should work toward that. The more frequently you write, the better you get with your journaling.

Another strategy for keeping a journal is to carry it with you everywhere. There are days when you'll get distracted or too busy to start writing or adhere to your journaling schedule. On such days, spontaneous writing is the perfect option, and it is a lot easier if you have your journal with you, even at work.

Besides, you can't tell when or where you'll be inspired to write something. So, it would help to consider having your journal with you as you go about your business. Over time, this will help you benefit more from your journaling.

Start with a Prompt

Don't know what to write? Journal prompts are helpful for any journal writer starting out; whether a practiced writer or not, coming up with ideas on what to write can prove a challenge for many people.

With journal writing prompts, you'll find it easier to get your creative juices flowing. You may choose to write your journal entry about thoughts and feelings or happy experiences. You may also write about unpleasant events that stressed you out. You may even just decide to write about how you feel at different times.

It doesn't matter what you write about as long as you write daily. Journaling prompts help you find your self-expression. If journal prompts help you get ideas, don't hesitate to use them.

Related: Check out our journal prompts for more inspiration.

Relax and enjoy your journaling.

Very importantly, always try to stay relaxed and keep your mind at ease. Putting on some music is a great way to relax. You should also try to take more deep breaths and close your eyes from time to time. And remember that it is your personal journal, and you can write whatever you want. There's no right or wrong way to do it, and no one will judge your pages filled with personal musings.

Some new journal writers struggle to overcome the barrier of not knowing what to write in their journals. But again, it's not about the content. It's about your commitment to keeping a good writing routine. So get your own journal and just start free writing, and you'll find that it starts flowing easily.

How to Write a Journal? - The Writing Process

To avoid the many distractions that can negatively affect your journaling, write in a private space. When you write at home, have space specifically dedicated to your writing, away from any noise.

The journal method utilizes meditation, images, and dreams to explore the symbolic messages beneath everyday experiences. Taking time off to meditate and reflect is an important addition to your routine. This helps put you in the right place to process your feelings and experiences.

Write in your journal about what feels right for you.

Remember, too, that your writing should be about what feels right to you as a person. Making yourself the priority in your journaling entry is an excellent method to make it meaningful. Keep your writing just as it feels good and meaningful to you. Also, reject the feeling that you must write about specific events you don't want to, especially if they're traumatic.

Some people find it helps to write quickly without overthinking it. In contrast, others prefer to take their time. Find the journaling rhythm right for you, and you'll be flowing in no time.

It is also important that you keep your journal entries private. You'll most likely choose to keep your journal entries confidential and not share them with anyone, not even your closest ones. Only you can read your journal because it contains your life experiences. As such, you can write naturally about what matters to you. The essence is to help you document your feelings and process your thoughts without inhibitions.

There are exceptions, of course, and some people like to seek feedback on a journal article from others they trust or even wider. Remember that you are doing this for yourself, so do what feels right.

What Should You Write in a Journal?

There are many entries you can consider writing in a journal. It all depends on what appeals to you or perfectly reflects your current emotions. Let's talk about a few good ideas so you can begin writing feeling inspired:

Your wins

You can choose to make your journal entries about your small daily wins. Put down any events that make you happy or give you a feeling of achievement. Despite seemingly adverse events in your business or life, think about the ones that gave you a feeling of winning. Make your journal page entry about these things.

Your goals

Your journal is an excellent place to put down actionable steps to reach your goals. Writing down your goals can give you a blueprint, which is great for your journal. Plus, inspiring yourself to get things done is a good process.

Your stresses

Did you know that writing about the things that stress you can be helpful? Of course, many of us don't want to dump our daily concerns on those around us. But those feelings still need expression in some way. This is where some good journaling time comes in.

Consider also writing about your stress. Think about things that have been sources of stress and note them in your journal. Whether they're work-related or family-related, they're suitable for your journal. This can be an excellent method to identify your sources of stress and avoid them consciously.

Things you love

Write in your journal about the things you love. You can write about self-discovery, your favorite food, your favorite books, or even your favorite TV shows. This way, you can always reflect on your paper journal ideas and story.

Your dreams

What are the things you dream about? What aspirations do you have? Is there a place you would like to visit? Or an aspiration you would like to reach? There's a joy your dreams uniquely give, and writing about them is a great method to keep them in memory.

You can also download a diary app like the Daily Stoic Journal to practice and document your entries. Search for this app on your browser, and when you download it, they'll ask you to enter your name, email, and other information. This app lets you learn and practice great writing techniques and entries.

Your travels

Keeping a travel journal is a fun way to journal. It is excellent if you travel a lot or have traveled a lot. You can write about your day-one experience and your most exciting travel experiences. You can also write about your unpleasant experiences as a person or group. Travel journals are always great for reminiscing. You'll be thankful you didn't pass on it in a few years.

Daily activities

Most writers describe their experiences or feelings after a meeting or even a date. You can talk about your hangout with your friends or how you felt after seeing each other. You can essentially make your journal about your daily routine, events, activities, work, or sports practice and how they made you feel. Remember that you can choose to make an entry about anything, including unpleasant experiences.

Things you're thankful for

A gratitude journal is always a good means of journaling. You can choose to write about the things you're thankful for daily, talk about a family member who recovered from sickness or record the bad events that turned out unexpectedly well.

Have you recently overcome a challenge? Write it down. Or perhaps journal your earliest childhood memory or everything you find interesting or noteworthy in the present moment.

You can also talk about how lucky you are to have good friends. You can talk about your child's high school graduation. There's so much to give thanks for when it comes to gratitude. Hence, there's so much to write about. Think about all the things you're thankful for in your life and pen them down in your journal.

Quotes that mean something to you

Inspirational and motivational quotes are great for getting boosts. They can also inspire you daily to put your best foot forward. Motivational quotes can be part of those things that inspire you. You can write your best quotes in your journal to motivate yourself daily. You may also note which aspects of your life-specific quotes speak to.

Self-care

Writing about self-care is a perfect way to make you feel better. This is another excellent idea for your journal. You can write about what you want to achieve by the weekend.

Write about a self-care routine you once had or one you currently have. You can also talk about how you felt after a particular routine. Write about how making time for self-care makes you feel and its effects.

Benefits of Writing a Journal

Many people keep journals for various reasons. Journaling is a great way to record memories and details of your life, and journal writing has many benefits, including mental health benefits.

Committing to a regular journal entry may help you improve alertness and mindfulness. Journal writing can also help you manage unpleasant memories and future worries and keep you focused on the present. This is an important mental health benefit of journal writing. Generally, it brings you into a deeper relationship with yourself.

Feeling Positive

You don't have to be a writer to get started with journals. As you free write, you will realize that journals often involve writing about aspirations and dreams. Journal writing helps you remind yourself of what's essential.

Numerous health and wellness benefits

Writing about personally experienced stressors or traumatic events has been associated with mental and physical health improvements in numerous studies².

Journal writing also boosts memory, as the hand works with the brain to conceive and represent thoughts that force you to remember. This helps keep your memory sharp and improves cognitive recollection.

If you have been traumatized or dealing with PSTD, journaling has proven helpful for many. Writing practice can help to improve your mood and enhance your general well-being. This also means that it may help in managing depression and its symptoms. While journaling practice cannot suffice as professional treatment for depression, it complements professional treatment.

Even for people diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, researchers have reported that after three days of expressive writing for 20 minutes per day, people scored significantly lower on their measure of depression¹.

Journal Writing for Stress

Generally, writing can help soothe emotions that feel overwhelming. It can also help you identify and overcome specific problems that may be enabling stress. Journaling offers the following benefits that help to reduce stress:

• reducing the symptoms of several health conditions
• enhancing cognitive functioning
• supporting your immune system to get stronger
• enabling a thought shift as it examines your thinking
• strengthening the capacity for action over thoughts

Journal Writing for Mental Health

If you are struggling with mental health, journaling can help you get your thoughts down on paper and stop ruminating and worrying over them. This can free up your mind to manage your emotions and cope with the stress that could trigger a relapse.

Apart from inhibiting the symptoms of conditions like depression, journaling aids in recovery from many conditions. Specifically, conditions that concern your mind and emotions or disorders.

If you've suffered a traumatic experience and are undergoing therapy, journaling is an excellent addition to your treatment. Journal entry writing after a traumatic experience can help you see the good in life again, especially if you recall more pleasant events.

Related read: Mindfulness Journal Prompts.

Journaling can help you reflect on and manage your thoughts

When you start writing, you can better identify and face your issues. Over time, journaling has proven to be very effective and instrumental in healing painful experiences like losing a loved one. But more than just painful experiences, did you know that journaling can even be helpful with addictions?

If you're trying to rise above addiction, writing down your struggles and milestones may help you improve. It may help you hold yourself accountable and aid your journey to recovery in an emotionally healthy way.

Ensure that you write regularly and keep a journal page every day. This will help you to develop a deeper relationship with yourself. And by this, there's a deeper connection to meaningful things that help you rise above negative emotions.

Tips to Keep Going

Sometimes, getting the motivation to stay consistent with your journal can be a challenge. But you need the motive to turn blank pages into a memory filled with great thoughts.

1. Start by picking a journal you like. When you shop for a journal, don't just pick up anyone. Pick up one that physically appeals to you. Of course, it doesn't exactly have to be fancy or expensive. As long as you like it, then it works.
2. Getting a small one is a good idea, especially if you plan to carry it around. Having a big-sized journal can deter any person from carrying their journals around. This can, in turn, stand in your way of actually writing the journal entry. But you do not have to worry about the weight when you have a small one. Writing is more manageable as a little journal is more comfortable to carry around.
3. Use a pen you love. This easily sounds trivial, but the truth is, it works. Like your journal, using a pen you love may make you want to write more. As such, if you will inspire yourself to stay consistent, use a pen you like. You may like to check out our guide to eco-friendly pens for options you'll like and are also better for the planter.
4. Don't get yourself worked up over what to write. Just do it. It's always about what you feel, and there's no right or wrong way. People struggle with life, but you don't have to battle with journaling. When you want to write, there are no right things. Just write whatever appeals to you at a given time, and don't worry about it.
5. Choose a time that is convenient for you. An important tip to ensure you can write consistently is to make it convenient. You do not have to write at specific times. Just write when you can and make it fun. Don't forget that you're the boss and you don't have to answer to anyone. After all, this is all about your personal growth and me time for reflection in writing, not someone else's.
6. Use a tool that serves as a reminder. If you have set a specific time of day to write, use a tool to help make sure you never forget. Just your phone is enough to remind you. Sometimes, people can forget to write, but using a tool can make it easier.

Happy Journaling! Start a journal today if you haven't already. Get started, take on board some of the tips above on how to write a journal, and you won't look back.