How To Begin Your Journaling Journey
Choose Your Medium: Decide if you want to journal in a physical notebook or digitally like in a note-taking app or blog. This depends on what you are more comfortable with - writing or typing your thoughts.
Select a Journal and Pen: If you opt for a traditional journal, choose a notebook that resonates with you. You can go with a classic leather-bound one or something more fun and colorful. Pair it with a pen that you enjoy writing with.
Create a Routine: Dedicate a specific time of your day for journaling. It could be in the morning when you first wake up, during your lunch break, or before you go to bed. Having a set routine helps make journaling a daily habit.
Start with Why: Ask yourself why you want to start journaling. Perhaps you want to record your memories, understand your emotions better, experiment with writing, or set and track your goals. This reasoning can guide your writing process.
Write freely: Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation or style. The journal is your personal space, and your entries should reflect your thought process. Let your thoughts flow freely and write them down as they come.
Write Anything: There are no rights or wrongs about what you can write in your journal. You could jot down personal experiences, dreams, goals, ideas, or thoughts about books you are reading or movies you have watched. Even little things like sketching, pasting stickers or photographs counts as journaling.
Use Prompts: When you feel stuck, use writing prompts to ignite your thought process. There are many journaling prompts available online for various themes such as gratitude, self-improvement, creativity, etc.
Give Yourself Grace: Remember, it is okay to skip days. Journaling should be a soothing exercise, not a stress inducing one.
Keep It Private: Your journal is a personal space for you to express your thoughts and feelings. You don’t need to share it with anyone unless you want to.
Be Consistent: Journaling consists of being consistent. Try to make this a part of your everyday – the results are gradual but very rewarding.
Remember, the most important rule of journaling is that there are no rules. It's your personal space to express yourself, so do what feels right for you.
Not sure where to start? Here are some of our favourite pre-written journals that we’d recommend: