I’ve had a journey with journaling since I was a wee child. I think it all stemmed from having the wonder of a GirlTech diary; a bright pink, password protected, voice activated clunky monstrosity that every young girl wanted in the early noughties. 

The joy of that childhood diary moved onto a traditional lock and key diary for my emo, Hayley Williams inspired teenage years, before tunnelling headfirst into the world of bullet journal-ing in my early twenties. I’m talking about washi tape, monthly spreads for every aspect of my life, collecting all the Muji pens I could (to be fair, those Muji 0.55mm gel ink pens are still the greatest ever pens to write with) . Then, one fateful Christmas, my mum bought me a book that changed the way I journal forever – The Artist’s Way. But we’ll get back to that in a minute…

• What is journaling? 
• Why should I start journaling? 
• How on earth do I start?
• Updating your practice
• Top tips

What is journaling?

Journaling is the act of writing down your thoughts. This can include your feelings, emotions, thought processes, dreams, or anything that comes into your brain. It often crosses over into the world of diary keeping, but a diary is more about recording memories or moments of a day to look back on in the future. If a diary is objective, a journal is subjective.

Why should I start journaling? 

To put it simply, it’s good for you! Research at Cambridge University has shown that “writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events has been found to result in improvements in both physical and psychological health, in non-clinical and clinical populations.”¹ There’s some science for ya. Journaling can also be used in therapy and mental health treatment, as well as in building mindfulness and creativity. 

Everyone has a reason to journal and this can change throughout their life. For a while, I used journaling as a form of therapy whilst living with clinical depression. Then this turned into an outlet for my thoughts whilst working full time, and now I use it to spark creativity and ideas. You can even start journaling with no reason in mind, and it will still bring you something in return. 

How on earth should I start?

Many people, from bloggers to wellness gurus, would say “just start”. Wow, such good advice, thumbs up! For me, that’s a simple answer that doesn’t offer any guidance or support and that’s not what I’m here for. Most people, including myself, need a bit of structure to get a good habit going so here are my two key steps to starting a journaling practice.

Step One – Writing

If you are someone who prefers to use tech, then do what makes you feel comfortable. Try using a Google Doc so you can access it wherever you are, or using a note-taking/productivity app like Notion.

Step Two – The Actual Writing

When I first started journaling, I would look the part. Fancy pen, lovely notebook, fresh cup of tea, candles lit, fairy lights, light jazz in the background. But I would just sit there, pen poised, not sure how to start. Journaling isn’t keeping a diary – there’s no “dear diary” to start. To get into the flow of journaling, I like to use a technique from The Artist’s Way called ‘morning pages’  – see, I told you we’d get back to it!

To quote Julia Cameron, the big brains behind morning pages and The Artist’s Way, “Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning.” So forget making the tea, lighting those candles, and finding the best lo-fi playlist. Get out of bed, have a wee, and then sit down with that notebook and write. It can be utter nonsense. It can be about the dream you had. It can be about how you are feeling, your worries about the day ahead, your view out of your window, or how you really want a coffee. Just get it out on the page! Three pages, that’s all it is. This helps you to start the day with a clear mind, and means you’ve already ticked something off your to-do list before you are even out of your pyjamas. And hey, you’ve started journaling. 

Updating your practice

Once you’ve made the jump into journaling and starting carving time out in your day for it, you can update your practice. The updates can be ever changing and purely based on you. For example, you can always move the time of day you do it. If you are a night owl, try moving those ‘morning’ pages to ‘bedtime’ pages – keep your journal on your bedside table and fill it out before bed. Also, when you’ve got the hang of writing every day, you don’t have to adhere to the practice of morning pages. You can choose a word to write about each day, or focus on your health, or make it a dream journal. Once you’ve nailed-in that habit, make journaling the perfect practice for you. 

Here are some of the ways I have updated my journaling practice, to give you some inspiration. I don’t do these all the time, but these have all served a purpose during my journaling practice journey. 

• Gratitude: I like to either start or end my daily journal practice by writing down one simple sentence – something I was grateful for that happened yesterday. This always makes me look for the good in the day, even if it’s been a shocker. So I write down “I am grateful for”, and then whatever follows. This can be anything from “the feeling of sun on my skin” to “my boss recognising my ideas”.
• Manifestation: Now step back, manifestation isn’t an airy-fairy practice about wishing and waiting and dreaming. There’s real scientific backing to a lot of manifestation practices, especially visualisation. I would suggest writing down three “I am…” prompts, either to take further into the writing or to have at the top of the page to help you visualise. For example, some of my recent “I am” prompts include “I am thriving in my freelance career”, “I am financially abundant”, and “I am booked and busy”.  
• Cards: If you are into your tarot type stuff, then this is a good place to add it. But if you are not, journaling cards are a great way to expand on your practice. There are plenty of mindfulness card decks online, as well as quotes and even art cards. I like to use a collage-based set of cards called The Wild Unknown deck. I simply give them a shuffle, pick one, look at the art, read about it, and then use it as my prompt for the day. Do I agree with the card? Disagree? Can I see it in my life? Am I already doing it? Why should I or should I not do it? What does it make me feel? Bam – that’s three pages worth of journaling done. 

Journaling Top Tips

At the end of the day, journaling is a practice that should be helping you. It should be a ‘feel good’ practice – even if it helps to work out some uncomfortable moments. Treat it as a moment of joy and self-focus in the day, and it will serve you well.

If you fall in love with journaling (I know I have), you can use it in other aspects of your life. I’ve made a travel journal and a journal specifically for my chronic illnesses. Pinterest really is your friend when looking for inspiration. 

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Thank you for reading and I hope this post helps you with your journaling practice! If you have journaled before, let me know in the comments what has worked for you. If you are new to the practice, feel free to ask any questions below!

Rosie x

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1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/emotional-and-physical-health-benefits-of-expressive-writing/ED2976A61F5DE56B46F07A1CE9EA9F9F ↩︎