3 Tips for Starting a Journaling Practice

I’ve been journaling off and on since I was a child – well over twenty years now. I journal on a weekly, usually daily, basis; it’s one of the key components of my self-care routine.

The benefits of journaling are vast. Speaking anecdotally, journaling gives me:

• A sense of relief and clarity
• The ability to assess myself – my actions and my subconscious desires – from a distance
• A way to record important memories and feelings
• A welcome break from the cacophony of my own mind

It’s no surprise that journaling is known to improve mental health.

When I journal, I enter a state of flow that some of you might be familiar with – I’m in the car, but I’m not the one doing the driving. The pen is in my hand, but the writing that comes out exists outside of me. My immediate thoughts and anxieties are cleared away, making space in my brain for more important things.

If you’re seeking a calmer mind and want to start a journaling practice, here are my top three tips for getting started.

#1 - Write by Hand in a Fresh New Notebook

This is actually two tips melded into one.

Tip one - write by hand.

Although some people do journal electronically, I’m a big advocate of journaling by hand. Put down your phone and pick up your pen.

Writing by hand forces you to write more slowly and thoughtfully. It gives you time to think between words; it gives your mind space to exhale. You’ll be surprised at what comes out when you write by hand.

It’s also just good to give yourself a break from recording everything electronically. Sometimes doing things the old-fashioned way is where it’s at.

Tip two - get yourself a fresh, new notebook or journal with a pen that makes you happy when you press it to the paper.

That might seem a little silly, but if you start your new journaling practice with a special notebook you enjoy, you’ll be more apt to use it.

Get something that makes you happy. You don’t need a Moleskin journal (unless you want one); your goal is to find something that encourages you to write.

#2 - Make It a Ritual

The easiest way to make a new habit is to add it to an existing one. Where can you stick your new journaling habit so that it flows naturally with the rest of your day?

Do you meditate before bed? Close your office door for a solid half an hour on your lunch break for some peace and quiet? Read on your phone at the kitchen table after dinner?

See where you can squeeze journaling into your day. Even a short journaling session counts – five minutes is enough to release pent-up emotion, or even help you shift your entire mindset.

#3 - Let Go of Journaling Perfection

The only journaling practice that matters is the one that works for you.

Do you find journaling prompts helpful? Use them.

Are gratitude lists exhausting? Ignore them.

Let your body lead the way. Your subconscious knows what it needs to release - and what it releases just might surprise you. One of the most fulfilling parts of journaling is discovering thoughts you didn’t even know you had.

Journaling is a journey to learning about yourself, so make it work for you. If you can’t commit to a daily practice, make it weekly. If you can’t write a full page, write a single sentence. (Have you heard of one-line journals?)

Your journaling practice doesn’t have to be perfect to make an impact. Your handwriting can be sloppy. Your thoughts can come out in a frenzied rush. That’s totally okay. No one’s going to read it but you. Honesty is more important than beauty.

I’m going to end this article with a journal prompt that I recently used myself. It’s based on Jenna Kutcher’s book, “How Are You, Really?”, which I highly recommend if you're interested in entrepreneurship and/or treating yourself kindly. It's full of empowering journal prompts.

Prompt: What’s something that you used to enjoy that you pushed aside because life got too busy? Have you made peace with losing it? Is there a way you can bring it back into your life?