Journaling Tips For Anyone Who Wants To Begin Journaling
This blog post is for anyone who wants to begin their journaling journeys.
Sorry, “journaling journeys” just sounds so alliterative that I had to put it in. But I’ve wanted to write this post for a while, and I’m finally getting to it! Journaling has helped me so much with my mental and spiritual health and I would love to help you dive into what it means to journal and start out with any journaling prompts.
Now, this comes from my own personal experience – that being said, I will also link to some fabulous resources including bloggers and influencers who talk about journaling! These influencers helped me in my own journey because they’re relatable and real. Scroll down to the bottom for those resources.
(Also, this post is going to only include normal journaling habits. I am no way an expert in bullet journaling, Bible journaling, or art journaling. Again, please see below for those expert resources.)
Buy A Journal.
The first step in journaling is to buy a journal. Yes … it’s really that simple but honestly? Sometimes, it isn’t. Because you have to find the right journal for you. Do you want a lined or bullet journal? Do you want pre-written prompts, helping you along on what to write? Do you want blank pages? Do you want a fancy design? Do you want a big journal, or a small one with lesser pages? Figure out what you want, what you want out of your journal. It’s not that hard of a decision, but having these decisions figured out can reduce the amount of time you spend in the journal aisle at Target. (Not that I’ve been there before.)
Here are some from Amazon: IDEALOne Ruled Notebook | PAPERAGE Bullet Journal | Five Minute Journal
When Will You Journal?
Next step is to set a time to journal. Do you want to journal in the morning and perhaps list out your plans for the day? Or do you want to journal at night, and reflect on the past day? Maybe both! You can decide. I prefer to journal in the mornings, but I definitely see the benefits of journaling at night.
What Are You Going To Journal?
Next step is to figure out what you’re going to write. This is where the fun prompts come in! The great part about journaling is that you can write whatever you want. This is your journal! Have fun with it! Some prompts that I like to write in my journal are: things that make me happy, things that made me smile today, a list of Bible verses, prayers, things that I am thankful for, affirmations to remember when I have low self-confidence.
Honestly, you can make it however you want it to be. And it doesn’t have to be just prompts! You can write down anything and do an entire brain dump! Write down every single thing you did that day. Write down what you hope to get done that day or the next day or the week. Write down your short-term and long-term goals.
And that’s it! Honestly, there are probably way more specific tips, so I’ll link some more resources that you can look into for your journaling journey. I hope you have a great time in journaling and talk to you in the next blog post!
Resources:
By Amber Burns: Amber posts super fun journaling prompts and journal videos both on her blog and Instagram account, @byamberburns.
The Everygirl: an awesome resource for millennial women, a lot of great posts under their wellness tab.
Well + Good: for maintaining positive health!
@alltheradreads on Instagram: fun and creative bullet journaling inspiration and ideas, book journaling ideas specifically.
@pointhreeeight on Instagram: even if you’re not creative, she’s an awesome resource for journaling, bullet journaling, and writing down your thoughts.