Have you heard of “journaling”? if you are dealing with stress, anxiety, and trying to improve your mental health, you might be familiar with keeping a diary.  When we were kids, many of us used to write our secrets and thoughts in a diary. But what happened as we grew up? We often got busy with adult responsibilities and forgot about this best practice. We left behind the habit of journaling, thinking it was only for kids or that we didn’t have time for it anymore. You may have read and heard successful people speaking about journaling for mental health and how it has helped them to overcome their fears and sufferings. 

But you are still not sure of the following:

• What is journaling? 
• Should I even start? 
• Will it beneficial or will it be an extra task in my life?

A lot of questions, with overwhelming information everywhere. So let me break it down for you, in the most simplest way on how to start journaling for mental health.

What is journaling?

• Journaling is penning down your thoughts
• Expressing your feelings
• Jotting down ideas
• Capturing your experiences

Journaling is simply putting your thoughts/words onto the paper. It is like talking to yourself, instead of cluttering those thoughts in your mind, you express them in your notebook or journal.

Write about everything to anything, even if that may seem silly at the beginning. Once you get the flow, you will find this method most effective and calming.

Journaling beginner prompts:

• What makes you happy and describe those moments ?
• List all the things you are grateful for.
• Describe what your dream life looks like.
• Start by a mood tracker

How to make journaling a habit?

Developing a consistent journaling practice can be a transformative journey towards enhancing our mental well-being. Making journaling for mental health habit requires dedication and a willingness to prioritize self-care.

Now let’s cover your question, ‘Should I even start journaling ?’ Absolutely you should start, but to even try a new thing and to understand if it is working for you or not, you have to be consistent. And how do you become consistent? By making it a habit! Add journaling to your daily routine, it should work as easy as brushing your teeth every day.

Although, it may seem difficult at first, trust me, once you are into this habit you will enjoy the process and you will be looking forward to journaling your daily entry.

Train your mind to journal everyday

To form a habit, first, you should start to prepare yourself in your mind. Tell yourself, ‘I am going to start 5 minutes of journaling every day! And this will help me to manage my stress and improve my mental well-being.’

The first thought that you have to seed in your mind has to be positive so that you focus on the good. Because when we are dealing with a lot of issues in our life, our mind tries to come up with excuses. To overcome this block, we need to train our minds, on why this habit is good and how it will help us. Once you are through this, the next steps become smooth to plan.

Here are some practical ways to help you to add journaling into your daily routine:

✓ Choose a specific time in your daily routine dedicated to journaling. It could be in the morning to start your day on a positive note or in the night to reflect on the day’s events. Consistency is key, so pick a time that works best for you and stick to it.

✓ Create a peaceful and inviting environment that encourages focus and creativity. Find a quiet space where you can immerse yourself in your thoughts without distractions. Consider adding elements like soft lighting, calming scents, or soothing music to enhance the ambiance.

✓ Begin with shorter journaling sessions, especially if you’re new to the practice. Start with just 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable. Remember, it’s better to have a short, meaningful session than to skip journaling altogether due to time limit.

✓ Experiment with different journaling techniques to discover what resonates with you. You may choose to write free-flowing thoughts, make bullet points, create lists, or even include drawings and doodles.

✓ Lastly track your progress and growth through journaling. Make note of patterns, insights, and milestones along your mental health journey. Seeing how far you’ve come can be incredibly motivating and reinforce the habit of journaling.

Choose between day or night journaling?

Now choose a time that you would like to journal. It could be in the morning, evening, or at night. Don’t select the time when you are available, pick a time when you know you need journaling the most.

For instance – You wake up tensed every morning because you know there is a pile of work and you are not good at dealing with it. Then you can opt for morning journaling.

Sit with a cup of coffee or tea, with your journal, and write about how are you feeling. What are the tasks that you need to accomplish for the day? How can you make your day better?

Night journaling is also very powerful and my favorite, can it be your’s too? We will find out now! Night journaling can be really helpful, to reflect on your day, brain-dump all your thoughts and end up with a gratitude note—a great way to wind up your day and have a good night’s sleep.

Grab your free daily journal which includes morning and night pages to get you started.

There is no rule on when to journal and you don’t need to give every detail, you can write only a few lines every day as long as you build a habit and stay consistent.

There are no rules for journaling

Journaling is not an English test or a contest, that will have rules or someone will review your writing skills. When you start to journal always remember you are doing it for yourself!

This means you don’t need to worry about making spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or being conscious about your handwriting. Your journal is your personal space and no one is going to judge you, so please don’t be hard on yourself. 

Your journal entries don’t have to be aesthetic to please anyone. You need to understand your words and not others. Just let yourself be free and go with the flow. 

Hence, there are NO RULES for journaling. 

Remember the purpose of journaling for mental health is not perfection or impressive writing skills. It’s about creating a space for self-care, self-discovery, and personal growth.

What do you like paper or digital journaling?

The second step is to decide, do you prefer writing or typing. Paper and digital journaling have their pros and cons, however, both are equally functional. 

Let me help you to decide which one you can pick.

Paper journaling – It is an old-school method, where you just need paper or a notebook and a pen to jot down your feelings. If you enjoy writing and are more expressive, and creative, and feel a sense of satisfaction when you hold a pen or pencil to record your words. Then paper journaling is perfect for you!

Digital journaling – In this new era, where we are always on our mobile and laptops scrolling or surfing the net. In between there, we do have a digital space for journaling. Digital journaling is typing your feelings in a Google Doc, Microsoft Word, Pages, or on your mobile notes. If you don’t like writing, and you are someone who loves speed then digital journaling is your key.

Journaling tips for starters:

• Use a single-line or a grid notebook that you have at home before investing in a new one. On the first page write your favorite motivational quote so when you open you read it every day.
• For digital journaling, you can use apps like Goodnotes for IOS and Notability for Android users.

I write, what I feel!

I write, what I feel! This should be your only expression while journaling for mental health. Pour your feelings onto the paper and keep writing until you have let it all out. From now on you shouldn’t be bottling up your thoughts because you will be able to express them with the help of journaling. Start today and witness the positive effects that journaling can have on your mental health and overall quality of life.

If you did find this blog helpful, do let me know in the comments below or you can contact us.

Till then Happy Journaling!