Journaling is having a moment. Whether it’s meticulous bullet journal spreads, following prompts or just brain-dumping your thoughts from the week, putting pen to paper is a great way to get things off your chest. In one form or another, writing is something I’ve always done, since the cringe-worthy days of trying to emulate Georgia Nicolson in my diary, but in more recent years I’ve tried to make it a more mindful habit. If one of your new year goals is to start journaling but you’re not sure where to begin these are my top tips.
Just Start
It’s not much in the way of advice but sometimes the easiest way to form a new habit is just to start. You don’t need a fancy setup or to overthink it. You don’t even need to stick to conventional writing rules. This type of writing, known as freewriting, can be useful for generating ideas, getting your thoughts out onto the page or just for tapping into feelings you might not know you’re feeling. You could also draw, doodle or scrapbook parts of your day.
Follow Prompts
There are tonnes of creators out there sharing journal prompts that can get you started and give you a bit more structure. If there’s something you particularly want to reflect on, such as your goals for the year or putting your month in review, these can be really useful. Some of my favourites that I return to are:
- What am I grateful for?
- What do I need to do less of?
- What’s the theme for this month?
Pick Your Moment
Finding the right time of day to set aside to journal is all part of the process. You might find that spending a few minutes in bed after you’ve woken sets you up for the day and clears your mind, or you might prefer to unload the day and spend time in the evening setting aside your thoughts. I don’t have a strict routine but usually find I’m better able to process my day by putting it down on the page in the evening.
All in all, it’s about finding what works for you and giving it a go. There’s no right or wrong way to put your thoughts down onto paper, you might prefer to make bulleted lists, or scribble freely, the most important thing is how it makes you feel.
