How to Start a Journaling Practice (+35 Free Journal Prompts)

I was absolutely one of those teenagers who kept a “secret diary” in high school, recording everything from my secret crushes to my outpourings of frustration in typical teenage angst-ridden fashion. My journals from that time totally make me cringe today, but I am happy to have my personal reflections on growing up in the late nineties/early aughts.

While my journals today might look very different from what my 15-year-old self used to write (or maybe not, depending on the day!), one underlying thought binds it all — writing things down helps me process them better. Be it my emotions, my hopes, or even the mundane daily occurrences. It even makes me more mindful in my daily life.

To me, journaling helps make sense of it all. I try doing it in some manner almost every day, but I definitely find myself reaching for my journal(s) even more so in times of indecision or turmoil, because that’s when I need the unburdening the most.

All this to say, journaling holds a very special place in my life and in my heart. It has helped me work through some difficult days, and it also stands as a witness to some amazing days as well.

If you’re new to the world of journaling, it might feel a bit much, because while there is no right or wrong way to journal, there are definitely MANY ways to journal. I wanted to put together this primer for you all, so that you can cut through the overwhelm and hopefully start a journaling practice that will enrich your life.

Know Your Reason Why Before You Start Journaling

To derive the most out of your journaling practice, it’s important to dig a little deeper and find out your reason why. It will give you a sense of direction with your journal. Here are some of the potential reasons you may want to start a journal:
~ a record of your days
~ memory keeping
~ to track your habits or interests
~ to process your emotions
~ to work on your goals
~ to do a daily brain dump
~ as a form of creative expression
~ to capture your to-dos
~ for self-improvement
~ to deepen your spiritual practice

There’s no right or wrong answer to this. It could be just one of the above reasons, it could be a combination. Either way, it’s helpful to know for yourself why you’re starting a journal. And your reason why can (and probably will) evolve over time as well!

What Kind of Journal is Best Suited for You?

Depending on your reason why, you can narrow down the kind of journaling that works best for you, at least to start with. This is just a broad framework, but hopefully it will give you an idea about the various types of journals that you can use and create.

If you want a journal for recording your days or for memory keeping…

… try a regular journal (pen/paper OR digital app), or a dated diary, or scrapbooking in its myriad shapes and forms. I’ve maintained a “regular journal” for some years now, and for a couple of years in between, I also dabbled in pocket scrapbooking.

If you’re looking for a journal for creative expression…

… try creative journaling or art journaling. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Use embellishments and art supplies to decorate your journal and document your thoughts. Get Messy is an incredible resource if you want to get started with creative/art journaling.

If you want a journal to record your daily to-dos or tasks…

… a bullet journal or a dated diary would be the way to go. Bullet journaling uses visual icons (traditionally, bullets) to categorize entries and has its own syntax system.

If you want to journal for self-improvement (tracking habits or goals)…

… you could try a regular journal (pen/paper or digital app) with some templates in place, or a bullet journal. Bullet journaling has taken on a much broader meaning than when it was first introduced, with so many fancy tracking templates, and it’s now become a whole movement in journaling!

If you want to deconstruct your life and know yourself better…

… you could try guided journals or these journal prompts. Guided journals come with their own sets of prompts, which are especially helpful if you’re trying to dig deeper about yourself. Lots and lots of options with this, depending on what you’re looking to deep dive into. I’ve got a few suggestions on guided journals later in the post.

If you want to grow a specific interest…

… you could try a regular journal (pen/paper or digital app) or a journal meant specifically for that purpose. You can get dream journals, gratitude journals, wellness journals, tarot journals, and more. If you’re interested in deepening your spiritual practice, you can even explore Bible journaling.

I don’t mean to confuse you with all this, but to simply reassure you that there is something for everyone! Of course, you could only stick to just one journal and use it as a catch-all for everything you want to document, and then, as your interests grow, you can branch out to more specific journals.

What Supplies Do You Need to Start Journaling?

As you might have already gleaned from the previous section, just a notebook and a pen are good enough to get you started. That’s really it. Or if you’d prefer to go digital, then an app, or a document that you can update regularly.

Beyond that, depending on the specific type of journaling you would like to do, you can add more supplies, like highlighters, coloured pens, washi tape to begin with, and then, well, the sky is the limit.

How to Start Journaling

Choose a format to begin with

At the risk of repeating myself for the nth time, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Pen & paper vs. digital apps/websites — choose the format that you are most comfortable with. The key is to select a format that you will be most consistent with.

Set some time aside for journaling — It’s okay to start small

If you’re not used to pouring your heart out on a piece of paper, it may be difficult to get the words flowing the first few tries. So, start with maybe 5-10 minutes of journaling. Write down whatever comes to mind. It does not necessarily have to be a deep and profound — it just has to feel true to you.

Use Journal Prompts

If free-form journaling seems too intimidating to begin with, try out a guided journal or journal prompts (click here to receive a list of 35 journal prompts to get you started!). A guided journal or journal prompts will direct you to respond to a specific question, and it can be a helpful way to get into the habit of journaling.

Make a ritual out of it

Choose a time of the day when you are not rushed. Make a ritual out of it instead of making it seem like a chore. Journaling is supposed to enrich you, and in fact, it can definitely be a part of your self-care routine. It should not feel like yet another thing on your to-do list.

Be willing to open up

Journaling, in whichever form you practice, is meant to help you know yourself better. If you hold back from yourself, if you don’t allow yourself to be vulnerable, you may not quite benefit fully.

Be open to experimenting

If you’re just starting out and your first chosen journaling style doesn’t work for you, try something else. As you might have seen above, there are plenty of ways to journal — experiment till you find something that feels true to you.

Set some time aside to reflect on what you’ve written

The biggest benefit from journaling comes from reflecting on what you’ve written and making changes in your life, if necessary. Even if you’re just doing stream of consciousness writing, going over past entries can help you see patterns of behaviour or thought.

My Current Journaling Setup

Over the years, I’ve tried various forms of journaling — some which have stuck (simple pen & paper writing + journal prompts) and some which were just short-lived experiences (here’s looking at you, bullet journaling!). Here’s what works for me currently.

For day-to-day journaling. I’ve gone back and forth between paper journaling and digital journaling, and for now, I’ve settled on paper journaling (these Kikki K notebooks are my fave). Some days it looks like a word vomit, and on other days, it’s just punchy, short sentences for random observations and quick thoughts. Again, it’s not every single day, but I do it as often as I can.

If you’re curious to try out journaling apps, over the years I’ve tried Simplenote, Day One, Notion and Obsidian. If you’re looking for simplicity, Simplenote is great. Day One is good if you want a feature-packed journaling app. Both Notion and Obsidian have a steep learning curve (IMO), but they are exceedingly popular and have some amazing features for journaling as well as general note-taking (I personally favor Obsidian over Notion).

For mindset journaling. Again, I use a simple Kikki K notebook, which holds all my mindset journaling, primarily affirmations, mantras, and sometimes, journal prompts as well. As you might have guessed, I am really partial to the Kikki K notebooks. Their quality is great, and I love the sturdy build. A lot of their stores have shut down (but they do ship internationally). I tend to pick them up in bulk when I travel to Australia for work.

Five Minute Journal. The Five Minute Journal {aff} is one of my favourite guided journals. I’ll admit, I don’t end up writing in it every day, but I love it whenever I use it. It also has its own app.

Guided Journals: My Favorites

I am a huge fan of guided journals and journal prompts for self-discovery and personal growth. Speaking specifically about guided journals, there is such a wide variety available these days! These are some of my favourites that I have used over the last few years. Of these, the Five Minute Journal is the one I still use; the others I’ve more or less worked through once, except for the Becoming journal.

BEFORE YOU GO… A FEW JOURNAL PROMPTS TO GET YOU STARTED

If you’re struggling with the blank page and are not sure where to start, sign up here to receive 35 journal prompts that you can use to start your journaling practice.

I hope this was a useful guide on how to start a journaling practice. No matter which form of journaling you choose, to truly reap the benefits of this life-changing habit, I’d encourage you to stick with it even if it feels difficult in the beginning, and most importantly, set aside some time for reflection.

Do you already have a journaling practice set up? What kind of journaling do you like best? Let me know in the comments below if you have any tips for beginners to journaling!