Categories Mental Health

How to Start a Journal and Make it Stick

Are you looking to start a journal writing habit but don’t know how to get started? I’ll share some tips on making journal writing a regular part of your routine in this post and stick with it. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, these tips will help you establish and maintain your journal writing habit. So let’s get started!

The benefits of journal writing

Journal writing has a myriad of proven health and mental health benefits. For example, it’s been shown stress helps your focus, improves creative thinking, motivates you towards goals, and makes positive changes in your life. Keep reading for more detailed information on these benefits, or click here to see about more writing prompts.

Different types of journaling

There are many different types of journaling. However, finding the right one for you is vital. If you’re struggling to stick with it, try a different type of journaling until you find one that you enjoy and resonates with you. Here are some popular types of journaling:

1. Art Journaling

This type of journaling is all about expressing yourself through creative means. You can use drawings, paintings, photos, collages, and other creative mediums to express what you’re feeling or thinking.

2. Bullet Journaling

Bullet journaling is perfect for people who like to keep things organized. You track your tasks, goals, and appointments in a specific journal with bullet journaling. This helps you stay on top of your schedule and keep everything organized.

3. Daily Journaling

Daily journaling is the most common type of journaling, where people write down what happened each day. This can be anything from what you ate to your thoughts and feelings about that day.

4. Mindfulness Journaling:

Mindfulness journaling is all about being in the present moment. You focus on writing down your thoughts and feelings as they happen, without judgment. This type of journaling can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, leading to better mental health.

5. Reflection Journaling

Reflection journaling is all about looking back on your life and analyzing your experiences. This type of journaling can help you learn from your mistakes, reflect on your successes, and grow as a person.

6. Travel Journaling

Travel journaling is perfect for people who love to travel. With this type of journaling, you document your travels by writing about the sights you see, the food you eat, etc. This can be a fantastic way to remember your favorite places for years to come.

7. Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude journaling is all about focusing on the positive things in life. You write down what you’re grateful for each day, which can motivate you towards achieving your goals and becoming a happier person.

8. Make Your Own Journal

If you’re looking for some journal prompts to help get you started, try creating your own. This can be a great way to get personal with your journaling and explore different aspects of your life.

Here are some ideas for journal prompts:

  • What are you working on right now?
  • Do you ever struggle with your own mental health? How does that make you feel?
  • What works best for you?
  • What helped you get through the tough day?
  • Write about one thing you appreciate about yourself or others around you.

How to stick with it

Make journaling a part of your morning or nightly routine. Journaling will help you form the journaling habit and ensure you do it regularly. Keep your journal by your bed or desk so you can write in it immediately after you wake up or before you go to sleep. Use a trigger to remind you to journal every day. Journaling could be as simple as setting the alarm on your phone to go off every morning or evening, putting a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, or setting a reminder in your calendar.

Try out different journaling formats and see what works best for you. Then, track your progress by keeping a record of your entries in a separate notebook or a simple spreadsheet. And journaling will keep you motivated as you see how much you’ve improved.

Once you start, you will see a change in your mental health for the better. It can be challenging to get started, but once you establish this vital routine in your life, it will be hard to go back. So don’t wait any longer; get started on your journal today!

That’s all for today! Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out my other articles here.

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