Picture this: something confusing happened in your life recently. Although the event passed, you decided to express it through writing.
You made a calming cup of coffee, picked up your journal, and started writing whatever came to mind. It felt soothing for a while. However, as your pen kept moving, several questions popped into your mind.
How long is a journal entry, you asked yourself? This question may seem childish, but it is essential. At TheMindfulPage.com, we have everything centered on mindfulness, including journaling. In this article, we will target questions such as:
- How long should my journal entry be?
- How long should I write in my journal?
- How do you write a good journal entry?
We will also give you our top tips for making a journal entry. So, without further ado, let’s delve right in!
How Long Should My Journal Entry Be?
As you commence your journaling journey, you will likely have several questions. The question “how long is a journal entry?” is crucial, and its answer is subjective.
Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Here are a few tips you can use to come up with the answer that suits you best.
Define Your Purpose
Who are you writing for? Writing for the public eye differs from writing for yourself in a private journal. While the former may require an average of 3 to 4 pages, the latter can be as long or short as you want.
Follow Your Schedule
If your goal is to write for 10-15 minutes, then focus on whatever you can write comfortably within that time. According to Mark Stone, it doesn’t matter what you write about. “The process of journaling often outweighs the content,” he asserts in Journaling with Clients.
Individual Preferences
People with literary backgrounds may find it hard to let go when they’ve started writing. On the other hand, some people may not be as fond of the process. If you are a part of the latter group, we recommend sticking to your schedule. Practice will lead to journaling becoming second nature.
Following Mark Stone’s advice, journaling is subjective for everyone. So, practice it however you want, with a limit that suits you.
How Long Should I Write in My Journal?
Answering “how long is a journal entry?” also entails the time it takes for you to reach your goal. Some people write at a fast pace leaving more time for reflection later. Others prefer to iron out their thoughts before writing them down.
It is important to remember that there are no set rules for journaling. You can do it whenever you want, for as long as you desire.
However, we would recommend starting slow as a beginner. Set easy goals like journaling for 10 minutes each day. Determine what is doable for you and the schedule that fits your lifestyle.
Again, no one answer will fit everyone. You will find your unique pathway by practicing consistently.
How Do You Write a Good Journal Entry?
A “good” journal entry carries different meanings depending on your end goal. Therefore, we divided this section into two parts. The first part is focused on beginners, and the second is focused on using journaling for CBT.
Set a Timer
As a beginner, you might feel intimidated by the empty page in front of you. You might even feel pressured to complete it all at once. This might lead to focusing on the final product rather than processing difficult emotions.
An effective strategy here is to set up a timer. You don’t have to focus on the length. A 10-15 minutes writing session will be sufficient. Sounds easy, right?
Write Whatever Comes to Mind
Focus on what you are feeling. Try to identify the situation and write about the sentiment it evokes in you. Is it sadness, frustration, anger, or disappointment?
Remember: journaling is not just writing about what makes you sad. You can also concentrate on whatever brings you happiness. This comes under gratitude journaling. It’s a great mental exercise to figure out what makes you happy and lead a more fulfilling life.
Practice Authenticity
There are certain emotions that we despise in others. These may include jealousy, envy, aggression, and even lack of acceptance. We do not want to accept that all of us experience them. We may even act like these emotions are far below us.
Being true to yourself here means looking at yourself as a unit and not staying in denial of your negative emotions. Your feelings are valid, and they are a part of you. You are slowly working towards self-actualization, and that is all that matters.
Use Journaling Prompts for Inspiration
Journaling occasionally leads to getting stuck in a repetitive loop. You might not know what to write. The task may seem dull and may make you want to quit.
A good approach here would be to find a journaling prompt that resonates with you. What is it that you want to work on? Is it self-love, self-discovery, relationships, or career?
This will help you organize your scattered ideas and channel your energy toward a new perspective. Convenient, right? Better than giving up or taking a month-long break, at least.
Learn to Enjoy the Process
People practice journaling for a variety of reasons. Many find it relaxing or even an effective coping mechanism for anxiety or depression. Some resort to it as a means of self-development.
Whatever your purpose is, we encourage you to fall in love with the process. Instead of fixating on the final product, focus on the journey. Enjoy your thoughts turning into words. Read your previous journal entries to see how far you’ve come.
Journaling for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy entails the idea that one’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions are interconnected.
According to CBT, one’s thoughts create certain feelings, which ultimately lead to physiological sensations. So, negative thoughts lead to unpleasant emotions, which results in problematic behavior.
Therefore, we must identify the thought that starts this cycle to change our behavior. Journaling is an effective tool for doing just that. Although journaling has no set rules, using it as a CBT technique is a meticulous process. Psychologists encourage the use of the ABC model here.
The ABC Model:
A- Antecedents
This is the activating event that creates thoughts. We encounter many unpleasant situations in our daily life. But what matters is how we react to these situations.
B- Beliefs
These are your beliefs that lead to your perception of the event. Everyone is biased. Recognizing our own biases is how we grow and become stronger.
C- Consequences
This is how your emotions manifest in some form of behavior. The C here represents your emotional responses and how you act.
Writing a good journal entry as an intermediate or advanced journal writer would focus on CBT. We encourage you to focus on the event, the feelings it generates, and its behavioral manifestation.
Identifying problematic thoughts and behaviors becomes easy as you practice journaling consistently. Afterward, you can move on to the last question, which is the most important of them all:
“How can I channel this newfound awareness into a healthy coping mechanism?”
Watch the following YouTube video to learn more about different journaling techniques:
How Do I Know When To Stop Writing a Journal Entry?
There are no set rules for journaling. However, if you’re struggling with reaching a conclusive ending to your journal entry, here are a few tips that can help:
- If your goal is to journal for 10-15 minutes daily, it doesn’t matter if you reach an ending. When the timer on your phone buzzes, you have the option to stop writing. Do not force yourself to keep writing because it won’t carry the same weight.
- If you have no time-related goals, then go with the flow. Once you think you have written everything you needed to get off your chest, you can put your pen down.
- Writing is different for everyone. Mark Stone emphasized this as well in Journaling with Clients. He asserted that there is no ideal way to journal. He gave more importance to the process than the content of the journal entry.
- If you want, you can work on writing a conclusive summary in the last paragraph of your journal entry. However, that is not compulsory. It is merely for your satisfaction.
- Don’t be a perfectionist. Questions like “how long is a journal entry?” or “how to know when to stop writing” do not matter because journaling is subjective. Getting fixated on these unimportant questions will lead to procrastination.
- The trick is to get started. Efficacy will follow later on. Just be consistent as you slowly figure out what works best for you.
Tips for Making a Journal Entry
If you struggle with kickstarting your journaling journey, do not worry, you are not alone. Are you looking for simple steps to make the process easier? We have you covered.
Use the following tips to maintain consistent journal entries:
Use a Journal Prompt
Using journaling prompts is one of the easiest ways to get started. They’re a quick fix for lack of inspiration. They encourage you to direct your mental energy to answer a specific question.
The question “how long is a journal entry?” is irrelevant here. The goal is to get your ideas flowing. Journaling prompts will help you do that!
If you’re looking for interesting and creative journal prompts to keep you going, you should check out the following articles:
- What to Use a Journal For: 10 Things You Can Write About
- Ideas for an Early Parenthood or Pregnancy Journal
- Journaling for Success: Reach Your Goals Through Writing
Start Writing What Is on Your Mind
That is self-explanatory. An important note is to stop thinking or rationalizing your emotions. All you need to do is to record them in your journal.
How do you feel? Focus on the present. What do you need to get done? What brings you the most joy? Are you running away from something that seems scary?
The important thing is to just keep writing.
Be Free: Don’t Put Rules on Your Writing
Journaling is for you and your eyes only. So, you don’t have to fret about grammar, spelling, sentence structure, organization of ideas, etc.
No one else is going to read it. It is only to record and analyze your thoughts.
It’s a conversation between you and your innermost self. The purpose here is to reconcile any differences. Any imposition of rules or judgment is just a hindrance. So, think less, write more.
Remove Distractions
While technological progress has invented much, it has also become the cause of many distractions. You might be journaling in your notebook or on your device, and boom, a single notification can be enough to disrupt the flow.
Ask yourself what pulls you away from the writing trance. Throwing everything away is not the solution. You should set boundaries and adhere to them.
Observe what is helpful for you. Is sitting in a different room, going outside, or using a separate notebook helpful? Do whatever works best for you.
Final Thoughts
So, how long is a journal entry? The simple answer here is that it can be as long as you want. Journaling is a private conversation between you and your innermost self. Unless you’re writing for the public eye, you are the only person who will read it.
Therefore, you are allowed to be as creative as you want. Use fun stickers, colorful markers, and doodles in the margins. The length and legibility are of little concern.
Stop fretting about the intricacies. Just take your journal out and start writing.
