Want to journal but don’t know where to start? Welcome! We applaud you for your decision to learn more about this transformative activity. With guidance, journaling will soon assist you in creating a safe space. You can use this space as an emotional outlet to process your feelings, identify self-sabotaging behavior patterns, and find healthy coping mechanisms for your problems. However, most journaling tips are targeted toward people who already have the hang of it.
That is why we curated this article to start from the very beginning: the initial doubts, skepticism, and fear of starting. How do you cope with all that? And how do you manage to stay consistent? Let’s find out!
Journaling Tips for Beginners
Journaling can feel intimidating as a beginner. Instead of staring at a blank page for hours, here are five journaling tips to help you get started:
Say ‘No’ to That Inner Critic
Journaling is all about self-expression. So, if you start judging your feelings in an activity that is supposed to set you free, that negates the purpose here. Even if it seems stupid or crazy, write it down.
Write Whatever Comes to Mind
Another purpose of journaling is acceptance of who we are. We’re not bad people. We’re just complex human beings who sometimes have conflicting emotions. So, even if you feel ‘morally questionable’ emotions such as jealousy, envy, or greed, be honest about your feelings.
Use Journaling Prompts
Journaling prompts are the solution to monotony and lack of ideas. There are loads of resources available on Google, Pinterest, and even Instagram. Find one that seems appealing and use it as a guiding tool for self-discovery and development.
Experiment With Styles and Schedules
Creativity with journaling is essential. Your journal can be as unique and inventive as you want. However, if you need some inspiration to find what suits you, we will discuss three of our favorite styles in the journaling styles section.
Personalize Your Journal
Use cool stickers and colorful markers to add your sense of style to the journal. These can be based on your favorite Netflix show or even a hobby you enjoy. You’re allowed to be as creative as you want. So, use that freedom of expression to your advantage!
Decide What Kind of Journal You Want To Use
Did you know that you can use multiple journals to delve into your interests? Well, now you do!
One of the most effective journaling tips for beginners is to step out of your comfort zone. Experimenting is essential for growth.
Listed below are some unique and interesting journals you can choose from. Choose whichever interests you the most. Get into the process, and learn the ins and outs. Eventually, you’ll find a favorite.
Dream Journal
Did you have an interesting dream last night that you want to record? Want to interpret what your subconscious is projecting? Note it down in your dream journal.
Art Journal
You don’t have to be an artist to create an art journal. Randomly scribbling whatever you see or find interesting can be a great way to destress. Whenever your hand itches to draw something, it’s time to pull out your art journal.
Poetry Journal
Do you ever have these moments where your brain comes up with spectacular poetry? Is it hard to recall it later because you never wrote it down? Keeping a poetry journal is the perfect remedy. So, the next time something invokes a feeling you want to write about, your poetry journal will be ready for the rescue.
Food Journal
Are you a food lover who enjoys trying out different recipes and types of food? Want help tracking your dietary habits? Just pull out your food journal, and viola! You’ll know where to make amendments for a healthier lifestyle.
Guided Journal
Feeling uninspired and don’t know what to write? Perhaps you want to target a specific area of your life? Guided journaling can be a great way to tackle both of these situations.
These can include prompts and exercises regarding stress relief, goal setting, and achieving success.
Blank Notebook Journal
Do you have no idea about what you want? Maybe all of those ideas seem too specific for you, and with your variety of interests, it feels hard to narrow them down. That is where blank journals come in.
All the pages here are blank, so you’re free to use them for whatever you want.
Benefits of Using a Blank Journal
If you’re considering using a blank journal, good choice! They can be a wonderful way to discover your interests. Here are three ways blank journals will help you towards self-discovery:
Unleash Creativity
An artist is hidden inside each of us, even if we do not consider ourselves imaginative. The only way to spark the fire is by being attentive to inspiration when it strikes.
As you notice a feature you adore in someone, try to describe it. What does happiness, contentment, anger, or even disappointment look like? Create abstract shapes representing each of these emotions.
In short, explore the depth and humor of unfiltered thoughts. While guided journaling can narrow one’s focus to a single point, blank journals are an opportunity for a bird’s eye view.
Explore Diverse Interests
Some people have a natural inclination towards specific and niche interests. They feel drawn toward astrology, psychology, literature, music, art, philosophy, history, astronomy, etc.
Others like us have a bunch of hobbies that we enjoy. It’s not passion, per se. It’s just interesting when we have nothing better to do.
Blank journals are a way to explore this plethora of interests. While guided journals may narrow down topics you can explore, blank journals are wild and free.
You can write down your feelings, quotes, or even an extract from the book you’re reading. Maybe you’re walking to your workplace and suddenly get an epiphany for a riveting plotline.
The possibilities with blank journaling are endless!
More Space for Expression
Blank journals will be a great choice if you like making notebooks a little messy. There are no lines or instructions on the pages. You can write small or larger than life!
Moreover, despite the density, blank journals do not seem cluttered. You can fit a lot of ideas, thoughts, poetry, and doodles on a single page.
Since there are no margins, this automatically increases the area you can fill. Time to color the pages to your heart’s content!
Benefits of a Using a Guided Journal
In a certain way, guided journals are quite the opposite of blank journals. If you’re considering using guided journals, here are some advantages you can expect from this practice.
A Different Perspective
Journaling without direction can sometimes create a loop of negativity. Guided journals have fun and engaging prompts, exercises, and quotes. So, they encourage you to think outside the box.
More Clarity
Perhaps you want to improve a specific area of your life. Or it could be that you’re having an identity crisis and need assistance remodeling your life. Guided journals will help you foster traits such as self-care, creativity, and resilience.
Target Specific Goals
Guided journals help you identify what you need to work on by forcing you to think about hard questions. They also have quotes as food for thought. All of this targets specific goals and guides you on how to achieve them.
Guided journals are basically like mentors but in book form.
Decide What Style of Journaling You Want To Try
Another of our journaling tips is to spice up your entries with different styles. These can make the process more creative, therefore, encouraging consistency.
Here are 3 of our favorite styles you can experiment with:
Bullet Journaling
For organized folks, bullet journaling can feel calming and relaxing. You get to arrange your ideas and feelings in a structured and orderly way. You can even try Pinterest for inspiration if needed.
Consciousness Journaling
Based on the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, this method involves writing three continuous pages every morning. This is a great way to delve into your subconscious and reveal things you didn’t know.
One Line a Day Journaling
If you cannot spare a lot of time for journaling, this method will allow you to summarize your day in just a few words. You do not have to fret about writing a lot. It will only take a minute and can serve as a headstart for developing consistency.
Figure Out When Is the Best Time for You To Journal Regularly
Establishing a routine necessitates allocating a specific time for that activity. Here are three journaling tips you can use to find out your ideal time for a soothing journaling session:
- Track your routine. Make a list of the things you do throughout the day.
- Ask yourself when you’re free, creative, and active. Are you a night owl, or are the mornings more refreshing? Understanding yourself and your lifestyle will help you ace this step.
- Have realistic expectations. If you’ve never journaled before, you might have trouble focusing at the start. Maybe you’ll even get distracted. That’s okay. Set easy goals before moving towards harder ones.
More Journaling Tips
Journaling can be a therapeutic and reflective practice, but it can also be a challenging habit to maintain. Here are even more journaling tips you can put to use to make it a great and lasting experience.
Just Start Journaling!
Journaling isn’t a technical skill that requires hours of dedication to learn. On the contrary, it is merely expressing yourself. How one chooses to do it is subjective to every individual.
However, if you still need a little push to kickstart your journey, here are five easy-to-follow journaling tips you can use:
Avoid Perfectionism
While careful consideration is a great skill, it is simply unnecessary here, especially as a beginner. We encourage you to relinquish all self-imposed scrutiny of grammar and sentence structure.
Just let your unfiltered thoughts spill on the paper in front of you. Expression is the only goal.
Find Your Routine and Style
We have already discussed several types and styles of journaling. We recommend experimenting and finding the one for you.
After you have determined your preferred way of journaling, it’s time to decide your routine. Set achievable goals for yourself, and remember to celebrate your achievements, however small they may seem.
Establish Consistency
Once you have mastered step number two, consistency will automatically follow. If it seems hard remember that it takes a minimum of 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve.
Sitting down and exploring the inner depths of your psyche isn’t impossible. Especially when all it requires is a daily 10-15 minute journaling session. You can pat yourself on the back when you’re finished.
Hooray for self-improvement and development!
Practice Self Compassion
Even if you fail to journal every day, it is alright! That is where self-awareness and compassion come in. Decide what is easily doable for you as per your lifestyle.
Of course, if you’re working every day or have a lot to study, you might not be able to dedicate as much time to journaling. We recommend trying alternative methods such as video journaling.
Learn To Enjoy the Process
Did you know that the content of your journal entry is less important than the process? Yes, you heard that right. And not only that, everyone has a unique approach and method.
In Journaling with Clients, Stone gave an example of one of his clients who thought the only way to journal was to record his entries on IBM punch cards. He later talked about how he would keep them in his coat pocket for easy access.
Does that count as journaling? Absolutely! Do not be afraid to unleash that creativity. It’s going to be worthwhile.
Learn how to ace this step by watching the following YouTube video:
Final Thoughts
The best part about journaling is that there are no rules for it. All it requires is expression and consistency, both skills that are easily acquirable once you start.
So, this is one of the most basic journaling tips we tell newbies: do not be afraid of experimenting with different styles. This is the key that will lead you towards what you enjoy.
We conclude this article with our favorite quote on journaling:
“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.” – Jen Williamson.
So, what are you waiting for? Get that pen and journal. It’s time to write your heart out!
