What is journaling good for?
When I was 7, my classmate broke my heart. I entered my room, grabbed a notebook, and started to fill it with sad drawings.
I have followed the practice of putting my emotions on paper for almost two decades now, and let me tell you, it works every time.
Journaling is the act of writing down one’s experiences, thoughts, emotions, or feelings. It is exactly what I have been doing, and you can, too.
This method is known for bringing several mental health benefits. It’s also used in psychotherapy, in which it helps patients process emotions, cope with stress, and even overcome addictions.
In this beginner’s guide, I will share with you the secrets of how to start writing a journal without it being overly complicated. I’ll talk about different types of journals so you know all the possibilities before you set up your own, and explain what prompts are.
How to begin journaling: types of journaling
Now, if you’re a beginner, you might ask yourself, how do I start journaling? What do I need and what should I journal about?
Don’t get too overwhelmed. Journaling is a low-budget activity – you’ll only need a physical notebook and a pen to set up a journal. Some prefer digital journaling, but I recommend you start out with a physical journal, as it only increases the benefits.
There are lots of types of journaling you can try out to see what suits you best. To help you avoid confusion, I will give you a quick overview of the most well-known techniques:
Reflective journaling
Reflective journaling is the type I have been focusing on so far, and the one most psychologists work with. It works like a diary, in which you reflect on your daily situations, feelings and thoughts. You just let your mind flow and write anything you need to release.
Bullet journaling
When Ryder Carroll studied at college in the late 90s, he felt the need to organize himself better. As an ADHD patient, he found it hard to focus, so he came up with something called bullet journaling.
This method works more like a journal planner. It is ideal if you want to improve your work or personal organization and increase productivity. To set it up, you’ll need a special dot grid notebook. You then organize it according to your needs, typically creating monthly, weekly, and daily logs.
Art journaling
Are you a creative type, or do you want to discover your artsy self? Either will work with art journaling, in which creativity has no borders. Bring markers, colored pencils, stickers, washi tapes, and express what you wish.
You might wonder where to start. Well, what about visualizing your future? Or you can start with something simple. Let your hand draw without thinking about the final product.
Thematic journaling
If you want to improve a specific life area, thematic journaling can help you achieve just that. From fitness to food journals, you’ll be able to track your gym progress and stay motivated, keep recipes in one place, etc.
These are just some categories, but your journal can look as you wish. Feel free to blend different styles, expressing how angry you are with that colleague on page 2 and then making a to-do list on page 7. Remember that you don’t serve the journal, the journal serves you.
Start journaling with popular journal prompts and templates
There are generally two ways to begin journaling. You can either fill blank pages freely, letting your thoughts flow, or use structured notebooks with prompts that guide you, if you prefer a little bit of organization.
However, not everyone knows how to journal and what they’re supposed to write about, especially when they’re just starting out. That’s where prompts come into play.
Essentially, journal prompts are questions aimed to inspire you on what to journal about. Some examples include:
- What are you grateful for today?
- What traits do you like about yourself?
- How do you picture yourself in 5 years?
There are also more specific journal prompts that focus on self-growth, new year, relationship reflection, etc. In a nutshell, you can find plenty of resources on the internet. Oh, and specifically Pinterest.
If you want to try out journaling for the first time without spending money, you’ll also find thousands of free templates you can download and fill up. These usually already contain journal prompts, so you just print one and away you go.
Before I wrap it up, I want to point out that journaling is the most effective if you incorporate it into your daily routine. Many people don’t find time during the day, that’s why the habit of taking out their notebook first thing in the morning, known as the morning pages, has become greatly popular in recent years.
Alternatively, you can try evening pages, and write what’s been on your mind during the day. Just like with the different techniques, you have to find what’s best for you.
