Struggling to journal? These journaling tips for beginners actually work

Simple journaling tips for beginners to help you slow down, clear your mind, and build a practice that fits your real life.

There are days when I sit down at my desk, pull out my journal, a basket of washi and stickers, and my favourite fountain pen, put on some music, and just begin writing. Some days, the pages fill easily. On other days, I’m there because I need to work through something that’s bothering me.

Getting to your journal daily, especially if you are a journaling newbie, can be a real struggle sometimes — life happens, and journaling is one of the first things to fall by the wayside. At other times, you may look at your journal and just not know what to write.

But in a time when so many of us are trying to slow down, step away from our screens, and return to more analogue ways of living, journaling offers a quiet, tangible space to do just that. Still, building a journaling practice for beginners that feels natural rather than forced can take a bit of experimenting.

When none of the usual tips you’ve seen online seem to work, perhaps some of these journaling tips for beginners will help. They are all drawn from my own journaling practice, which has seen its own share of ups and downs and starts and stops.

All of these journaling tips have, in one way or another, helped me to establish a regular — not necessarily a daily — journaling practice. Because let’s be honest, maintaining a daily journaling practice can be a struggle, but maintaining a regular journaling practice doesn’t have to be that difficult.

One of the things that I’ve learnt through my own years of journaling is that keeping a journal is a habit, not a hobby or something to do only when you have the time. And like any habit formation, it takes some effort to make journaling a part of your regular practice. Once you’ve made the effort to develop the journaling habit, you can turn to your journal when you need it most — when you’re anxious, overwhelmed, or just need to get the words out of your head and onto the paper.

One pro tip, especially for beginners (though maybe even the more seasoned journalers need to hear this): don’t beat yourself up if you don’t journal every day. It’s ok to miss a few days, or even a few weeks — just remember to come back to the page. The journal doesn’t keep score!

So, how do you make daily journaling a part of your life? By experimenting! Through the years, I’ve experimented with numerous journaling tips and how-tos online and in books. Some of them have helped, others haven’t been very practical in the real world, but I have been able to adapt them in ways that work very well for me.

Top journaling tips for beginners

I hope that these journaling tips, gleaned from my own journal writing practice, help you if you’ve been struggling to journal everyday. Before we jump into them, I have one piece of advice: Take what works; adapt what you need to; leave what doesn’t resonate. And now, on to my top journaling tips for beginners.

1. You don’t have to use paper and pen. Really.

The conventional advice out there is to write on paper, because writing by hand can help you to slow down and can also help you to manage anxiety and stress. And while I do advocate keeping written journals, I also maintain digital journals alongside my written notebooks.

For starters, I find it much easier to type for longer periods of time, and my typing speed can, more often than not, keep up with the speed of my thoughts. Especially when I’m overwhelmed or anxious, I’d much rather get my thoughts out of my head quickly — the slowing down comes later, once I’ve typed everything into my digital journal.

In fact, deciding to do my morning pages online was the single-best decision I made this year. I’ve always struggled with morning pages; they make me cranky and whiny, especially when I have nothing much to say. Following Julia Cameron’s advice of writing “this is stupid” over and over again until the words start flowing — or not — makes me even more cranky. I’ve never been able to sustain a morning pages practice for more than a month at a time. Since moving this journaling practice online, I’ve written morning pages consistently for over 150 days.

So here’s my suggestion: Try different ways of journaling. Keep a written journal. Download one of those journaling apps that gives you a daily prompt to write to. Keep a journal on your laptop, in a Word document perhaps. Which of these do you enjoy? Which of these journals do you return to everyday? You may find that you like a hybrid model, which includes a written journal, an app or two, and your laptop. Or you may find that moving your daily journal online means that you actually journal everyday.

Experiment. Find what works for you. Tune out the naysayers.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I do my morning pages in Notion.

2. You don’t have to write first thing in the morning (or at a specific time every day)

Since we’ve just spoken about Morning Pages, here’s the other big journaling myth I’m going to bust. You don’t have to write your morning pages in the morning (blasphemous, I know! But it works just fine whenever you do it.)

In fact, unlike what most of the journaling tips say, you don’t even have to sit down to write at a specific time each day. While we would like to think we have that kind of control over our schedule, we both know that isn’t always the case!

Instead, have your journal somewhere handy, or pop it into your handbag so it is easily accessible. That way, you can get in some journaling whenever you have a few moments to spare.

That’s the other thing — you don’t have to write for long stretches of time; or even just once during the day. You can come to your journal multiple times a day. It may sound counterproductive, but I find that journaling multiple times a day on days when my workload is particularly heavy helps me manage my stress levels.

3. Start small. Keep things simple.

Sometimes your idea of what journaling looks like, especially when you’re new to journaling, can keep you stuck. If you imagine yourself filling your journal pages with poetic observations on life, leaving a beautiful legacy for your grandchildren, I’m sorry to say that the chances of that happening are slim to none.

You may have read the diaries of May Sarton, Anais Nin, or Susan Sontag — or have probably come across quotes from their journals, and perhaps you imagine that is what journaling is. But it isn’t. Many writers were very aware that of what they were writing in their journals, because they knew that their journals would be published, often during their lifetime.

That aside, how and what you write in your journal is more often than not an intensely personal affair. No one’s journal looks similar to another’s. When you’re starting out, it’s best to keep things simple.

One of the easiest ways to begin a daily journaling practice is to simply keep a record of your day.

Try this: Start your next — or first — journal entry with this statement:

“Today I woke up and….”

Let your pen and your thoughts take you where they will. Write as much or as little as you wish.

That’s your first journal entry. Congratulations!

4. Not sure what to write? Try a guided journaling exercise

For the days when you’re not sure what to write, try a guided journaling exercise. My favorite is the 5-minute journal technique.

It’s simply a list of 3 things you’re grateful for, 3 things that would make today great and 2 affirmations that you write in the morning, and 3 highlights of your day and what you learnt today, which you write in the evening.

One of the reasons why it works is because it’s nice and short. You can just write a word or two for some of these prompts.

I also find that when I take the time to think about the things I am grateful for, or to write down a couple of affirmations, I start feeling good about my life. That flow of positive energy early in the morning has a generative impact on the rest of my day.

This is one of those deceptively simple journaling exercises that can have quite a profound impact when you practice it regularly. Try the 5-minute journal for a few days and don’t hesitate to adapt and tweak it as you see fit!

5. Create a journaling ritual

If you’re anything like me, you may have just rolled your eyes at this suggestion. I know, I know. You’re too busy to sit down and light candles every time you want to write in your journal. But here’s the secret: You don’t have to!

I’ve seen some of the suggestions for journaling rituals online, and trust me, I don’t have time for any of that either! But who said that you have to follow someone else’s journaling ritual? Make your own!

My journaling ritual is simple: I pour myself a cup of coffee, open my journal, pull out a small stash of washi tape or stickers, choose one and stick it onto my page, and start writing.

Easy-peasy! All of those actions, done multiple times, have now primed my journaling brain. I almost always have something to write — be it a paragraph, a page, or six pages. The quantity doesn’t matter. The act of documenting your days does.

6. Track your journaling habit

Tracking my journaling is something I started doing rather recently. I really wanted the journaling habit to stick, so I decided to bring over my super simple tracking system from my art practice into my journaling practice as well.

All I do is write the letter J on my month-at-a-glance planner page on the days when I journal. Being able to see that written down in black and white does a couple of things for me:

• It helps me clearly see how often I have been writing. When you don’t track your writing, you can imagine that your absences are much longer than they really are.
• Once I start getting a little chain of “Js” going on my calendar, it becomes a bit of a game to not break that streak. And gamification is always fun!
• I can see any long chunks of non-journaling time, which pushes me to pick up my journal and get back to writing. Consistency is really helpful in building habits that last.

7. Play around with journaling techniques

Journaling daily can begin to feel a little bit boring if you never experiment with different techniques.

Bring some variety into your practice and switch up the way in which you document things.

Try this:

• Make lists of your favorite books or movies
• Add a spread to document the completion of a creative project
• Add in some ephemera {museum tickets, shopping receipts} to remember special highlights.

If you’re up for a more creative challenge, try your hand at lettering a favorite quote.

It’s also fun to add hobby or habit trackers right in the middle of your journal.

You can add a simple washi tape tab so you can get to your tracker quickly.

8. Don’t be afraid to make a mess

I’m willing to bet most of us have that one journal that’s too pretty to write in. I know I have more than one of those journals! And I can tell you that you will probably never be able to write in them. So if you’re serious about writing, get yourself a journal that you feel comfortable making a mess in!

This could be a cheap composition notebook, a spiral bound book, or a cloth-covered soft-bound notebook. Whatever you choose, just remember that it should not be too boring {spiral bound notebooks suck the joy right out of journaling for me!} and it shouldn’t feel in any way precious. Choose a notebook that you feel like opening up and writing in.

The feel of your journal in your hands and of the quality of the paper as you write makes a journaling session that much more enjoyable. Plus, when you’re comfortable with your journal, you won’t be afraid to make a mess in it, either!

9. Take your journal with you

I touched on this in one of the previous suggestions, but I think it bears repeating. Pop your journal into your handbag and take it along with you. You can journaling during your commute; while waiting on an appointment, at the coffee shop, or any time when you have some time on your hands.

As an added bonus, if you make it a habit to pull out your journal in these situations, it can help you to break your addiction to mindlessly scrolling your Instagram feed.

And don’t forget to carry your journal along on your travels! Your travel journal can become a beautiful treasure trove of memories, as you capture your impressions of the places you visit, and jot down your memories when they are still fresh in your mind. Don’t forget to add ephemera from your travels, and to make lists of your favorite eating spots and attractions that you’d love to revisit.

If the thought of writing in public feels daunting, just remember that it gets easier with time. Plus the chances of anyone reading what your write are slim to none — most people are too engrossed in their phones to notice, anyway!

10. Make journaling fun

There can be a certain sense of gravitas attached to journaling, but that really doesn’t have to be the case. Your journal, your rules, remember?

The likelihood of your creating a daily journaling practice is much higher if you find the process fun. So what would make journaling fun for you? Do that!

Experiment with using different colored pens; add stickers and washi; doodle along the margins of your page; turn your journal upside down or write diagonally across your journal.

Add some collage or sketching. Add some paint. Make some art right in your journal. Even if you have a separate art journal. Who says a written journal can’t have any art in it?

Fill a page with stickers or washi. In fact, start each journaling session by adding some stickers onto your page.

Glue down pretty images you found in a magazine.

Print out your favorite poem and glue it into your journal.

Those are just a few ideas to get you started. What else would make journaling fun for you?

11. Try journaling in a different place

Sometimes something as simple as changing the setting of where you journal can bring fresh inspiration to your pages. If you always write at your desk, try writing on the couch, or in your garden or out on the balcony, or in bed.

If you’re feeling particularly uninspired, try doodling in your journal while watching TV. Or go to your favorite park or coffee shop and try journaling there. A change in environment often gets the thoughts flowing once again.

Remember: there’s no such thing as the right time or place to journal. Experiment. Change things up. Do what works for you!

12. Use journaling prompts

Variety is the spice of life. So too, with journaling. One of the best ways to keep your journal entries fresh and interesting is with journal prompts. Not only do journaling prompts give you fresh ideas or subjects to write about, they can also spark an interesting line of inquiry, opening up the answers to things you may have kept buried away inside.

And while it can sound decidedly uncomfortable, being able to honestly look at all parts of yourself, your psyche, and you life is what makes a regular journaling practice such a powerful tool.

You can find a ton of great journaling prompts on Pinterest or via a quick Google search. Print out a list and keep it tucked away in your journal for some on-the-go inspiration.

13. Don’t try to be profound

I think I’ve already mentioned this before — your journal isn’t meant to be serious, life changing, or a legacy for your family. Keep it silly. Keep it fun. Be serious when you have to, but don’t try to treat your journaling like a memoir or a writing project.

It’s not about how well articulated you are in your diary, or about drawing parallels between your life and art, or about being intelligent or in any way projecting a persona onto your diary.

Just be yourself. If that’s goofy and silly one day, whiny another, and confused on a third, that’s perfectly fine! You’re not journaling for publication. Or for anyone else, for that matter.

14. Write for your eyes only

Which brings me to this point: write for your eyes only. That’s the only way to be completely honest within the pages of your journal, which is the point of all of this, really.

If you don’t allow yourself to self-reflect, or are afraid to be honest in your journal, you lose out on the therapeutic effects of a journaling practice. Remember, you’re writing for yourself, for self-reflection, not to impress anyone else.

If you’re afraid that your family members may read your journal, keep it in a secure place, even under lock and key if necessary. If you’re still afraid of someone reading your journal, it may be best to keep it on a password protected Word document or on an app that only you have access to.

After all, your journal should be your safe space.

15. Don’t turn your journal into a whine fest

All of us rant and whine in our journals from time to time, but if that is all you do, it won’t be helpful or enjoyable in the long term.

I know a lot of people give up on journaling because they keep writing the same old complaints over and over again. And that can quickly become boring and unhelpful!

When you find yourself stuck in a whiny loop, break the pattern.

Try this: Imagine that your rant was written by a friend. What advice would you give her? Write that down in your journal, and then act on it!

Brainstorming solutions to problems and breaking through stuck loops is one of the superpowers that you can develop with a daily journaling practice. You just need to pivot past the constant whining and self-blame, and the perspective shift in the exercise above is the best way that I know to do that.

Cultivating a daily journaling practice can be an invaluable tool to support you through everything that life throws your way. It’s an excellent way to document your daily life and to preserve some of your favorite memories. A regular journaling habit is also an excellent way to check-in with yourself and keep you on track with your goals and projects.

I hope that these journaling tips for beginners helps you to finally create a consistent journaling practice!