50 Journaling Tips

Journaling is a fun and rewarding way to document the life’s happenings.

Journalling helps one to understand who they were then, who they are now and who they want to be in the future. Journaling can help a person find answers and insight to things affecting their lives. It can help them clear their mind of struggles, savor their accomplishments and much, much more.

If you’ve considered taking up journaling, keep these tips in mind.

1.   Journal daily for best results. This allows you to document things in much more detail.

2.   You don’t have to write a novel, just a few sentences will do.

3.   Journal when your mind is at ease so you can focus. This may be first thing in the morning, during your lunch break or the last thing you do at night.

4.   Record more than just your thoughts. Include your feelings, the sights, sounds and smells around you. What color was the sky? Did you smell fresh cut grass? What was the person wearing?

5.   Write about where you are in life at this moment.

6.   Write about how you got to this moment in life and where you see yourself going from here.

7.   Don’t worry about using correct grammar, full sentences or punctuation. This is for your eyes only. Just let the thoughts flow.

8.   Don’t censor your thoughts or feelings. Just write it as you see, think or feel it.

9.   Create a gratitude journal for all the things you are grateful for. When you’re feeling lost or down, read through it to brighten your day.

10. Include more than just words. Photos, drawings, stickers, poems, quotes, scriptures, mementos and more can be added.

11. Journal about your successes and failures. It will bring you much insight.

12. When trying to solve a problem, write it down in third person so you see it from a new perspective.

13. Don’t just surface write. Tap into your deeper emotions and thoughts to get the most benefit for your efforts.

14. Pen and paper are much more effective for journaling than using digital devices.

15. If pen and paper just doesn’t work for you, then go the digital route. It’s better than not journaling at all.

16. Set limits, at least at first. Start with 2 minutes or one page and work your way to the point where you feel most comfortable. Once you get into a groove, aim for 10-15 minutes of journaling but again, do what feels right for you.

17. Do not edit. The whole point in journaling is to explore your mind and document your thoughts. Editing stops the natural flow of things.

18. Add a memorable title and date to each entry.

19. Keep your journal in a secure location to ease your mind about writing private things.

20. Journal in the same location every day. This might be your dining room table, your bed or your favorite coffee shop.

21. Leave room for a table of contents. Once your journal is complete, you can add it at that time. This will allow you to quickly find what you are looking for.

22. If you struggle to journal, try a different method. If you’re currently using an app, see if pen and paper will work better. Change the time or location you journal to see if that helps.

23. Make a list of writing prompts to help when you feel you have nothing to write about.

24. If you are short on time, make note of the most important details and come back to finish the writing later.

25. Take your journal everywhere you go. You never know when an inspiring thought will come.

26. Journal about anything that is important to you; people, places, ideas, books, poetry, etc.

27. Add new words to your journal. Select a word and see if you can use it in your journal for the day.

28. If necessary, great a starter phrase and use it time and again. “It all started….”

29. Get creative. Add fun, silly thoughts to your journal. You don’t always have to be serious.

30. No matter how you feel, write every day. Write when you’re sick, when you’re happy, when your sad, when you’re tired or hung over.

31. Are you working towards something big? If so, document your progress.

32. Use your journal to plan future events. Planning a vacation? Getting married?

33. Document your goals, if you have any and your progress as you work towards them.

34. Record details such conversations, time, date, location, the weather, your mood, your reactions to something and more.

35. Use your journal to document your bucket list(s).

36. Journal about things that make you feel good or feel bad.

37. Journal about your most secret thoughts and ideas.

38. Journal about others in your life; your friends, family, co-workers, pets, etc.

39. Document lessons you’ve learned.

40. Journal about the dreams you have at night as well as your dreams and aspirations.

41. Never miss more than a few days of journaling at one time. It could create a stall that might last much longer.

42. Keep your journal within sight so you can write things down as they come to you. 

43. Become one with nature. Grab your journal and take a walk. Stop somewhere safe and quiet to document the sights and sounds you hear and see.

44. Before you start writing, relax and breathe deep. Clear your mind to everything except what you plan to write about at that moment.

45. Use a timer if necessary to take the pressure of having to write off your shoulders.

46. When trying to solve a problem, consider the outcomes of each scenario. If that happens, then what? If it doesn’t happen, what then? If it happens another way, how will that affect things? How likely is this to happen?

47. At times, you may want to conduct a total mind dump. When this happens just start writing. Don’t worry if it makes sense, just write everything that comes to mind. You’ll feel like a new person getting those thoughts off of your mind and you can explore individual pieces of the mind dump at a later time if you feel like it.

48. Consider writing “Top Ten” lists. “Top 10 Things I Worry About”, “Top 10 Things I Love About Myself” and so forth.

49. Don’t forget to include perspective. Consider allows you to consider things from a different point of view. This may be reflecting back on past things, considering how another person feels or imagining how things might look, feel or be different in the future.

50. Be authentic. Journaling is for your own well being. Don’t be scared to share your core values, your joy and love, your spirituality, creativity, fears, likes and dislikes.

 Capturing the moment in the written form has so many benefits to your mind and body. If you journal regularly and truthfully, it can literally change your life.

This can be the beginning of your memoir. More on this found at www.writerssecrets.com