14 Valueable Journaling Tips for Beginners: The Easiest Way to Start
You’ve probably heard that journaling is a great practice to express gratitude, your thoughts and feelings, be more mindful, and even reach your goal faster.
And you might have tried journaling, but it feels a little bit odd. It always sounds like Dear diary - you’re just not vibing it.
How come so many people find journaling therapeutic or even life-changing? Do you have to possess a particular skill or think differently?
Well, I am so glad you’ve found this article.
Here are 14 valueable journaling tips for beginners that will help you make journaling a pleasure activity in your day.
Learn how to make journaling part of your routine, even if you’re a beginner.
14 Journaling Tips for Beginners to Start Right Away
#1 Know there are no rules.
There are no rules when it comes to journaling. It’s your journal, time, mind, and feelings.
You can write whatever you feel, think, or comes to your mind.
If it feels unnatural in the beginning, imagine you’re writing to your best friend. You’re telling him what’s on your mind, what’s currently happening around you.
Find the thing you enjoy writing about. Also, you can write about something different every day.
As I told you, there are no rules. You may want to write about your day, tomorrow about how you feel or what happened at work, and the day after, describe your dream life.
Use the empty sheets to express the thoughts that come to mind and feelings that come to your heart.
Also, you don’t have to write 1 page every day. You might not even have to journal every day. You’re in charge, so you set the rules.
#2 Eliminate distractions.
Don’t answer messages or watch a TV show while journaling.
The whole idea of journaling is to let your mind wander and express it on paper.
Checking your phone all the time might block that experience. It might be the reason why you find journaling so unnatural.
I won’t lie to you: as with any other practice, it takes time until it becomes a habit.
The first two or three sentences may be a struggle in the beginning.
The magic happens once you go with the flow without being distracted.
If you want to tune into a practice, limit the distractions, especially phone notifications.
And that’s when you can experience the genuine benefits of journaling.
Try to focus only on one thing at a time to make sure you tune into it. This way, you can take the most advantage of it.
#3 Don’t try to be perfect.
As I mentioned in tip #1: there’re no rules. So, don’t try to be perfect.
You’re supposed to be the only person who will read (if you ever do it) your journal. You don’t have anything to prove.
Journaling is a practice that helps express your thoughts and feelings on paper. It’s like therapy with yourself. There’s no right or wrong.
Learn to go with the flow, and tune in to what you think and feel in the moment.
You might write a story of your childhood that brings you nostalgia and happiness.
You may write for half an hour one day and 5 minutes the next one.
Don’t try to force yourself. Go with the flow and tune into your inner self.
#4 Start with affirmations and quotes.
If you find it really hard to start, write some affirmations and quotes.
When you struggle, start with the basics.
Writing affirmations or your favorite quotes will warm up your mind. It might be the stepping stone you need to start sharing.
Affirmations and quotes are a great way to start because they are positive. They will set your mind on a positive note and help you explore this side further.
#5 Express gratitude.
Expressing gratitude for everything you have and appreciate in your life is powerful.
It’s another good practice for beginners and when you struggle to start.
Like affirmations, expressing gratitude warms up your mind. It's a practice that helps you fill out the empty sheet in front of you.
This way, the process of journaling becomes less intimidating.
Don’t feel the pressure to write two pages full of gratitude.
Tune into your inner self and express your true feelings. Never forget tip number one: there are no rules.
#6 Keep it short.
When you’re just starting, focus on turning journaling into a habit.
It doesn’t mean you have to spend 30+ minutes daily. Start with journaling for 5 minutes.
You don’t have to spend hours journaling. All you need are 5 minutes before going to bed, for example.
Turn on a timer and know you have exactly 5 minutes to write - no less, no more. Even if you want to write after the 5 minutes pass by, don’t.
First, focus on building it as a habit and enjoying it. Once you’ve done that and realize the benefits of journaling, take as much time as you have and want.
#7 Try a new environment.
Journaling is a practice that tunes you into your inner world. You may need to change the environment to shift to the right vibe.
Look for places that make you feel peaceful. Try to avoid crowds.
Most people enjoy being close to nature.
Also, don’t forget tip number two: limit distractions. Put your phone on do not disturb so you don’t get notifications.
Another idea is to make a zen spot at your home.
It might be something small like a comfy chair in the corner of the room, lighting a candle, or being outside on your balcony.
Think of places and details that make you feel calm. It is the best state of mind when you want to tune into your inner world.
#8 Track your habit.
If you want to make journaling a habit, it’s a good practice to track how often you do it.
Note: For practice to become a habit, you don’t have to do it daily.
Have a goal of journaling, for example, four days a week. Track how well you’re doing it.
If you’re not hitting that goal, what are the obstacles?
Analyze the situations and see what did not go as planned.
Was it because you did not know what to journal about, did not have enough time, felt it was a stupid practice, etc.
Once you know what’s stopping you, you can work to eliminate it and turn it into a habit.
And if you need a habit tracker, you can download the one I did especially for you.
#9 Make your journal all about you.
As I said: your journal is about you. It’s about your inner world, feelings, thoughts, desires, dreams - you name it.
Your journal is the space that’s all about you. Make it personal, make it yours.
It’s all about you. Don’t feel selfish that you’re writing about only yourself.
Your journal is your space and time to think out loud about how life goes and what you want to improve.
#10 Enjoy it.
One of the best and easiest ways for a practice to become a habit is to enjoy it.
If you’ve tried journaling about various things and still don’t see the benefits of journaling, don’t do it.
The habits you do in your day-to-day life have to benefit you, not to feel like punishment.
Maybe journaling is not your thing. Or maybe, it’s not your thing at this very moment.
Just because a practice works for somebody else or it’s trendy, it doesn’t mean it has to work for you or that you’re doing it wrong.
If you’ve found that journaling is helpful but struggle to make it a habit, increase the benefits. As you already know, there are no rules.
#11 Cope with stress while journaling.
As I mentioned a few times, journaling is like therapy.
In therapy, you usually share your insecurities and current situations that stress you out.
Well, share the same things on paper. Most of the time, saying (or writing in that case) what has happened and how it upsets you can help you feel better.
But if you want to go deeper, analyze those situations. What about them did stress you out? Are they in your control? Can you make a change to prevent it from happening again?
Figure out what’s within your control. Those are the situations you can work on and make them less stressful.
Journaling helps you cope with stress and realize what’s within your control.
#12 Reflect on the week/ month.
A great way to use journaling is to reflect on the past week or month.
What went well, and what did not? If you’ve set some goals at the beginning, have you accomplished them? Why or why not? What can you improve for next time?
Analyze every detail that matter to you. This way, you get honest feedback, look realistically at what you’ve achieved, and can work on improving some areas.
Don’t beat yourself up if something hasn’t gone up to plan.
Analyze the situation and think about what you can improve next time.
You can’t turn back time, but you can work towards your better self. And journaling is a great tool.
#13 Keep it simple.
If you feel like writing about your day, that’s great. And if you feel like writing about something that has bothered you for a while, that’s amazing too.
Don’t overthink it. You don’t have to make a significant discovery about yourself every day.
Make journaling a way to express your thoughts and feelings that helps you refreshen your mind. Don’t overcomplicate it.
#14 Start.
You’ve gone through all the tips. You’ve set your timer up and decided about the topic you want to journal.
Now it’s time for the most significant step: START.
Start messy, start with having the perfect plan without sticking to it, begin just to get interrupted by an Instagram notification (I told you to put your phone on DND), etc.
Starting is the most significant step because once you do it, you can understand:
Whether journaling is beneficial for you;
What do you enjoy about journaling;
When is the best time for you to journal;
What do you like to journal about;
What are your deepest thoughts, desires, and feelings?
The most important step is to start. Don’t overthink it.
How is Journaling Beneficial for You?
After all the hard work you’ve done to make journaling a habit, how is it good for you?
The benefits of journaling are numerous and pretty unique.
As you already know, there are no rules when you journal. It means that every person journals in their unique way. Therefore, the benefits are various.
Journaling helps you:
Manage stress.
Dig deeper into your inner world and understand yourself better.
Analyze certain situations and learn from them.
Be honest with yourself.
Remove any mindset barriers.
Don’t expect to feel very inspired after journaling once. Honestly, the first time feels pretty odd.
The magic happens when you keep going and find your unique approach to it.
How soon you’ll experience the benefits from journaling and what they will be is entirely up to you.
As with any other practice, you’ll see the results after investing time and effort.
Journaling may be a powerful tool that helps show up as a better person for yourself and the world.
Understand Why You Want to Journal
In my opinion, there are three rules when you want to make a practice become a habit:
Make it easy.
Make it enjoyable.
Have a strong why.
Checking all of the above will transform how you perceive any habit, not just journaling.
When you make practice easy to stick to, enjoyable, and know the real reason why you want it to become a habit, you stop seeing it as a chore.
Find out the reason why you want to journal. Once you have a deeper why, you’ll be able to stick to the practice easier.
You do it because you like it and see the benefits every day.
So, ask yourself why do you want to start journaling? Dig deep. Don’t answer something like: Everyone else is doing it.
If journaling is a practice you want to reduce stress in your life, ask one more time why.
How will your life change if you are less stressed? Maybe you’ll be able to show up a better person, have the time and willingness to start a business, take better care of your family, etc.
Having a deeper why helps you stick to a habit with much less effort.
Every time you say no to that habit, you’re saying no to your next-level self.
Take some time, and find deeper why. You can even journal about that as a warm-up practice.
What You’ll Need to Start Journaling
Once you have a meaningful reason and know what you’re going to journal about, it’s time to get everything you’ll need.
Thankfully, you can start pretty simple.
If you want to start very simple, you will need an empty notebook and a pen.
I think this is the best way to start.
You can explore what you like. It also gives you the freedom to experiment. It is the option with the most flexibility but zero guidance.
If you feel in the mood to explore, choose this one.
If you’re still unsure about journaling and what it can bring to your life, I recommend you grab a pre-made journal to get some guidance.
When you make it a habit and enjoy it, you can use an empty notebook and let your imagination wander.
Here are my top pre-made journals you can fill in daily or whenever you feel like it.
This option is for absolute beginners.
It’s simple, and you have a daily log-in.
You get to track food, exercise, and any other activities you’ve done throughout the day.
Also, take note of how different activities felt and your mood.
It reminds you to be kind to yourself and encourages self-care.
This journal can help you experience the benefits of journaling as a reminder to be kind, eat better, and share a little bit of your day. It’s the perfect choice for the shy beginner.
This journal is the perfect option if you want something simple, quick, yet effective.
It’s precise to the point. It makes you think deeper about your priorities and express gratitude.
You are also able to note what you’ve learned from today’s experiences.
It is the perfect choice for people who don’t want to spend lots of time journaling and still experience the benefits. I think this journal works for both beginners and more advanced people.
This journal is the best option if you want to focus intensely on your inner world.
It guides you to notice patterns and triggers, work on them, and track your mood.
This journal can get you out of your comfort zone and make you dig deep.
If this is something you want to focus on, go for that one. I would say that it’s a better option for people who have already built the habit of journaling but want to explore their inner world.
This option is a mixture between a planner and an intentional journal.
It encourages you to visualize your dream future and put purposeful work towards it.
This journal is the perfect pick for ambitious businesswomen who love structure in their life and are not afraid to dream big.
What to Expect from Journaling
Miracles don't happen overnight. You’ll experience astonishing benefits from journaling if you put in the effort and time.
Find the method that best works for you and try it. Be as consistent as possible, and you’ll start noticing the changes.
The most noticeable benefits that I experienced are:
The way I talk to myself;
How I respond to different situations.
Let me know in the comments below: have you journaled before. If yes, what obstacles stopped you from making it a part of your routine?
For a very long time, I was trying to journal now and then without being consistent.
Then, I made a template that works for me and my daily life. I started filling it out every night before going to bed.
After being consistent for a month, I noticed that I stopped beating myself up, was more confident, and did not let every minor irritation spoil my day.
When you’re still a beginner at journaling, focus on making it a habit. After that, you’ll see the benefits that will help you improve your life and become your better self.
Meanwhile, if you need any additional help with creating a healthier and happier lifestyle, check my 1:1 nutrition coaching.
You will get the guidance you’re missing to achieve your goals and improve your overall quality of life.
I hope this article motivated you to keep on going with your wellness journey with more confidence.
Also, let me know about your nutrition and wellness struggles in the comments below or fill out my survey. Once I know what bothers you, I will end it.
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