Journaling 101: How and Why to Start

Journaling has become a major part of my daily routine and an essential habit for my self-improvement the past couple of months. I’ve always had a little voice in the back of my head urging me to journal because I knew how beneficial it could be, but dozens of other thoughts always drowned it out. If this sounds like you – having too many thoughts swimming around in your skull and no way to organize them – guess what! You’re the perfect candidate for journaling.

Before, journaling always felt more like a chore than it did a hobby. I believed what I wrote had to be some deep, existential concepts – when I had none. Or a diary that recounted my amazing day filled with so many activities – which I also didn’t have. Or inspirational quotes and doodles of flowers in the margins – which honestly was just too cheesy for my liking.

Plus, it felt inconvenient to stop whatever I was doing, whip out my notebook and pen, and start writing down my thoughts – especially in situations where that wasn’t quite easy (school, driving, work, etc.).

However, after ending each day feeling like my brain was about to short-circuit with all the thoughts I had and nowhere to express them, I realized I should probably start writing shit down.

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So, how do you start journaling?

It’s simple really, just get a notebook and a writing utensil of your choice.

Neither of those things needs to be particularly fancy or “aesthetic” like you may think. However, getting a journal that you do like can help motivate you to write in it more.

I currently am using this journal from Target and my favorite pens are the black BIC ballpoint pens (yes, the ones that come in a 10 pack for $1.49 – told you it didn’t have to be fancy).

Finally, just write!

What the heck do you write about?

I knew you’d ask this.

You can write about literally anything, it’s your journal!

However, since most of you are probably looking for guidance, here are some of the things I write about in my journal:

Diary Entries

Sometimes I simply write about my day, especially if it was a particularly good (or bad!) one. Just like taking pictures of things you want to remember, writing down what happens in your life can give it more meaning.

Most of my “diary” entries are bullet points recounting what I did that day and how I felt. It could look something like this:

• I had such an amazing day hanging out with Mom. We went to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and got so many vegan snacks it was actually ridiculous.
• I came home and went on a jog during the most beautiful sunset ever. Dark blue, pink, and orange clouds filled the sky and it made me so happy.
• Also, I made some gingerbread cookies which I’ve been wanting to do for ages. I decorated them all cute and gave them to my friends (who also really liked the cookies).

See? It’s simple.

Is it a little cheesy? Yes.

Is it really necessary to record such mundane things? No, but also yes.

Although it may feel like your life is boring and you have nothing to write about, life is about finding meaning in the in-between moments. We tend to forget the little pockets of joy we experience daily, so writing them down helps you recognize the moments and keep them forever.

Life is about finding meaning in the in-between moments.

However, if you are not having a good day (which happens to all of us), writing about it can help you let go of the anger/frustration/pain in a healthy way.

On my bad days, I’ll write down all the shit that happened to me, how it made me feel, and really just rant to my journal like it’s my friend. I’ll write all the things I didn’t get to say, how I wish the situation would’ve panned out and why it felt as bad as it did. Afterward, I immediately feel lighter because I completely analyzed the situation and therefore can do nothing else but move on.

*That’s the most important part – using your journal to help you let go instead of holding on to unnecessary negativity.

Positive Affirmations

Some days you just need a little pick-me-up from low self-confidence, worries, and doubts. This is where positive affirmations come in.

Positive affirmations are just positive things you say about yourself! When writing them in my journal, I just bullet them out and keep writing until I feel better. For example:

• I am strong
• I am beautiful
• I am healthy
• I am kind
• I am amazing

The thing with positive affirmations is that you don’t actually have to believe them at the moment (which if you’re feeling low, you probably won’t). But, after writing them down and repeating them over and over, you will begin to believe them. Writing or saying positive affirmations often will rewire your brain to recognize them as the truth!

Like I mentioned, I do this on days where I’m struggling with my self-esteem or doubting myself. After filling a page or two with positive affirmations, I always feel better.

Scripting

Scripting is essentially taking positive affirmations to another level. I could write a whole blog post about scripting alone (which I might *wink wink*), but the summarized version is writing out your wishes and desires in the present tense as if they are happening or have already happened.

Scripting is a form of manifestation. Like I said with positive affirmations, writing things down that you don’t really believe or haven’t actually happened yet rewires your brain to:

1. believe them
or
2. look for ways to make them come true.

If you’re still confused, let’s dissect further. 

Think of a situation you’d like to come true in your life. Using me as an example, I really want to move out into my own apartment. Then, write out what a day in your life would look like if this were actually your reality. Remember, write in the present or past tense. It could look something like this:

• I love waking up every morning in my own apartment in the city – getting to wake up on my own time, the sun shining through my windows and the quiet buzz of the city around me. I step into my cozy slippers and make my way to the kitchen to start brewing a cup of coffee, and so on…

Make the journal entry as detailed and emotional as you can, as if you were really living in your desire.

Again, this technique helps you start believing that whatever you want can become your reality, surrounds you with the emotions of the desire, and allows your brain to look for ways to make it all come true.

Gratitude Lists

Gratitude lists fall into the same category as positive affirmations and are exactly what they sound like: a list of things you are grateful for.

Just like positive affirmations, you can write a gratitude list whether you’re already feeling good or need a pick-me-up from a negative headspace.

Gratitude is the foundation of a happy life and has been monumental in my personal development.

The reason gratitude is so important is because you can’t bring new things or desires into your life if you aren’t grateful for what you already have. Gratitude raises your vibration in order to attract more good things to you. Writing out a gratitude list can help recenter your attention to the now, rather than always looking to the future for your happiness.

You can’t bring new things or desires into your life if you aren’t grateful for what you already have.

It’s simple: Write out a list of all the things you’re grateful for. It can be as long or short as you’d like.

If you’re rolling your eyes reading this, thinking “my life sucks, I have nothing to be grateful for”, then start with the most basic things. You are alive. You are breathing. And you can obviously read in one way or another.

Once you start recognizing things to be grateful for, more things come your way. Pay attention to every small instance that makes you feel good and thank it. Sometimes you even have to show gratitude for the “bad” things because they helped you to evolve or learn something you needed to know. Try it, and I promise it will change your life.

I discuss gratitude in my blog post: 5 Habits You Need for Success!

Shadow Work

Shadow work is a more advanced journaling technique that I’ll also have to discuss in a separate post. In simple terms, shadow work is the process of exploring and working on the not-so-nice parts of yourself (aka your “shadow self”).

You definitely have to be in the right headspace to begin shadow work. It’s about working through old wounds, triggers, and unhealthy behaviors in order to move on and find more light. It can and will be uncomfortable.

Although it can be hard to face parts of yourself that you’re scared of, shadow work has personally helped me recognize negative beliefs and habits of mine that needed to be let go.

Again, don’t start this if you’re not ready to. You can dip your toes in by writing about a bad day: what made it a bad day, why you were hurt by it, what you wish would’ve happened, and what you can do to move on (like mentioned in the “diary entries” section).

Simply recognizing your bad habits or thoughts is a great start to your self-development. Shadow work just gets to the root of the problems in order to work through them completely.

(If you want to learn more about shadow work, I recommend going to Pinterest and searching “shadow work journal prompts” for inspiration.)

Why you should journal.

As seen in all of the techniques, journaling helps you to explore both the positive and negative parts of yourself in order to grow mentally and spiritually.

It can help to lift your mood, work through tough situations, and capture moments you may have otherwise forgotten.

It’s pretty much the closest thing to free therapy.

But the best part is having all that self-development permanently recorded to reflect back on.

I only started journaling regularly in the past 6 months, but I wish I would’ve done it more when I was really struggling with my depression and mental health. I only have sporadic entries from my dark times, and although they are hard to read, I would kill to have more insight into what was going on inside my head.

Even though I am now in a much better place, I still am able to see how much I’ve evolved over the past 6 months from my journal entries alone. It’s literally an autobiography of your life – who wouldn’t want to have that!

Journaling has so many benefits, but here are just a few:

• Recording memories you may have otherwise forgotten
• Working through tough situations in a healthy way
• Providing yourself with positive affirmations
• Reflecting on progress you have made
• Exploring your desires and dreams
• Safely and freely expressing your emotions
• Permanently documenting all of the above

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My experience…

Journaling has become such an essential part of my life. I’ve filled up nearly half of my current notebook in just a month! (I even bought a bigger notebook than normal but didn’t anticipate I’d write that much!)

It has provided me with a healthy way to express both positive and negative emotions, record thoughts that would otherwise have been forgotten, and keep track of all the progress I continue to make mentally and spiritually.

Talk to me in the comments below! Do you already keep a journal? Or, now that you have learned more about it, do you want to start? I’d love to hear your experiences with journaling!

I hope you all have a lovely day or night wherever you are in the world. Lots of love x

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