How to get started journaling EASILY — just start!
Introduction
You may have heard that journaling can be very beneficial to the writer but feel a little fearful about how to get started journaling.
I started off thinking this too, but in reality getting started in journaling needed be too hard to do. Don’t think about it too hard or too long. If you want to know how to start your journaling habit, just read my list of points to consider below and jump right in.
What is journaling and how do you do it?
Journaling at it’s simplest is dedicating some time to write down your thoughts and feelings on a regular basis. It’s about setting aside some time in your day to stop and think about your life.
You can just write a record of what you did that day, what went well, what went wrong and that would be a great start.
You can write just a few lines or pages and pages. You can rant about something on your mind or some obstruction in your life or job.
What is important is that you take a little time to stop and analyse things. Better still is if you can make a regular habit of it.
Keeping a journal helps you deal with the ups and down in life as they happen to you as well as prompting you to think about things that might be.
Writing it down helps you remember things you did right and things you did wrong. Taking time to analyse situations expands your mind and helps you make better decisions in similar situations in the future.
How do you start a beginner Journal?
Many people wondering how to get started journaling put off actually starting a journal by overthinking what you need to do.
I agree there are numerous types of journals you can start and you may struggle initially to decide which type to keep. And it may be that after you have been journaling for a while you decide to change style.
But to get you going, just start off with pen and paper. Find a pen you like to write with and just get an empty A4 or A5 spiral notebook with quality paper in it.
If you prefer tech and want to go digital, you could instead open a Word document or some other note-taking software and just start writing.
But many writing purists would suggest that, in fact, a pen and paper are the best way to record your thoughts. There’s something primitive and personal about recording in your own handwriting that you don’t get with software.
Plus the fact that a pen and paper is extremely portable. You’ll be able to write wherever and whenever you want and you won’t have any excuses not to journal!
Other questions about starting a journal
As you think about starting, these other questions may come to mind:
Is it better to journal in the morning at night?
As in so many questions about journaling, there is no right or wrong answer and it’s up to you to decide how you like to do it best.
Doing it first thing in the morning will appeal to many people. You can beat procrastination this way by getting your journaling done before your day gets going. It may even set your day up well by getting you into the right mindset.
You may have to work at setting the time aside but you only need five to ten minutes and it’s worth the effort.
Doing your writing last thing at night also has it’s pros and cons. It can work surprisingly well if you do it as you go to bed, particularly if you are conducting a gratitude journal. Thinking of all the good things in your life can be a beneficial practice just before you go to sleep.
Equally, though, you would have to be aware you may be tired at the end of the day and start to miss sessions, which won’t help your practice overall.
Should I journal every day?
Absolutely. Write consistently if you can.
Whichever way you decide to journal you should try to set it up so that you make it a habit, and almost a ritual. You will get much more out of it and it will be much more effective for you if you write every day, rather than sporadically.
But you shouldn’t beat yourself up if you miss the odd day. Set a path of writing every day and if you miss a day, just shrug and resolve to pick it up again the next day.
What can I do to make starting a journal easier?
There are several actions you can take to help you start and keep up a daily writing practice:
Summary
Keeping a journal has many benefits.
Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper help you remember events better.
Recording your reactions and feelings about events gives you clarity and insight into who you are and what is important to you.
Getting started in journaling can be easy as just making the decision to! Get a pad and pen and just write.
Once you have made it a habit, you can venture into different types of journals, such as bullet journals or vision journals. Gratitude journals can have profound effects on people’s lives. Give yourself the chance to experience it.
I hope you enjoyed my article on how to get started journaling. Please consider leaving a comment. It would be great to hear your thoughts.
Originally published on my blog at https://helpwithjournaling.com.
