creative writing for journaling

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Best Family Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2024 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

50 Inspiring Journal Prompts to Spark Your Creativity

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

Cavan Images / Getty Images

Benefits of Using Journal Prompts

How to use journal prompts, journal prompts you can try, how do you come up with a journal prompt.

A journal can be a trusted companion that helps you reflect on your thoughts, feelings, actions, decisions, and relationships. Research shows that journaling is linked to better planning, lower stress, and better physical and mental health.

Whether you write in your journal regularly or you’re just getting started, you might sometimes find yourself staring at a blank page and wondering what to write. If you’re at a loss for words, a journal prompt can come to the rescue.

Journal prompts are suggestions, ideas, or questions that can help guide and inspire your journal entries, says Sabrina Romanoff , PsyD, a clinical psychologist and professor at Yeshiva University.

“Prompts are typically themes to reflect on or questions that are meant to motivate you to think deeper about something,” Dr. Romanoff adds.

In this article, we suggest some journal prompts that can spark your creativity . We also ask the expert for some strategies that can help you create your own journal prompts.

Prompted journaling, also known as guided journaling, offers several benefits:

Starting point: If you’ve never tried journaling before or if you’re experiencing writer’s block, journal prompts can help you get started.
Direction: Prompts can provide direction to your writing, says Dr. Romanoff. By focusing on a specific topic or question, you can explore your thoughts and feelings around it.
Structure: Sometimes, you might prefer to write down your thoughts freely as they occur. However, there may be times when you want to organize your thoughts more coherently. Journal prompts can provide the structure you need to organize your thoughts.
Creativity: Using different journal prompts can introduce variety to your journaling experience. It can encourage you to think more creatively and approach things from different angles.
Insight: Journal prompts can provide topics or themes that help you explore fresh perspectives and new dimensions of yourself, says Dr. Romanoff. This process can help you discover personal insights and promote greater self-awareness .
Consistency: Having a prompt to guide each journaling session can encourage you to maintain a regular journaling practice. The prompts can make journaling feel like a purposeful and engaging activity, which may help you be more consistent with it.

These are some strategies that can help you use journal prompts:

Find prompts that inspire you: Dr. Romanoff suggests making a list of prompts that you find inspiring or motivating—you can come up with your own, buy a journal with prompts, or look online for examples.
Decide your frequency: It can be helpful to set a frequency for journaling, such as daily, weekly, monthly or at any other interval that works for you. You can use prompts every time you journal or just when you’re feeling stagnant and craving inspiration or motivation for your journaling session, says Dr. Romanoff.
Keep an open mind: Approach prompted journaling with an open mind . Reflect on the prompt and explore where it takes you. You can write as much or as little as you like.
Get creative: Don’t be afraid to get creative with your responses or limit yourself only to words. You can even pen down your thoughts and feelings in the form of drawings or poetry, if you prefer.
Be honest and authentic: Honesty is key to getting the most out of journaling. Write from the heart and don't be afraid to express your true feelings, even if they are complex or challenging.
Reflect on your responses: After you've written your responses, take a moment to reflect on what you've written. Consider how your thoughts and emotions have evolved over the course of writing them down.

These are some journal prompts that can help you get started.

Self-Discovery Prompts

Self-discovery prompts can help you self-reflect and get to know yourself better. Greater self-awareness is linked to improved emotional intelligence.

These are some journal prompts that can enable self-discovery:

First, list five words that best describe you. Then, think about which five words you would like to describe yourself.
Complete this sentence: “My life would be incomplete without….”
Reflect on a phrase, quote, or mantra that resonates with you. Explain why it’s significant to you.
Make a list of the things in your life that you’re most grateful for.
Explain what you do best.
Reflect on the qualities that you value most in others.
Share three things that made you smile today.
List your best and worst habits.
Write down three life lessons you’ve learned.
Explain what love means to you.
Describe the values that are most important to you and consider whether your actions align with them.
Think about what you would do with your life if you had unlimited resources and explain why.
Describe what is stressing you out and how you’re coping with it.
Write about your biggest regret and what you would do differently in hindsight.
Identify and label the fears and insecurities that are holding you back right now.

Personal Growth Prompts

These are some journal prompts that can encourage personal growth:

What are three short-term goals you would like to achieve within the next three months?
What are three long-term goals you would like to achieve within the next five years?
Which skill would you like to cultivate in yourself?
Which qualities do you admire most in others that you would like to develop in yourself?
Which areas of your life would benefit from more self-discipline ?
What is your worst habit and how would you change it?
What’s something new you would like to try?
What habit do you want to add to your daily routine?
What would you like to contribute to your community?
What is the biggest challenge you’re dealing with right now?
What is the biggest failure you’ve ever faced and what have you learned from it?
How would you like to be remembered by others?
How can you better support your loved ones?
What boundaries would you like to set in your relationships to protect yourself?

Mindfulness Prompts

Mindfulness prompts can help you become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, senses, and surroundings. Being more mindful can help you be more intentional and purposeful in the way you live your life.

These are some journal prompts that can support greater mindfulness:

Describe a meal you ate today. What colors, textures, tastes, and feelings did you experience?
Pick an everyday object from your surroundings, like a plant or a pencil. Write a detailed description of it as if you've never seen it before.
Focus on a sound in the background, such as the ticking of a clock or the rustling of the breeze. Describe the sound and its impact on you.
Close your eyes for a minute and pay attention to your breath. When you open your eyes, write down what it felt like.
Describe your ideal day from morning to night. What activities, people, and experiences would be part of it?
Reflect on your thoughts without judgment . Identify and describe any feelings you're experiencing in the present moment.
Write about a recent interaction with someone. What were their words, expressions, and gestures? How did you feel during the interaction?
Think back to a moment of happiness you experienced recently. Relive the sensations, thoughts, and emotions associated with it.
Think about the place where you feel most at peace. What makes it special to you?
Recall a time when you were worrying about something in the future. How did it affect your present moment and what would you have done differently?

Creativity Prompts

These are some journal prompts that can spark creativity :

Write a letter to your favorite fictional character, describing your life to them.
Make a list of questions you would like to ask a future version of yourself.
Think about your favorite word or phrase. Explain why you love it.
Choose a random object from your surroundings. What qualities do you have in common with it?
Make a list of ten unusual ways to use a common household item. Get creative and think outside the box.
Write a conversation between two inanimate objects, giving them personalities and voices.
Invent a gadget that would make your life more efficient or interesting.
Choose a word from a foreign language that doesn't have a direct English translation. Describe the last time you encountered or experienced it.
Imagine you get the chance to be any animal for a day. Which animal would you pick and what would you do?
Invent a new holiday and outline the traditions, celebrations, and rituals associated with it, based on your values.
If you have a time machine and you can go anywhere in the past or future, where would you go and what would you do there?

These are some strategies that can help you come up with your own journal prompts:

Decide your goals: First, consider what your goal of journaling is and then work backwards to find ways to achieve that goal, says Dr. Romanoff. For instance, she says gratitude , relationships, learning, self-growth, or creativity are goals that you might want to pursue.
Find prompts that align with your goals: Write down a few prompts that resonate with you and align with your current goals, interests, or areas of focus. You can add more or tweak them as you go along.
Mix and match different prompts: Feel free to mix and match prompts from different sources or create your own variations. Experiment with different types of prompts to keep your journaling practice engaging and varied.
Build on existing prompts: If a prompt leads you to new insights or questions, consider exploring those ideas in subsequent journal entries. You can use your initial response as a springboard for deeper exploration.

Journaling can be a form of self-care , a way to connect with yourself, or a creative exercise.

If you enjoy journaling, having prompts can help guide your thoughts and focus your attention in a specific direction. Having a new journal prompt to work on every time you’re in the mood to journal can be exciting, comforting, and even a little scary. Just think of each prompt as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself.

Pena‐Silva RA, Velasco‐Castro JM, Matsingos C, Jaramillo‐Rincon SX. Journaling as an effective tool to promote metacognition and enhance study methods in a pharmacology course, during and after the pandemic . FASEB J . 2022;36(Suppl 1):10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.R4840. doi:10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.R4840

Drigas AS, Papoutsi C. A new layered model on emotional intelligence . Behav Sci (Basel) . 2018;8(5):45. doi:10.3390/bs8050045

Crego A, Yela JR, Gómez-Martínez MÁ, Riesco-Matías P, Petisco-Rodríguez C. Relationships between mindfulness, purpose in life, happiness, anxiety, and depression: testing a mediation model in a sample of women . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021;18(3):925. doi:10.3390/ijerph18030925

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

15 Types of Creative Journaling Plus Benefits and Techniques

Discover our guide with the best prompts for creative journaling and become a seasoned writer in no time!

All writers struggle from time to time with writer’s block or feeling stuck in a rut. When your creative spark doesn’t ignite, it can be frustrating; sometimes stream of consciousness journaling can help you break through this wall. Creative journaling is one of my favorite low-stress solutions when I’m feeling uninspired. It comes in all forms, can help you focus or brainstorm, and feels good. Let’s explore how it works.

What is a Creative Journaling?

1. traditional written journal, 2. freeform journaling, 3. a poetry journal, 4. mixed scrapbook journaling, 5. travel journaling, 6. junk journaling, 7. a journal with prompts, 8. sketch or art journaling, 9. mind mapping, 10. bullet journaling, 11. dream journaling, 12. morning journal, 13. a reading journal, 14. food journal, 15. draft journal, 16. affirmation journal, what are some examples of creative journaling, can creative journaling help me organize, what are some creative exercises i can do in my journal.

Creative journaling is a way of getting your thoughts onto the page – and not necessarily with the written word, either! It helps encourage imagination and creative thinking as you combine mediums or try new types of prose and poetry to express thoughts. The result is a more flexible approach to writing and often some great ideas for both nonfiction and fiction approaches in your work.

“What?” you might be thinking, “How is a traditional journal creative? I already know how those work.” The goal is to use a traditional journal to unlock new thoughts. Open up a notebook, and you are confronted with very normal lines to write on. But, with creative journaling, you can find new ways to express thoughts by just getting the words out and seeing what happens. This is a great way to stumble across writing techniques and approaches you would have never thought of before, especially for forms like fiction or creative nonfiction.

In freeform journaling, write freely without sticking to the traditional writing rules. Why not skip as many lines as you want between sentences, and write wherever you want on the page? Why not write one section in the first person and the next in the second person? Why not write an entire paragraph in nouns, and the next in verbs, while still trying to convey your meaning?

As you can see, this kind of daily journal is a great way to play around with grammar and explore writing styles you don’t often use. It doesn’t always have to make sense, and it doesn’t have to be printable. The goal is to let creativity take over and write whatever comes to mind.

Even if you don’t usually try poetry, a poetry journal can be one of the powerful creative journaling ideas that jumpstart your writing. Noting down poems and playing with writing techniques such as metaphor, rhyme, and simile can inspire creative thinking and generate new ideas for your writing.

Also called a mixed media journal, this DIY journaling style allows you to be creative. While a traditional scrapbook focuses on pasting in complementary photos, shapes, and artwork, a mixed media version is much more freeform. You can write, draw, or paste in shapes and photos as you desire. Break out the crayons and color up a page! Write a paragraph, then doodle your thoughts about that paragraph around it.

Look for ways to combine thoughts with colors and images that you identify with those thoughts, then find suitable materials for the job. Maybe even grab a pack of stickers to use. Later on, when you are writing more traditionally, consider how references to colors or imagery could help strengthen your writing.

Travel journaling can be considered a form of diary writing; it is about recording the new places you visit, the new people you meet, and the new experiences you have. You don’t have to write in any particular form; remember to be descriptive and record what happened so you can remember it clearly. This will improve your descriptive writing and help you reference your experiences for later inspiration.

Junk journaling is travel-related scrapbooking where you paste actual mementos of your experiences. It’s focused on things that you would otherwise throw away after use. That could include train tickets, subway passports from a different city, wrappers from the food you ate on an airplane, pieces of a map you used, etc.

It’s a way to improve your memory and create a special journal to share with others. This type of journaling doesn’t require travel, either. Junk journaling can record actual receipts you collected or candy wrappers from a particular snack you had.

Create a daily journal with writing prompts for each session to give you a starting place. There are many journals prompts like this, with many different themes, so you can customize the prompts for what you had in mind. Here’s an affordable option on Amazon for generic prompts to give you an idea. Writing prompts are helpful because they give you a starting place, and you don’t have to develop a subject independently.

This type of journaling uses black sketchbooks and lets you choose what to put on the canvas. That opens a lot of doors for creative sketching and drawing. Again, even if you aren’t that type of artist, you can still find a lot of value in this journaling method. Sketching (no matter how good or bad you are) can unveil hidden possibilities in the world around you.

No matter how absently, drawing can help you focus your thoughts and create new realizations. Journaling has been found to offer many multiple benefits for creatives. If you are an artist, check out our article on art journaling for the complete lowdown. If not, have fun with lettering and doodles as you go.

Mind mapping is a digital option that’s closely related to brainstorming. Here, you can use an app to create and connect thought bubbles in various ways. The first benefit is that you don’t need to write or type that much to start mind mapping: Grab a good app, like the popular Xmind .

The second benefit is that you can start listing random thoughts or ideas that you’re having, in no particular order, then connect and categorize them later. It’s a good option for people who like to start with many different thoughts and find ways to link them together.

Bullet journaling means using bullet points when you journal. It’s a popular recommendation for people working on to-do lists and checklists they want to tackle. But bullet points can be used creatively by listing thoughts and feelings or creating lists of story ideas – you can write random ideas, even if they’re only a word or two.

The draw behind creative bullet journaling is that not every bullet has to be useful or meaningful. It can be easy to get words out of your head and onto a list so you can judge which are helpful later on. This may also be a handy precursor to creating an outline.

The rules for this journal are simple: Jot down everything you remember from your dreams. Any fragments qualify; it doesn’t matter how much sense they make. It’s usually best to do this early in the morning before you forget your dreams. Sometimes you can find the seed of a good idea from your dreams when you look at them later. Or you may discover a different option to describe something or a scenario that will work perfectly for your characters. It’s a little like reaching your hand into a grab bag.

A morning journal is an alternative or type of journaling you can combine with a dream journal. When you write in a morning journal, you jot down your stream-of-consciousness thoughts. They could be random worries about the day, hopeful plans, what you want for breakfast, how much you wish you could go back to sleep…just whatever you are thinking and feeling.

A morning journal like this can help you uncover new ideas, and it’s a common suggestion for all kinds of artists. It’s also a great substitute if you don’t remember any dreams from the night before but still need to journal.

As the name suggests, a reading journal is where you take notes on the novels you are currently reading. You can use these journals to keep track of more complex novels and make important notes to keep everything straight. That’s especially useful if you don’t have much time to read.

You can also use a reading journal to critique the novels you read. By critiquing another work, you often discover ways to improve your writing and new techniques you can use. Or, if you don’t want to get so technical, you can describe your feelings and thoughts while reading. Studying your reactions as a reader is also a great way to improve as a writer.

For this kind of creative journal, focus on describing a meal you had or the food you are eating. Use multiple senses beyond taste, and find the right words to describe what you like or dislike. Eating can be a very intense experience, and practicing it can help you improve the way you communicate sensory information. Plus, you may find you like being a food blogger!

This is a more significant journal for drafts of your writing work. Use it to create chapter openings, start writing critical essays, and experiment with upcoming player dialogue. Many writers prefer making drafts this way because there is less pressure to get it “just right.” Also, putting pen to paper may help open up more creativity than putting hands to keyboard for some journalers. Also, you don’t have to tote around a laptop to work on your drafts, so it’s a bit more flexible. Just getting a challenging section started can be a big help.

An affirmation journal is designed for positive thoughts – which can be immensely helpful for many writers who feel depressed or unfortunate. Use it to record when you’ve reached goals and empowering statements like, “I like writing a lot,” and “I completed an entire draft this month.” This can help create positive feedback in your mind that’s very healthy, emotionally, and as a creator.

FAQs on Creative Journaling

Inspiration for creative journaling can come from many places and creative people, so you don’t need to stop at this list. For example, you may want to look at the University of British Columbia’s guide and how students there have found success in creative journaling.

Keep in mind some types of creative journaling can be intensely practical. Some creative journaling types focus on fitness, budgeting, or recipes. These aren’t always as inspiring for writing, but they help you get organized. The popularity of gratitude journaling has skyrocketed in recent years and is known to improve your well-being.

1. Confine yourself to a single line. That’s all you get to express an idea: How will you do it? 2. Or, you could give yourself a brief time limit: Write everything you want in 5 seconds. Then reflect on what and why you wrote.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our best quotes about journaling !

Tyler has been published on Huffington Post and Motely Fool. His article and blogs experience includes working for The Content Standard, Mad Mobile, Digital Landing, and Apass Education, among many others.

View all posts

61 Of The Best Journaling Ideas To De-Stress And Feel Happy

Sometimes, just allowing yourself to write whatever wants to come out is enough to get the words flowing, and daily journaling provides the perfect outlet for this.

But there are times when your brain goes as blank as the page in front of you. It happens.

This is why it helps to have a list of creative journal ideas handy.

The next time you find yourself looking for some journal entry ideas, I hope you’ll give this article another look (after enjoying it today).

With a list of journaling ideas at your disposal , you’re sure to find something to shake down whatever is blocking your writing flow.

Sometimes, it’s as easy as reminding yourself why you’re looking for things to journal about in the first place.

Benefits of Journaling

How to start a journal, 1. make a journal list., 2. a meaningful quote journal idea., 3. affirmation journaling ideas., 4. journal about something you’re grateful for., 5. create an “i forgive…” journal entry., 6. write in your journal something someone said or did that made you smile., 7. compliment yourself in your journal., 8. journal a description of your morning routine., 9. write down the answer to the question, “what would i love”, 10. answer this journal question, “what am i thinking”, 11. journal about a milestone you’ve reached or one you’re working toward., 12. write in your journal about the perfect day., 13. create an entry with someone who is on your mind (and why)., 14. journal about your vision for the future., 15. write out your personal vision for this day (your intentions)., 16. journal about the food you’ve eaten and what you will eat today., 17. write about an important event., 18. describe a challenge you’re facing — or one you’ve overcome., 19. write about your solution to a particular problem or challenge., 20. journal about something you’ve read., 21. write about a fear you have and how you choose to respond to it., 22. begin a journal entry with a prayer., 23. write about a “note to self.”, 24. write a letter to someone., 25. write a letter to someone who has passed., 26. start with a memory (recent or distant)., 27. use an image that sparks an idea for journal writing., 28. journal about a dream you remember., 29. use a timer for a journal writing sprint., 30. small daily journal sentence., 31. a creative character sketch., 32. write about something absurd., 33. write an encouraging personal note to yourself., 34. start with your favorite meal., 35. describe how your day is going., 36. write nice things about someone you’re angry with., 37. write about what you’d do with 10% of your income if you just pulled it out of your bank as cash and went to town., 38. write a description of the kind of person you want to be., 39. write about the power of forgiveness in your life., 40. write about questions you have regarding religion or universal beliefs., 41. write about something that scares you that you have to do anyway., 42. prepare compliments for special people in your life. , 43. write an internal dialogue by dictation. , 44. write about how you’ve grown this year or what has changed for you., 45. write about compliments you received that changed your life. , 46. write about something you can’t imagine living without. , 47. write about what you’re feeling right now. , 48. if you live with anxiety, write about how you’re coping with it today. , 49. journal about something that kept you up last night. , 50. write about the top three priorities in your life right now. , 51. write about something you learned from someone who hurt you., 52. write about what you would do with three wishes. , 53. journal about three bad habits you’d like to change. , 54. write about a moment you had in the spotlight as a child or teenager., 55. write about a simple healthy habit you can start building this week. , 56. write about the apps that are helping you function as an adult. , 57. write about a friend you haven’t talked to in years., 58. write about new financial habits you want to build. , 59. write about the bare minimum exercise you want to start doing every day., 60. write about three influential non-relatives in your life. , 61. write about a birthday memory that still makes you smile. , what to write in a journal, final thoughts.

No doubt, you already know some of the benefits of journaling, and one reason may stand out from the others.

Here’s a list of known benefits, in case you haven’t learned them all.

Better health by decreasing stress and anxiety
An improved ability to articulate and clarify your thoughts
Better self-knowledge
A chance to improve your writing skills on a daily basis
A better frame of mind for reconciling with others (improved relationships)
Better problem-solving
An enhanced capacity for learning new things

A fresh new journal represents a fresh start — with new ideas and discoveries.

It’s also literally full of blank pages , which have a mixed effect on writers. You want to fill those pages with content worthy of your intentions for this journal.

woman sitting on bed smiling and writing journaling ideas

Before you can start filling them, though, you need to let go of the idea that your content should be extra-special or next-level insightful. Some days you’ll drop nuggets of wisdom. Other days, you’ll write content that will embarrass your future self.

No one actually dies of embarrassment, though. Think of it as part of the process.

If you’re still looking at your gorgeous new journal and wondering how to get started (because “It’s too pretty!” We know how it is), here are some ideas:

Commit to jotting down at least one sentence at a specific time every morning.
Date your journal pages, starting with the first entry (after the first few pages).
Start with your intentions for the journal (a shortlist on one of the first few pages).
Start with a note to yourself relinquishing the idea of perfection or originality.

61 Journaling Ideas to De-Stress and Feel Happy

You can start by creating a list of anything, really. See if one of the following prompts helps you get started:

Things you enjoy (for breakfast, relaxation, education, etc.)
Fun things that you’d like to change
New things you’d like to try
List of things you're grateful for
Things you can see from where you’re sitting
Bucket list of places you’d like to visit

journal list screenshot journaling ideas

Brainyquote.com is one place you can look for quotes that get you thinking — and writing — about something important to you. Choose a meaningful quote that resonates or that makes you want to argue with it.

Choose a favorite positive affirmation or one on which you’d like to elaborate. It can be about your personal development, your career, money, relationships, or anything of great importance to you.

Gratitude and journaling belong together. Start with one thing you’re grateful for, and either expand on that one thing or add at least two more. Pretty soon you'll have a mood-boosting gratitude list you will find very uplifting.

screenshot of 90-day gratitude journal by Barrie Davenport journaling ideas

No doubt, the words “I forgive” bring a certain person to mind whom you find it difficult to forgive. But for your own sake — so you can move past it — at least journal the words “I forgive ____, and I want only what’s good for him/her,” even if you’re not feeling it.

You might preface this journal entry with a memory of something that person said or did that you appreciate.

Or you can think of something this person might hold against you, try to see your words or actions from their perspective, and write a genuine apology to them.

Think of the last time someone did or said something that made you smile in gratitude or admiration.

What was that thing, and what was it about the context of that thing that made you more likely to smile about it?

Imagine you’ve been asked to write something positive about someone — only that someone is you.

This is a creative way to practice some self-love

Maybe you don’t do everything the same exact way every morning (or maybe you do), but there are probably some things you do every morning.

Why do you do them, and what new habits would you like to add to your morning routine to give your day a better start?

What morning habits would you like to replace with better ones?

This is a fun one, but you have to remember not to stop yourself with the question, “What is the point of even writing this when my circumstances probably make it impossible?”

Write it anyway, and remember to seal your answer with the words, “This or something better.”

This question can also be liberating. If you need to allow yourself to articulate these thoughts while answering the question from #9, go ahead.

Allow yourself to get those thoughts out into the open. Just don’t allow yourself to be tied down to them. Use them as a chance to air and then evaluate those thoughts.

Think of an accomplishment that gets you closer to your personal goals. Have you reached it? If not, how close are you to reaching it, and what do you have to do every day to get yourself closer to it?

This can take place in the present or three years from now. Put a description in your journal of the whole day, from waking up in the morning to going to bed that night. Write down all the important details — the big ideas that make your day perfect.

Write about someone you’re thinking about for some reason — someone you miss, someone who’s made you angry, or maybe someone you’d like to meet.

woman writing in diary sitting outside journaling ideas

It can be anyone, and you can either write about why this person is on your mind, or you can write a script for an imaginary meeting or a necessary conversation.

Where do you want to be three years from now? Again, you’ll want to focus on the most important elements of that vision.

You don’t need to know exactly where you’ll be living or what your new favorite chair will look like (though you’re allowed to). What’s the bigger picture for this vision?

When you get to the end of this day, how will you want to have spent it? Or what top three things do you want to focus on today? How will this day get you closer to your vision for the future?

And feel free to make it sound as fancy or as decadent as you want. Try including sensory details in your journal to motivate yourself to mindfulness practice even while you’re eating.

Whether you’re starting a new dietary regimen or not, sometimes it helps to keep a detailed account of everything you’ve eaten and everything you plan to eat for the rest of the day. No judging.

Or pretend you’re a food blogger for a day and write about your ideal menu or a meal you had recently at a restaurant.

Whatever event stirs up memories (good memories or the other kind), write about that. Or write about an upcoming event that’s important to you.

What hurdles have you jumped in your career, with your relationship, or with your personal development? Or what breakthroughs have you had? What challenges remain?

You probably know solutions to some problems or ways to overcome a particular challenge. Maybe you learned it the hard way. Your journal entry about it could turn into a helpful blog post or even a book.

Whether you’re thinking of a memorable passage from a book you’re reading, a blog post or article you’ve read recently, or a magazine headline you saw while standing in a check-out line, write about what sticks in your mind and why it matters to you (if it does).

Ever caught yourself dwelling on a fear that you had — or still have?

How have you chosen to respond to that fear? Does it hold you back in some way? How will you overcome your fear?

If you pray to a higher power, your daily journal is a great place to articulate exactly what you want to say.

Whether you have questions you need to be answered, or you’d like help with something, writing about it makes it more likely that you’ll get closer to the answers, blessings, and accomplishments you’re seeking.

You can also begin with a note to yourself for any of the following:

Something you want to remember that day
Something you need to change
Something you’ve noticed about yourself
Something you like about yourself
Something you’d like to do short-term
Something you’d like to do one day

A great journal writing prompt is to write a letter. In your journal you can prepare the message to someone with whom you’re having a dispute, someone you need to reconnect with, or someone you want to share your love for.

From there, you can either copy and paste it into an actual message or write it out by hand and send it by snail mail — maybe with a treat, you know its recipient would enjoy.

If you never had the chance to tell someone something you needed to say, writing it in a journal can at least provide some closure, even though it’s not the same as actually telling that someone.

If it helps, try writing it as a script, with your part and that of the person who has passed on. Make it a conversation that ends in a plausible and satisfying way.

Write in your journal about a memory that has come to you recently — perhaps because something in your life triggered it.

woman sitting on floor with journal diary journaling ideas

Whether it’s a happy memory or not, you might enjoy writing about it. Try to recall as many sensory details as you can.

If you’ve ever bought a painting that made you imagine a life that might one day be your own, or if you saw an image in a magazine or on the internet that caught your attention and took you places in your mind, write about that.

Some dreams stick around longer for a reason. What was your most memorable dream, and why do you think you still remember it?

What details stand out the most? Is there something about that dream that you want to recreate in your conscious life? Or does the dream represent a fear or concern you need to address?

Set a timer for ten to thirty minutes and just write whatever comes to mind. Don’t stop until the timer goes off. Sure, much of what you write will sound frivolous or random, but who cares?

Write whatever is trampling over other thoughts to get out the door. Normally, you wouldn’t want to reward such behavior, but thoughts get away with a lot more than we do.

Write a single sentence. Then another. Then a third sentence. You can stop then, or you can keep going. Maybe one of those sentences will trigger something. But even if they don’t, you’ve written three sentences, and that’s something.

If you’re not satisfied with just writing three random sentences, make them an answer to a question or write a sentence for each of the three things you’re most grateful for in that moment.

Journal Writing vs. Journal Typing

So, is typing your journal entry as good as writing in your journal by hand?

When it comes to the most powerful benefits of journaling, yes. While there are proven cognitive benefits to writing by hand, the important thing is to get your words onto a page — whether it’s digital or something you can touch.

The most important thing is to create and maintain the habit of journaling every day (or as close to that as possible).

You can always mix it up and do both, choosing one or the other based on convenience or a desire to do something different (or to use that brand new journal).

Journal is a way that works best for you. Your brain will be healthier and happier either way.

Did you find helpful ideas on what to write in your journal?

If you’ve found value in this journaling ideas post, I hope you’ll share it and encourage others to pass it on.

The benefits of daily journaling are too good to keep to yourself, and you know you want to contribute to a more self-aware and generous world.

So, if this article will help you to thrive today and become the person you want to be, please bless another person today — or as many as you can. And may your generosity and goodwill infuse everything else you do today.

2 thoughts on “61 Of The Best Journaling Ideas To De-Stress And Feel Happy”

I love this! One of my most favorite ways to journal has been a dialogue between various parts of me. When I’m hurt, I journal from that part. Then I have the validating, caring adult side of me respond. It sounds trippy but it has been really helpful in overcoming some challenging emotions and situations. Great ideas here!

Wonderful This really helps me and inspire me to write my diary Thank you so much

Comments are closed.

A Guide to Journaling for Writers

by Melissa Donovan | Jun 3, 2021 | Creative Writing | 51 comments

A guide to journal writing.

The world of journaling is fascinating and expansive. There are people who make their own notebooks and fill them with stunning artwork and gorgeous lettering. Others spend months writing in a journal and then burn it when they get to the end, only to start another one. Some people use cheap spiral-bound notebooks for journal writing while others invest in fancy blank books that are filled with upscale paper.

Journals are popular for this reason: they are highly flexible and can be used by a wide variety of people for a number of different purposes.

Almost all journals involve some kind of writing, and most journals are exclusively for writing, so it’s only natural that writers like us have an interest in journaling.

What is a Journal?

A journal is simply a record that is regularly kept. it can be an account of your personal experiences, a record of your thoughts and ideas, or a log of your lists. Yes, some people keep list journals!

Journals are also used for planning and tracking. For example, you might keep a fitness journal to track your diet and exercise. You’ll write down the foods you eat and the workouts you perform each day. The practice of tracking helps you stay mindful of what you’re trying to achieve, so you stay focused. You can then use the information you’ve tracked to evaluate and modify your behavior.

The word journal is also sometimes used to refer to notebooks that are used for journaling. These are available in a wide array of sizes, materials, and styles. Journal is also another word for a periodical, a magazine, or a newspaper.

Benefits of Journaling

Journaling has been shown to have numerous health benefits. According to Psychology Today , research shows that “journaling can increase your physical health. It may boost your immune system, and it can certainly help manage stressful events and experiences, thus decreasing the damage that stress can do to your body.”

From improving cognitive function by promoting clear thinking to increasing self-awareness and problem-solving, the benefits of journaling have been lauded by everyone from doctors to self-help gurus, spiritual advisers, former teenagers, business executives, and a litany of people from all walks of life — some of whom have consistently journaled for most of their lives and others who engage in journal writing periodically throughout their lives.

I’ve never seen anyone say anything bad about journaling. The only exception might be the occasional story in which someone’s privacy was disrespected and the contents of a private journal were revealed to the wrong people. But for the most part, journaling is widely endorsed as healthy and beneficial. If you can develop and maintain the habit, you will likely reap meaningful rewards.

Journaling to Benefit Your Writing

We’re all writers here. Most of the research and benefits of journaling apply to a few specific types of journaling, particularly keeping a tracker, a diary, or a reflective journal . But there’s a host of other things that we, as writers, can do with our journals, and the benefits are vast:

Use a journal to cultivate a daily writing habit.
Practice writing in your journal to improve your skills.
Work out problems in your journal, from finding the perfect word for a line of poetry to figuring out how to get your characters out of a tight spot you’ve written them into.
Create a tracker in your journal to log your daily writing. Each day, note your word count, the projects you worked on, or time spent writing. Tracking improves productivity (I use this myself when I need to increase my output or when I’m working on a large project, like a book).
A journal is an excellent tool for project planning. Start by defining the project and setting goals and milestones, and then add a tracker to log your progress. This can help you stay focused on a project so you actually finish it.
Use your journal as a brain dump or idea bank. Many of us are constantly bombarded by creative ideas that linger in our minds, sometimes distracting us from the work we need to get done. Dump those ideas into a journal and clear space in your brain for whatever you want to focus on. You can always revisit your idea bank to make a withdrawal later, when you need some inspiration.
Keep a record of your creative process. This can help you refine the way you work, especially if you’re trying to achieve specific goals, like finishing a novel or maintaining a blog. Review your process to see what you can improve the next time around.
Set up a submission and publication journal. This can help you stay on top of submissions and provide a useful reference so you never forget where you submitted or where your work has been published.

This is just a small sampling of some journaling that you can do to increase your writing productivity, improve your process, and solve problems that writers often face.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out THESE journal ideas .

Getting started with journal writing.

Journal writing is packed with benefits.

State Your Purpose

There’s no right or wrong way to journal. But it’s always a good idea to take a moment to think about how you’re going to use your journal and what you want to accomplish with it, especially before you invest a lot of time, money, or energy into purchasing a notebook, pens, and other journaling supplies. That stuff can distract you from your core purpose, and the whole point is to get some writing done.

Maybe your purpose is to simply let your creativity flow onto the pages without any set guidelines. Or maybe you’ll have a notebook divided into sections with tabs for different aspects of your journal writing. Maybe you’ll keep one journal or maybe you’ll have three or four. Just try to have a general sense of what you’re trying to achieve, whether it’s a creative outlet, a record of important life events, or a place to explore your writing ideas.

Should You Stick to a Schedule?

I have mixed feelings about this one. Most of my best journals have been the result of frequent but unscheduled writing sessions. There’s a fine line between nudging yourself to write in your journal every day and exerting too much pressure on yourself to the point that you freeze up and don’t get anything done. This is why I have a strong dislike for journals with dates printed on the pages. They tend to make people feel guilty for skipping a day (which also results in a blank page), and this often leads to abandoning the journal altogether.

Your journaling schedule (or lack thereof) should be based on your goals (which is why establishing your purpose first is important). If you are using your journal as a tool for creativity, you might not need a schedule. If you’re using it to cultivate daily writing habits, then a schedule is paramount. Schedules are also essential for trackers. And let’s face it, the more you work in your journal, the more you’ll gain from it.

Even if you don’t stick to a rigorous schedule, it’s important to do your journal writing somewhat regularly to reap the most benefits. Frequent journal writing will keep your creativity, ideas, and language flowing, and it will help you build good writing habits. You may only be able to journal on weekends or on certain days of the week. Sticking to a schedule (preferably daily) is the best way, but it’s not always realistic, and it doesn’t work for everyone.

Digital Journaling?

Let’s talk about digital versus a paper journal. Most people think of journals as physical, paper notebooks that you can hold in your hand and write in with a pen. But you can journal on a computer or on your smart phone or any other electronic device.

There are some benefits to digital journaling. First and foremost, you can set it up so that you’re never without your journal by using a cloud service. You might do most of your journaling at home, in a comfy desk chair, but if you need to do some journal writing when you’re away from you desk, you can do it on your phone. Apps like Evernote are ideal for this; you could also simply email your journal supplements to yourself and add them to your main journal later.

Digital also provides a stellar level of flexibility when it comes to editing, inserting, and organizing.

But there’s something to be said about the tactile experience of putting pen to paper when it comes to doing creative work. The experience simply can’t be replicated with a computer or even a stylus and a tablet. Over the years, I’ve encountered countless writers who swear by hand writing in a journal. And they’re not wrong. Writing by hand has numerous benefits , including stress relief, increased creativity, better learning and memory, improved mood, and better sleep.

Plus, I don’t know about you, but I find the act of writing with a pen on paper to be soothing.

Getting a Journal

You can journal in anything from a flimsy notebook that you picked up at the dollar store to a fancy, expensive, hand-crafted journal. Same with pens: you can pick up disposable ballpoints for a few cents apiece or blow a bunch of cash on a fountain pen that you have to save up for.

Journaling supplies are a personal decision. Most of us need to experiment with a few different journaling tools to find what works best. And what works best for you today might not work in a few years.

Having said that, my recommendation is to start simple if you’re getting into journal writing for the first time. I have found that fancy supplies often sit on shelves only to be taken out and admired on occasion, whereas more affordable supplies become workhorses. When you’re using a fancy notebook and an expensive pen, you might feel like you should only use these tools if you’re about to compose a masterpiece, whereas working with affordable materials removes the pressure and allows you to create more freely, and in my experience, free creation always gets the best results.

Some Journal Writing Tips

My number one advice when it comes to journaling is to take all other advice with a light heart and an open mind. Fellow journalists will passionately express what did and did not work for them. Be open to their shared experiences and be willing to try different things, but remember that what works for them might not work for you.

With that said, here are a few tips based on my own experience with journaling. These may or may not work for you, but I encourage you to at least give them a try (aff links):

Be messy in your journal. If you’re always trying to have perfect handwriting or only capture good ideas, you’ll stifle your creativity. If you need something pristine, set up a second journal for that type of work.
Start with an omni-journal, a journal in which you write anything and everything. I mean, you might not want to balance your budget it in. But allow yourself to write everything from life events to character sketches to poetry to freewrites.
Doodle. Whether you use doodling to create interesting lettering or stick figures in the margins to represent your characters, I have found that doodling enhances creativity. If you’re artistic, go ahead and put drawings in your journal (one of my favorite journals was a mix of art and writing).
If you’re just getting into journaling, I recommend starting with student-grade notebooks. My earliest journals were three-subject spiral-bound notebooks, sized at about nine by six inches. They are still among my favorites .
Watch out for supply addiction. The world of journaling is fraught with tempting tools and materials, and if you dip your toes into the many journaling communities online, you might find yourself chasing purchases rather than writing.
Give your journal a home. Keep it in a handy spot. My journal is almost always within reach. You never know when the urge to create will strike, and it’s good to be prepared. If you need privacy, find an appropriate place to stash your journal.
Get some sidekicks. I like to pick up pocket-sized notebooks that I can keep in various locations, such as my car or purse. If I need to jot something down, I can tear it out and tape it into my main journal later (I love washi tape for this purpose).
The blank page can be intimidating, and trying to journal on a schedule can inhibit creativity. But here’s the secret: all you have to do is crack open your journal and write a few words, no matter how silly, lame, or nonsensical. Things tend to start flowing once you turn on that faucet!
If all else fails, remember that journal prompts are your friend!

Most importantly, have fun with your journal. I have found myself stressing out about journaling, worrying about how to set up my journals and how many I should have and what I should write in them. The answer is always to just relax. Do what you can with what you have. Open the journal and just start writing.

Journal Writing

Do all writers keep journals? Of course not. But most of us have kept journals at some point, and journal writing has been instrumental in our development as writers.

Have you ever kept a journal? Do you keep one now? Which journaling tools do you use, and what do you put in your journal? What type of notebook do you use for your journal writing, or do you use a computer? What benefits of journaling have you experienced? Share your thoughts and experiences with journal writing by leaving a comment, and keep writing.

Ready Set Write a Guide to Creative Writing

51 Comments

I’ve been journaling my entire life. Looking out right now across my bookcase, one entire shelf is filled with my journals, dating back years.I have different types too. Calendar ones, which just have jotted notes of how we sent the day, recorded for all time, such as “Took the kids to the Ren Faire, had a great time, stopped on the way home for diner at the Great White Inn, Michael told a joke that had us laughing till we couldn’t see straight”

That would be enough to joggle out the memory of a great day. I love those little calendar journals becasue I can look back and see my entire year laid out.

Then I have my thoughts journals. Boy, sometimes those are rough…self-analysis…ouch…go back and read yourself whining about some issue and realize you are still dealing with the same thing in a new costume..that will get you off your behind to make some changes!( This is the one I use for morning pages every day)

Then I have my vacation journals that I take on vacations and write about what is happening and draw pictures and little watercolor scteches of we are seeing or doing to record our vacations with. Then my lists,hopes,quotes and dreams journal..also refered to as the someday journal.This one is always with me to jot down something that pops in my head.

OK that is my short list. There are actually more.They are all blank paged hard covered books, some leather, some just pretty, whatever catches my eye when I go shopping for a new one, reflective of where I am at in my head at the time. ( Gosh…didn’t know you asked for a guest post…sorry for the long reply)

I’ve kept journals on some of my vacation trips…Plus I add some of my cartoons to capture the momenet. They’re great to look at years later, they bring all my memories back.

Though I’ve gotten so used to the keyboard, my handwriting has suffered.

I actually don’t like to write manually anymore. I get frustrated that my thoughts come out faster than I can put the words down on paper. Then there’s a backlog and I get cramps in my hands trying to scribble everything down in time before it’s lost.

I much prefer using a computer. At least with a keyboard, my hands can somewhat keep up with my brain.

Loved this post but then journaling is a favorite topic of mine.

I posted about my journals and journaling at Journal, Journaling and the Journey

Crayola Markers, ehh? That is an advantage of a sketchbook with its heavier pages. I do keep a secret stash of 10 color glitter ink pens. I know, it’s so out of character. *sigh*

Apologies in advance if the link doesn’t code right. WP and I haven’t been on the same code page since their last upgrade. And I’m thinking about switching to WP why?

A person has to be invited to read this blog. May I have an invitation.

Drawing? Nobody said anything about drawing! I can barely write legibly, and even that’s up to debate, now you want me to DRAW?? (grin)

Hi, Melissa –

I don’t keep a daily journal, but (like Wendi and Friar) I do keep vacation journals. My husband and I take turns chronicling our vacation events, and we do our best to keep ticket stubs, postcards, and other memorabilia in our travel journals. It’s great to look back on them are remember the little moments we captured – ones we would have otherwise forgotten.

Melissa, just the sight of a journal gets my fingers twitching. Like you, nothing does it for me like pen and paper. There are times that I free write on the computer but it seems so efficient (and very much like the writing work I do daily) that it doesn’t feel the same. The pen seems to connect me with a different flow, a wellspring of feeling and passion that don’t come as easily with the keyboard. I have a journal, prayer journal, idea journal and writing journal. Each with a purpose that taps into a different part of my heart and my mind. By the way, every time you mention that Mac, I get a goofy grin and a faraway look as I picture it beaming at me. Soon, soon I shall join the ranks. 🙂

@Wendi, you keep so many journals, it sounds like you could indeed write an entire post about them! I can totally relate to what you’re saying about cringing when you go back and read old journals. Not so much dealing with the same issues, but all that whining! I kept a lot of journals during my teen years and that’s all I’ll say about that.

@Friar, computers have destroyed good penmanship! I’ve heard this time and again on the blogs I read. I have to agree with you; it’s easier to keep up with my thoughts when I write on the computer, but the trade-off is that I do feel more creative with pen and paper. What’s a girl to do?

@Deb (gscottage), I remember that post you wrote about journaling! And yes, glitter pens are a little out of character! You’re full of fun surprises (I love those glitter pens too, but I don’t have any at the moment).

@Deb (Punctuality), well, you don’t have to draw. Unless you want to. I’m not an artist by any means, but I’ve found that while using a computer to type has had a negative impact on my handwriting, it hasn’t really affected what little drawing abilities I have. That’s sort of good news, right?

@Rebecca, I’ve always wanted to keep a travel journal, but when I do travel (not very often), I’m always too busy to sit down and write. If I ever take that big trip to NY or Paris, I’m going to make journaling my adventures a priority!

@Karen, you’re going to LOVE the Mac. I promise! I’ll love my own Mac even more when I can get the rest of the software I need. Every time I see the word Mac, dollar signs swarm around my head! And yes, we are much alike when it comes to journaling. I used to keep separate journals too, but now I lump everything into one.

I agree, good penmanship is on the decline. It’s a dying skill. (Just like baking bread, or weaving and spinning your own wool). But in exchange, we gain other skills.

The upside is technology gives us more time to focus on the actual CONTENT of the writing, instead of how pretty the words look on paper.

With so many finite hours in a given day, I guess it’s a matter of deciding what you want to spend your time on.

(PS. I hate the actual physical writing part…). Thanks to Sister Ellen in Grade 3 who sucked all the fun out of learning penmanship…what a miserable Old Bat! 😉

Good to see you again Melissa. I have been away for a bit here but came back to find your informative and quality posts stayed steady. 🙂

My journal is my friend, but I can only visit when I am relaxed. I always write by hand and it means I need to unwind to do it.

But there is something else to it- when I am really working through things I always find a silent space where I can listen. I often don’t want to invade that space, even with my own words. So I tend to journal when the storm is over.

I am journalling more now. 🙂

@friar – I definitely agree that modern manuscripting leave more time for content.

I was the first left-handed student the first grade teacher was not allowed to change and it drove her crazy. Actually she would just shake her head and murmur “you’ll never learn to write.” And I didn’t until recently. My handwriting is generally much better now unless I am very tired (like at the end of back to back Blue books). But I didn’t learn how to type until I went back to university in 02. (Don’t ask what I was doing in journalism school at 19 when I couldn’t type.)

Now with wordprocessing I feel much freer to just tap away because if it has a problem I just cut and paste or hit delete. Never again do I have to completely retype something because I forgot the footnote on page 2 of 26 pages. Hallelujah!

Melissa: I have “The Artist’s Way” and did morning pages for a while. I also have a book on “the proprioceptive method” of journaling which is basically listening to your thoughts and slowing down the thought process to the time it takes you to write down what you’re thinking. By slowing down the thought process you can better reflect on what you’re thinking. I’m working on creating a morning ritual for myself right now and I want to reincorporate journal writing into my life.

Melissa: I journal haphazardly on a moleskin watercolor book with tear out sheets. For me writing on paper is all about the feel of the paper I’m writing on and of the pen I use (a cheap 2.49 pilot explorer with extra fine tip). Into the book I paste images, cartoons, photos, write stuff, even jot down grocery lists (these can be interesting to come back to sometimes), impressions of any sort or anything that comes to mind and which I fear forgetting. Once I finish one I put it away and start a new one.

I certainly do believe that journaling keeps the muse active, and provides a great source for material. I also share your sentiment about preferring to write on paper instead of typing it out on a keyboard. There definitely is something about the old-fashioned method that gets the juices flowing and lets one feel like a “real” writer.

As you mentioned in your post, I take a smaller notebook everywhere with me for when those random lightning bolts strike. I’ve never glued them to my main journal, but that actually sounds like an interesting idea. I think I’ll try that.

For me, journaling and blogging have to be kept separate because I’m (unsuccessfully) trying to blog for profession. The journal voice just seems too impersonal and unprofessional — as it very well should! But great ideas for a blog post definitely come from regular journaling.

Great post! Thanks!

Well, I’ve been journaling my entire life, too. I had those little diaries with locks as a kid and then there were just plain ole notebooks filled to the brim with oodles of doodles and lots of feelings. Like you, Melissa, I draw, write poetry, document the day’s events, or whatever I feel like putting on paper. I’ve written in pretty journals, on scratches of paper that I’ve tucked into journals…

I don’t journal as often as I used to, but I still do. And, it really isn’t the same to keep a journal online or saved in a file on the computer. Holding the journal and writing in it is such a creative, personal process. It’s calming and just a part of who I am. Actually, I have stacks of journals. I can’t imagine how many more I’ll collect in my lifetime. By the time I’m old, I may be lost in a sea of journals! hehehe

*smiles* Michele

I have journaled a fair bit of my life – I find the cathartic benefits to be quite fantastic. It is amazing how I talk myself through a problem in my journal.

I journal haphazardly with pen and paper (my preferred method) and have all my life but I do publish Sunday-Friday on my blog and I do some journaling there too.

Raw journaling on paper really does help you process thoughts and develop ideas!

I wish I had kept a vacation journal on our honeymoon, we did take pictures (9 rolls of film for a 6 day trip) and we did save all of our stubs and etc… I keep meaning to scrapbook all those pictures, it’s been 9 years now but one of these days I’ll get it done. I’m almost finished with our wedding scrapbooks – it is amazing how the memories come back once I start journaling in the scrapbooks.

I have an Aunt and Uncle who biked across France early in their marriage, they have been married for 33 years now and my Aunt is putting together a scrapbook of that trip. She says that the journals she kept are the only way she remembers a lot of the things that happened.

Excellent Article! Thanks to MicheleT who pointed me here via Plurk!

I recently started my Morning Pages again (as you already know). I don’t know why I stopped doing them (prob b/c of the time commitment) because they are the most helpful thing I’ve ever done. I also keep a regular daily journal (that isn’t really that “daily”). Most recently I’ve started a gluebook, which has become my art journal, of sorts. While I don’t write in it, I definitely express myself with the process of create collages on the pages.

Terrific post! 🙂

…Hah! Another lefty (like me!)

I was bored one summer when I was 12. My Mom had her old typewriter and her old college typing book. I taught myself to touch-type. Most useful thing I ever did.

You’re right. There is so much FREEDOM in being able to tap away on the keyboard, and cut and paste.

Without having to worry about carbon paper or liquid paper..!

@friar – Actually being a lefty is great and I have come to love it. I think it goes with my contrary nature to go against the crowd; and right-handedness is way too crowded. Remember August 13 is Left-Handed Day!

I actually forgot about carbon paper. Yeah, black carbon and white blouses are not a good combination. But I love Wite-out tape and use it for tons of stuff. You know Mike Nesmith’s mom invented, held the patent for, and manufactured the original Liquid Paper after developing the original formula in her kitchen until she sold it for a very handsome ROI. One very well-off lady. (Of course none of you ever heard of the Monkees.) To quote Paul Harvey – “and that’s the rest of the story.”

Remember having to bring a report to the “Typing Pool”. Where you’d bring your hand-written documents, and the Word Processor ladies would type it out for you? It took a couple of weeks just to go through a few edits.

I think people were more careful what they wrote, back then, though. A document only went through 2-3 revisions, not 20.

And Hey, I know all about the Monkees! I was too young when they first came out, but they were popular well into the 1970’s. Watched the reruns on TV as a kid.

Corgi Toys (if you remember those) even had a MonkeyMobile.

@Friar, that’s a good way to look at it. We do pick up a lot of new skills in exchange for penmanship. I’m in full agreement. Reminds me of a story I heard once about how we progressed from the abacus to the calculator and people were concerned math skills would be lost. Then came computers…

@Harmony, glad you’re back and journaling too! Yes, a journal is a lot like a friend — one who always listens. Carving out quiet time to be with our thoughts (and journals) is always helpful.

@Deb (gscottage), I really don’t know how we ever got along without word processing. I remember taking typing in junior high and it was SUCH a pain to make corrections or add footnotes. As much as Microsoft irritates me, I do appreciate that they created Word, which I love.

@Marelisa, the proprioceptive method sounds pretty good. Do you have the title of that book? I wouldn’t mind learning how to slow down my thoughts at will since most of the time they are spinning out of control!

@Milena, I bet your journals are fun to read through. I have a few like that — old journals that contain everything from drawings to shopping lists. They’re among the most interesting to look at. Also a good source for inspiration!

@Nathan, I think we’d all like to be professional bloggers. I wouldn’t mind that at all! You might be surprised at how responsive readers are when you blog in a more personal (journal) style. When I started Writing Forward, I had a very professional/clinical approach to the voice of each post and then I sort of threw my hands up in the air and got really casual. Guess what? Things improved: more subscribers, more comments, etc. The same thing happened when I stopped adhering to a strict schedule. Blogging is odd and surprising, to say the least.

@Michele, you’ve got me thinking about my own stacks of journals, and I’m trying to figure out if I’ve filled in more journals or if I have more waiting to be used. I have a whole shelf of blank journals and notebooks, and it seems to grow all the time!

Oh, and thanks for Plurking. I’m a Plurk member, but I haven’t been on it for more than five minutes. I really need to learn the ropes…

@JimBob51, yes, I think if we approach journaling with the notion to solve problems or provide some sort of relief, the whole process can be effective. I’ve done quite a bit of that type of journaling and saw impressive results.

@Blessed, welcome! And thanks for reading and commenting. One of the reasons I don’t journal about actual events is that I’ve always had a really good memory, and I figure if the details are important enough, I’ll remember them. But recently I’ve read a few old papers and realized that I don’t remember as much as I thought! So I’d like to start journaling events and trips much the same way you do.

@Hope, I have done a few collage projects, and I have to say that I love making collages! It’s just really time consuming but oh so much fun!

@Friar, I taught myself how to type too! Except I did it on a computer using this game called Typing Tutor. Kind of like Tetris. The letters would fall from the top of the screen and you had to hit them on the keyboard before they reached the bottom. By the time I took an actual typing class, I had it down and was the fastest student! Hahehe.

@Deb (gscottage): I have too heard of The Monkees! I own many of their songs and used to listen to their albums when I was a child. My mom and I watched their show all the time. Hey hey we’re the Monkees!

Typing Tetris? Oh man, I wish we had something like that when I was a kid.

By the way, the Monkees all played their own instruments. (Of course they did) 😉

While I in no way want to minimize Julia Cameron’s contributions to the field, you neglect to mention Natalie Goldberg’s wonderful Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind , Kathleen Adams Journal to the Self , and Tristine Rainer’s The New Diary . I recall reading these long before Ms. Cameron. Nor do you mention Ira Progoff, and his At a Journal Workshop . All of these are equally as important.

@Melissa, Really? I’ve always wondered, because it’s darn hard to talk about some topics in a strictly professional way 🙂 — I’m definitely going to have to try a post in a more casual way!

@Melissa – You’re most welcome! You’ll love Plurk once you get the hang of it. There’s lots of writers there and even a Writer’s Clique. We share inspiration, motivation, cheer each other on, chat about what we had for lunch… It’s just great! 😉

Oh, and it sounds like you have some doodling and writing to do to fill up all those blank pages, girl! hehehe

I just popped back in to say I have really enjoyed all of these great comments and the discovery of a boatload of new blogs! I learned to type on a typewriter. It was so heavy that it could have killed me. I was maybe 6 or 7 and my mom said that typing was a skill everyone should have. When Word Perfect came along I taught myself. Gee, I suddenly feel like a relic at 44. Loved Peter, Davey and all the Monkeys. Oh man, I am old! Hey btw I’m on Plurk too. 🙂

I’m late to the party on this one, but I think I’ll give the morning pages a shot while I’m still in bed with a cup of coffee. 😉 Maybe it’ll make self-motivating in the morning easier—despite knowing every productivity trick in the book, motivation is not something I have mastered!

@friar – The four guys who comprised The Monkees were legitimate well-train musicians but they were originally (unbeknownst to them) signed to lip-sync to a pre-recorded track. It was either Nesmith or Dolenz who put up a big stink and actually orchestrated a small strike to do some test shows with them writing and “live” performing their own songs. It took off from there.

@karen – My dad who was a trained teacher actually kept signing me out of typing classes so I wouldn’t become a “dumb secretary” who “makes no money.” Makes me wonder what my mother thought of that since she went back to doing secretarial because he got fired and we lived off that secretarial income.

In high school I wrote my newspaper stories (school and the daily) by the 2 finger method on a broken red IBM Selectric in the back of the school typing lab (we’ll leave out what years those were). I had a Smith-Corona electric that was a graduation present for college but I was still in the hunt and peck mode so it always took a week to type a paper which meant no sleep.

In 1982/3 we bought a K-Pro and WordPerfect because my husband was writing his master’s thesis and I “typed” 280 of the 300 pages. Most of you are too young to have experienced the olden days of home computing. Y’all talk about booting and bios but you’re at the push-button stage. To get ready to type on the K-Pro meant turning it on to warm it up, and then take the boot disk to tell it what it was, then eject and put in the WordPerfect disk so it knew what I wanted to do. All of this is without a mouse so there were certain screens and stages where it was “safe” to make these changes. The internal storage was for in-use only so every 10 minutes -by the clock- I had to re-save to a five-and-a-quarter storage disk (eject WP, insert blank, save, reinsert WP). Everything would come to a halt if it got stuck in a “do-loop” which I’m told is remedied by hitting “esc” but the system cost us $1200 and had basically no warranty so it would sit till my husband came home. I’ll save the “modem” story for another day.

I kept a journal when I was a kid and then in 5th grade one of my friends brought it to school without me knowing and it went around the school like wildfire. I haven’t kept one since you never know who is gonna find it and show people everthing inside.

@Friar, yep, typing tetris was a lot of fun. I bet it’s still out there somewhere. I think the official name was Typing Tutor.

@otherdeb, I wasn’t going for a bibliography on books about journaling with this post…just wanted to share some tips and ideas. I chose The Artist’s Way because I wanted to talk about the usefulness of the morning pages. However, Writing Down the Bones is one of my favorite writing books, and I’ve mentioned it here on this blog a few times already. Thanks for sharing those other journaling resources with us.

@Nathan, yes, really! I think it depends on the type of blog you have and of course on your audience. For example, a casual voice wouldn’t be appropriate on a medical blog but would work well on a blog about pets.

@Michele, yep, I have lots of blank pages to fill and plenty of ideas too! Hopefully I’ll get to spend some time on Plurk one of these days. So far, all I’ve done is set up my account and accept requests that forward to my email. I’m not sure if I like it better than Twitter, which I also haven’t had time for lately. Kind of a bummer, but we can only do so much in a day.

@Karen, a relic? Geez, I thought you were about 30 from your photo (that’s younger than me, btw). I think my favorite Monkees song was “I’m a Believer.” There’s another (obscure) one called “Randy Scouse Grit” or something like that, which I like a lot too.

@Joel, The only time I’m not motivated is in the morning. When it comes to productivity, I’ve got everything down except mastering my sleeping habits. My vision is to sit on a lovely porch each morning (preferably before 10 a.m.) with my coffee and morning pages for about twenty minutes. We’ll see if that ever happens!

@Deb (gscottage), man, that would have been cheesy if the Monkees didn’t perform their own music. I mean it was kind of cheesy anyway, so can you imagine? Heheh.

@Coby, my mom always said don’t write down anything unless you don’t care who sees it. I did not take her advice. One of my boyfriends once read my journal and happened across a page where I was complaining about him. I didn’t really care since it was all legit and his invasion far outweighed what I had written.

Funny comment, Melissa! I just read the comment you left at my juice blog. Yeah, it’s me! That’s my new site. I have lots more to do to make it shine but it’s coming along. 😉

*smiles* Michele, aka Juice Girl

Hands down the favorite’s got to be “Daydream Believer.”

@Michele, very nice site you’ve put together! I like your handle “Juice Girl.” Love it, love it, love it!

@Deb (gscottage), that’s a good song too! It’s excellent for singalongs.

I’ve never had the journaling compulsion for some reason. I’m usually inspired to either write stories or to work on something that will make me money. I have a goal-oriented personality, I guess. Just writing down what happened during the day doesn’t fulfill me.

That said, I did keep one when I was in Europe for three weeks. Lots of time on the bus riding between countries, and I’d left my laptop at home, so I scribbled in a little journal.

It’s hard to stop writing. 🙂

@Melissa – thanks! *blushes* I appreciate the compliments! Juice Girl just popped in my head so I ran with it. I’m always making juices and juice fasting has become a huge part of my life. It’s been a crucial part of improving my health. 😉

@Lindsay, you could use a journal to generate ideas for stories or other paid projects. Not all writers want or need to keep a journal. It’s completely up to you. I would say it’s worth it to try journaling for a couple of weeks and see if you can’t find any benefits that support other areas of your writing.

@Michele, I’m a smoothie fan but haven’t explored juicing very much. Actually, I haven’t explored it at all. But I’ll keep my eyes on your blog for some tasty new smoothie recipes!

Hi Melissa,

You just inspired me to grab my gratitude journal and start writing again. I’m a very infrequent journaler. I guess I’m a bit like Lindsay and focus on more practical matters instead of spending time with a journal each day.

I do keep travel journals though and have quite a few sitting in my bedside table. For many journaling is very relaxing. I prefer to do craft and think about life in general. I find I relax more.

Come to think about it though, I do have a lovely creative journal from years ago. I used to draw, stick pictures in there and sketch. Loved that thing. Maybe there is hope for me after all. 🙂

Great post.

@Monika, I think it’s difficult to keep a journal when we write for a living. I know that since I started freelancing, I’ve moved away from some writing practices I used to enjoy very much, like journaling and writing poetry. I think that’s okay for now, but not for the long haul!

The gratitude journal is one of my favorites. It really helped me stay positive and hopeful through a difficult time.

@ Melissa: I think you are right. After a day of writing the last thing I want to do is write some more, even though it is by hand.

The positive mind set and appreciation for small things is what makes the gratitude journal so appealing to me. 🙂

Hi Melissa. I’ve been out of touch with my journalling and feeling guilty. I have a stack of books from past journalling and recording dreams. I used to write morning pages (I wrote about this success in Magic Happens on my blog).

But, for some reason I’ve been dancing around getting back at it. Keep my journal by my bedside and stare at it every morning! Help!!! Very strange indeed!

@Monika, I’ve been trying to think of a way to incorporate morning pages into my routine, and now I’m wondering if I can’t slip in a gratitude journal. Those entries don’t take very long, and I could write them while I sip my coffee. Good way to start the day!

@Davina, it sounds like you’ve developed some kind of resistance to your own journal. There are a couple of things you could do. You could schedule an appointment with yourself to sit down and write in it. Or just go do it right now. Maybe for your first entry, write about why you’re avoiding it. Once you figure that out, it might be easier to pick it up and write instead of staring at it.

Melissa, thanks for writing this post. I love journaling – always have – but I haven’t been very faithful in the last couple of years. Your beautiful post made me want to get it out and create! (By the way, I use the Watson-Guptill Sketchbook too. I love to use markers in it and glue things in.)

@Jessica, I haven’t been faithful to my journal lately either. I think it happens to a lot of writers. That’s okay though, as long as we come back to it eventually! And you did, so pat yourself on the back!

Another great page Melissa. Journal writing has to be one of the most wonderful psychotherapy tools on the planet. It keeps people away from cell-phones, TVs and computers and hopefully off the street when things could turn sour for some. I don’t know if my journal writing amounts to spit. But it sure as hell gets a lot of crapola out my head and heart and onto paper. For teachers, they ought to be doubling their effort to get adolescent men into writing to get their stuff onto paper. I have no doubt it would be an effective task as the boys take it up. The story about a teacher in NYC who taught it what was apparently the worst school in the US; had quite a number of tear-jerker stories to tell because of his success with at risk and serious problem students. A writer was invited to a school and he asked the class who ‘really’ wants to be a writer? A number of hands went up. He then asked, ‘Why are you wasting your time here. Why aren’t you at home writing?’ So why are you reading this pap! Why aren’t you writing?

Yes, journal writing can be very therapeutic indeed. Throughout my schooling, I had several teachers who required that students keep a daily journal; we were usually given time in class each day to compose our entries. It had a profound impact on me, and I kept at it for a long time afterwards.

I started journaling when I was twelve and try to keep it up regularly. The habit has come in quite handy, actually, during some extremely tough spots in my life, like losing dear friends. Through these times, I wrote out my feelings. Sometimes that was the only way to take some of the weight off my heart. It didn’t make it go away completely, but it felt healing, and now I have a lot of inner thoughts, emotions, and feelings to look to for inspiration in my creative writing. Reading this post made me realize that I need to get another journal (the one I have I keep by my bed and write in at night before turning in)–this one to carry around with me! Sometimes when I have a sudden idea, I quickly jot it down on my iPod. But having a real journal would be much better. Thank you for this post! It’s inspired me to be more proactive about my journaling and keeping track of my creative flow.

It’s true: writing is so therapeutic! I think a lot of us are moving toward electronic writing tools nowadays, since it’s so much easier to carry a smart phone as opposed to a notebook and a pen, but I still prefer doing some of my writing the old-fashioned way.

I am obsessed with journaling. I love your thoroughness of explaining journaling. I wrote a book on how I journal that I think people who love to journal–I believe it could benefit other journal lovers.

I’m so glad you enjoyed this piece. Journaling is truly a wonderful practice.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Why Do We Journal? – English 1050 - […] A Guide to Journaling for Writers […]
Using my writing journals to work toward a poetry manuscript - […] are lots of ways to keep a writing journal. Here’s one from The Writing Cooperative and another from Writing…

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Subscribe and get The Writer’s Creed graphic e-booklet, plus a weekly digest with the latest articles on writing, as well as special offers and exclusive content.

Pin It on Pinterest

How to write a story
How to write a novel
How to write poetry
Dramatic writing
How to write a memoir
How to write a mystery
Creative journaling
Publishing advice
Story starters
Poetry prompts
For teachers

Starting a Creative Writing Journal

On this page, you'll find ideas for keeping a creative writing journal, including different journal formats and activities . You can also browse our journaling prompts and get inspired by these writer's journal examples .

If you write fiction, drama, or poetry, a journal can build your writing muscles and generate ideas. It can be a laboratory, where you experiment with different approaches. It can be a source of details to add texture and crispness to your writing. And whenever you get stuck or feel uninspired, you'll be able to go to your creative writing journal for fresh material.

Journal format

To keep a journal, all you really need is something to write with, and something to write on. The specifics depend on your preferences and imagination.

You might find the ideas flow better when you write with a fountain pen, or a pencil like the ones you used in school, or when you type on a computer. You might feel inspired by a special notebook; you might enjoy the physical space of a large sketchpad, or you might better off with a small notepad you can carry in your pocket. Your journal might end up being a three-ring binder or a shoe box full of index cards. Try different options and see what works best for you.

Here are some factors to consider.

• Are you inspired by pretty notebooks?

Some people enjoy journaling more when the journal's pretty. For a while, those Moleskine notebooks were all the rage.

Personally, when someone gives me a pretty notebook, I feel like anything I write is just polluting it; I feel like a vandal if I so much as write my name. To me, pretty journals always look prettier when they are empty. Since this is such an easy effect to achieve, all of the blank books I've been given over the years have stayed blank. But there are many people who are not scared but inspired by those creamy pages, those elegant covers. You probably know which type of person you are. • Bound or loose?

In a bound journal, the pages are preserved as you write them. With a loose-leaf journal, an index card journal, or any other type where the pages are not attached, you have more flexibility. You can remove parts of the journal to read them; you can rearrange or add pages as you like. On the other hand, there is the risk of the journal becoming disorganized and parts of it being lost. And for some journalers, keeping a permanent record is part of the point.

• Digital or longhand?

If you write on a computer, not only are you free to rearrange parts of your journal, you can also revise everything you write. This may actually be a disadvantage if you get caught up in editing instead of writing. You can lose the free flow of putting thoughts on paper, and you can also end up censoring yourself, editing your journal down to nothing. Writing on a computer, some people also miss the physical act of shaping the words with their hands. They feel the words in a different way when they are moving a pen or pencil over a page.

creative writing journal with seashell and photographs

How often to journal?

Some writers journal every day, but that isn't a requirement. You can decide to journal at a specific time every day—for example, first thing in the morning or before you go to bed. Or, you can use journaling into a warm-up activity to focus your mind before you write fiction or poetry.

There's no one right approach. Your creative writing journal's just for you—it's impossible to get it wrong!

What to write about?

You can use your journal as a general record of your daily life. Or you might prefer to focus on a certain topic such as your garden or your reading or current events. You can write about your experiences, your thoughts, your memories. You can use it to collect material to use in fiction writing and poems. Some people keep notebooks next to their beds and write down their dreams. There's no right or wrong way to keep a journal. The journal is for you, so you get to set the rules. Experiment, try different approaches, different kind of subject matter. If you don't know what to write about, take a walk and make notes on what you observe around you: the buildings and people or the plants and birds, the weather, the look of the sky, the look of the ground (grass? wildflowers? pavement? dirt/pebbles? what color?), the sounds (cars? birds? wind? your own breath?), the smells (cut grass? car exhaust? sweat? wood smoke?), the shards and scraps that collect in the gutters. In every scene, there are an infinite number of details to notice if you pay close enough attention. Another way to generate ideas: take a general theme -- let's say, Fear. Then spend five minutes breaking that theme into subcategories; for example: • Things that scare me • Things I do when I'm afraid • Techniques for overcoming fear, etc. If you want, you can break some of those into even smaller categories. For example, "Things that scare me" could be subdivided further: • Scary movies • My nightmares • Irrational fears and superstitions • Fear of failure • People I'm afraid of, etc. Each item in your list is a topic that you can write about in your journal. With this system, in less than an hour, you can come up with enough writing topics for a whole year of journaling. You can also use these journaling prompts .

Journal activities

Here are some more ideas for your creative writing journal:

1) People-watch.

The people around you can become fictional characters or the subjects of poems. You can give them roles in your writing, or just borrow details: your neighbor's nervous laugh, the shiny makeup that makes your mother's friend look like she's made out of plastic...

Make notes about people you know; take your creative writing journal to a coffee house or a hotel lobby and describe them: their appearance, their body language, their voices, the way they relate to each other. You can go beyond mere reporting and write what you imagine as well. What do you think that woman's name might be? Where do you think she lives? Is she having an affair with that man, or are they just business partners? What is she thinking right now? What is she hiding in that big purse? Any of this can be the beginning of a story or poem.

(Caution: if you are writing about people you know, be careful where you leave your creative writing journal. You may want to change names and identifying details to protect yourself against prying eyes.)

2) Listen.

Eavesdrop in restaurants, in stores. Listen to your own family and friends -- really listen. Not just to what they're saying, but to the words they use, the pauses, the unique rhythms of their speech. And write down pieces of speech when they are still fresh in your ears. If you wait too long, you'll find the sentences coming out in your own voice. Learning to capture different voices on paper will help you with dialogue for stories or scripts. It can also be a source for poetry.

3) Take a field trip.

Are you writing a scene in a police station? A city dump? Visit one. Write down the details that will make the setting come alive on the page.

On the other hand, if you're not in the middle of a writing project, taking a field trip can give you ideas for one. Go somewhere you would normally never go. By explaining you're a writer, you can get permission to visit places not normally open to the public. The basement of an aquarium? The backrooms of a funeral parlor? Take notes on your observations and see what story ideas emerge.

4) Use real-life stories.

The news, gossip, the experiences of your friends, and even stories from history books can be sources for creative writing. Make notes on the story, and imagine the parts you don't know. Imagine it as if you were there. What, exactly, did people see? What were they thinking? What did it all feel like? What led up to the event; what happened next? Let your imagination fill in the gaps. Or imagine that some part of it had been different. How does that change the story?

The children's book writer Linda Leopold Strauss used this method to write the novel novel Really, Truly, Everything's Fine . She saw a newspaper story about a man accused of a white-collar crime, and her imagination began to work. She started to wonder if the man had a family, what conversation they would be having over their breakfast table that morning when the newspaper story came out, how the man's child might react to the news of her father's crime, how this would change the life of his child. And so a novel was born.

5) Freewrite.

This technique is especially useful as a warm-up for creative writing or as a cure for writer's block.

The way freewriting works is that you keep your pen moving on the page, normally during a set amount of time (try setting a timer for five minutes, for example). If you don't have anything to say, you can write, "I don't have anything to say," over and over until something else occurs to you. Don't judge or correct yourself as you are writing; don't worry about sounding smart or even making sense. It is a way of tricking your mind into relaxing. Then interesting things often start to happen on the page.

creative writing journal with paper butterfly

6) Write to music. Play a piece of music that has no lyrics, and write in your journal about the lyrics you think would fit it best. This can be the beginning of a poem. Does the music stir up memories? If it were the soundtrack for a movie, what kind of movie would it be? Write part of the story.

7) Try different points of view. Italo Calvino wrote a short story in which his character, Marcovaldo, followed stray cats from through his city, seeing the alleys and rooftops from a cat's perspective. Experiment with describing the world around you from different points of view. How would your home look to a child, for example? Think about the details that would attract a child's attention that might not interest an adult. How about you -- how might a stranger describe you? What aspects of you might a stranger that your parents or spouse would overlook? In what ways would the stranger be wrong?

8) Collect words. Did you hear a word that you liked? An expression that caught your attention? In Spain, where I live, people say, "I was more lost than an octopus in a garage." That's quite a mental image.

Keep a list of interesting words that you can use as poem starters. You might do a little research on the origins of words and phrases in the list. Many words have curious stories behind them. How does the word sound to you? What images does it bring to mind? Does it have more than one meaning? How does it feel in your mouth? How is it different from similar words? What does it remind you of? Write about it.

9) Focus your attention. Spend a day concentrating on just one of your senses -- smell or sound. Or a day paying attention not to objects, but to their shadows and reflections. A day looking specifically at people's hands, the differences in their textures, their movements, the way they act. A day looking at the way people walk. Focusing your attention will lead to new discoveries.

10) Read actively. Reading can lead your mind in new directions. Of course, you don't want to copy anyone else's creative writing, but you can use it to get new ideas.

Maybe a novel you read makes you curious about a foreign culture, a historical event, a certain lifestyle. Do some research on this topic -- it could be the beginning of a story. Maybe a book gives you a fresh perspective on something in your own life or experience. Write about it. If you're a poet, you could try "writing between the lines" of a favorite poem. Write new lines for that poem, and then turn them into a poem of your own.

creative writing journal with line of stones on top

Creative writing journal - Next steps

Join our free email group for more creative writing tips.

Get inspired with these creative writing journal prompts .

Learn to write a memoir in our 8-week course.

Creative Writing Journal

Terms - Returns & Cancellations - Affiliate Disclosure - Privacy Policy

IAJW » IAJW Journal Blog » How to Journal » How to Journal

How to Journal

Your complete guide to getting started with journaling.

Do you want to learn how to journal, but are unsure where to start? Or you want to know what to write in a journal? Maybe you’ve heard of creative journaling and are curious what it is? Perhaps you’re a writer and want to journal to deepen your craft?

This comprehensive “How to Journal” article will answer all of your questions about journal writing. For example, what journal writing is, how you can use it, and what benefits you can experience from this type of writing. It also includes many journal writing prompts to help you get started. Lastly, while journal writing is typically a solitary act, you don’t have to journal alone or in isolation. This article will tell you where you can get some help and support for your journal writing, including being part of a journal writing community or group.

This Article Covers:

What is Journal Writing?

What can i use journaling for.

How to Journal – What are the Benefits?
Getting Started with Journaling
Creating a Journal Writing Ritual
How to Journal – What To Write?
How Often Should I Write in my Journal?

Do You Need to Write Regularly in a Journal?

How To Journal Consistently – Creating the Journaling Habit
How to Journal – What Help and Support Can I Get?
In Conclusion

Before we talk about how to journal, let’s look at what journaling is.

Journal Writing is the practice of taking time for yourself to write and reflect on your thoughts, feelings and life experiences. There are many suggestions for how to journal and what to write about. However, the beauty of journal writing is you can do it in your own way. This means you can really make it your own creative and life enhancing practice.

There are lots of people who write in a journal. I recently heard that 16% of the world’s population regularly writes in a journal. You could loosely test this claim yourself by asking a group of friends or family if they write in a journal and see what percentage say yes.

Each person will give a slightly different answer when asked, “What is journaling?” But in essence, journaling is the simple and profound act of capturing and understanding our lives through expressive writing and story. Expressive writing includes writing about our thoughts and feelings while gaining self-awareness and new discoveries along the way. Journaling is all about exploring and enriching life through narrative, words and creative self-expression through writing.

Journaling is…

a powerful tool for personal growth, self-discovery, improved health and creative self-expression
a fun and creative life enhancing practice
used by many successful people, including Oprah and Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul books), to achieve success in life and work

“Journal writing is one of the rare forms of writing in which freedom of form and content support each other magically.” – Stephanie Dowrick

You can use journal writing to get to know yourself better, solve problems, make life decisions, improve your health and increase feelings of gratitude and joy. Journaling can also help you heal from stressful life circumstances, deal with grief and loss, or other life transitions. Or just journal for the pure love it!

Journaling is a fun, nourishing and creative practice that simply requires something to write with and write on. Whether it’s a pen and notebook, loose paper, cue cards, you get to choose your journaling tools!

People use journal writing in different ways for a variety of reasons. One person might journal to heal a broken heart writing an unsent letter sharing what they wish they’d said to that person. Someone else might journal to celebrate their accomplishments and make a list of their recent successes in their journal.

There are also a wide variety of journaling methods and techniques to get the most out of your journaling. You can use it for whatever matters most to you at this time in your life.

Name * First
Hidden STRACK

How to Journal – What are the Benefits?

There are many evidence-based benefits of journal writing from over 30 years of research in the expressive writing field. Yes, journal writing is a field of work!

People use the journaling process for many reasons, including to:

stimulate a healthier mind and body
vent and express thoughts and feelings in a healthy, constructive manner
increase self-awareness
create clarity for decision-making
track progress and personal growth
celebrate successes
heal emotional pain and trauma
increase self-care
manage stress and prevent burnout
gain broader and multiple perspectives
practice writing in a non-judgmental setting
improve creative thinking
preserve memories
get closer to God or a divine energy source

Today, journaling is widely accepted as a means for cultivating wellness as part of a whole person health approach. This includes the emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of well-being. Journaling is also being used across various disciplines, such as education, psychology, leadership, business, health, creative writing, coaching and counselling fields, as a powerful tool for learning and growth.

How to Journal – Getting Started

Get organized.

One of the first things to do when you start a journal is get your journaling tools organized.

It can be fun to pick out your favourite pen and an inspiring journal. Look online or go into any book, stationary or office supply store and you’ll find all kinds of journals, pens, markers and other things you might like to use in your journal such as stickers or other creative touches.

So over time, you can experiment with your journaling tools. Do you like blank pages or lined? Would you prefer a small journal or a large sketchbook style journal? Would you use the same style journal or mix it up and try something new each time you begin a new one?

Sometimes people use loose leaf paper and put their journaling pages in a binder, or write small entries on cue cards. And some people even use big 18 x 24 pages of paper for larger visual journaling entries. You can create a mixed media art journal and much more.

Image of hand starting to write in journal

Just Write!

The key is to pick some simple journaling tools to start with – a pen and notebook – and just start writing.

Your writing will teach you what you need. For example, I used to write in a small lined journal and over the years, my writing longed for larger, open, clear spaces to fill. Now I use an 8 ½ by 11 blank page sketchbook, spiral bound and I keep my pilot pen in the spine of the journal.

Find your own tools and make your own way as you write. The only way to journal, is to write. And then write some more.

Whether you’re an avid journal writer, someone who journaled in the past, or have never written in a journal before:

“There is a Spanish proverb which says: there is no road, we make the road as we walk. I would say the same thing about journal writing: we make the path as we write.” Christina Baldwin

How to Journal – Creating Writing Rituals

What is a journaling writing ritual.

Dr. James Pennebaker, author of Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma & Emotional Upheaval , suggests some conditions that help enhance the expressive writing process. His research shows that creating a journal writing ritual is very beneficial.

Being focused, non-judgmental, and connected to your interior world fosters deeper writing. But, it’s not a frame of mind that everyone can simply switch on and off.

The idea behind creating a ritual is to create a unique environment and/or behavior which helps you sink into the best journal writing mindset possible. The purpose of the ritual is to take you away from everyday life. Your ritual contains the cues you create for yourself which help you become relaxed, alert, and reflective.

How do you Create a Journal Writing Ritual?

Here are some suggestions, but remember, the ritual you create to transition into deeper journal writing is uniquely yours.

Select some music that creates a sense of serenity. Play it for five minutes, focusing on simply listening to the music. Consider closing your eyes. Do not read your mail or straighten out your desk! You may want to have just one piece of music you use each time as your centering pre-writing ritual. Or choose three or four pieces you love for some variety.
Begin with several minutes of a meditation or a prayer. You can write just for the occasion or create something spontaneously each time.
Brew a cup of tea or coffee, or pour yourself some fresh juice. Perhaps a glass of wine? Spend a few minutes holding the cup, feeling the warmth, smelling the aromas of your drink and deeply enjoy those sensations.

Write in an environment that’s inspiring for your journal writing

This could be by a bright and sunny window or a softly lit corner nestled in a cozy chair.
Light a candle and while lighting the candle say an affirmation, your intention or make a wish.

Journal at approximately the same time each day

This doesn’t have to be at the same hour each day, but it’s helpful if it’s at the same time in your daily routine. For example half an hour before bed, which will work whether you go to bed at 10pm or at midnight.

The trick, of course, is to find the cues that help you settle in quickly. Initially, experiment with different rituals to see which feels best and then stick with the practice once you’ve found one you like. Remember to use as many of your senses (smell, sight, touch, hearing and taste) as you can when creating your centering ritual.

Image of woman journaling to create a ritual for how to journal article

How to Journal – What To Write

You can write about anything you want to write about. For example write about your day including your thoughts, feelings, problems, challenges, upsets, joys, successes and dreams. Here are some journaling prompts to help you get started:

Right now, I am feeling…
In the moment, I notice…
Currently, I am thinking about…
So far, the best part about my week is…

You can also write about what you don’t want to write about—and explore your resistance!

Resistance offers you information about where you’re feeling stuck, perhaps procrastinating, or simply not quite sure how to proceed. Here are some journaling prompts to play with around resistance:

At the moment, I don’t really want to write about (and then write about it anyways)…
I am feeling resistant because…
If I wasn’t feeling resistant, what might be different in my life right now…

You can free write (simply go to the page and start writing) or you can do more structured journal writing activities such as using prompts.

There are many other journal writing techniques and methods such as mind maps, cluster drawings, dialogue writing, captured moments, poetic writing and more that you can learn about and use to keep your journal writing fresh and interesting.

Access our free 7 Servings of Journal Juice for new ideas on what to write about in your journal. And you’ll also receive journal writing prompts, exercises, tips and our inspiring Journaling Museletter .

How To Journal – How Often Should I Write

There are no rules about how often you should write in your journal. Like anything, the more often you do something that’s good for you, the more benefits you get from it. I doubt you would go for one walk around the block and expect to experience significant health benefits from it.

The same is true for journaling. While that one walk would have offered you ‘in the moment’ benefits like time to relax, feeling good from moving your body, fresh air and more, the same is true for journaling.

You could gain a sense of relief, renewal and replenishment from just 10 minutes of writing about your thoughts, feelings and life observations.

Journal Regularly

Much like any other activity that’s good for you like brushing your teeth, meditating or eating a healthy diet, journaling can also be done regularly. Journaling makes a great healthy daily habit.

Set a Timer

I often facilitate timed journal writing exercises in workshops and retreats that I offer. It’s a core part of my Transformational Writing for Wellness Salon , a 6 week group coaching program that takes people into the heart and art of transformational journaling.

So often people say, “I can’t believe how much I wrote in just 5 minutes” or “I can’t believe I gained new insights when I just wrote for 7 minutes!”

Journaling to Cope

Many people only write in their journals when they are going through difficult times. Then once things are going better, they stop writing. This is also a valuable way to use your journal as a life companion to help you cope during stressful or troubled times.

The key is not to get too caught up in “shoulds”: I should journal today, I should journal more often. That’s because ‘shoulds’ can open the door for negative self-talk and feelings of inadequacy and shame. Instead, your journaling practice is best treated like a kind friend. You journal because you want to, and because it’s an enjoyable, or at least helpful, relaxing experience.

It’s a question that most journal writers face at some point. Does it matter if you write often in your journal? Well, whether you write regularly depends on your purpose for writing. Is it to preserve memories? To sort out issues? To track physical or emotional, spiritual, or intellectual progress? Track health symptoms?

If journal writing is pleasurable, then writing is its own reward. If journal writing becomes a task you “should” do, rather than something you enjoy, then you’ll write less consistently.

So part of the issue can be reframed by asking, ”How do I make journal writing pleasurable?” The answer to this question will help you find your own way to make journaling a consistent and enjoyable habit.

How To Journal Consistently – Creating the Journaling Habit

Think of writing a journal entry as the lowest cost and highest benefit way of taking care of your health. Remember that writing about meaningful events or activities in your life has been proven to positively impact your overall health without major cost of time or money and without having to leave your home!

If you do want to write in your journal on a regular basis and truly create the journaling habit, here are a few ideas to help you keep writing consistently:

Make your journal writing more upbeat

Review the good things that have happened in your day—your attitude, your progress toward a goal, a minor victory, even a two-minute interaction with someone that went well.
Remind yourself about the good stuff in your life and your good qualities.

Write when you have difficult issues in your life that need to be resolved

Who doesn’t experience difficult times? Consider the time that you write in your journal as an oasis of self-nurturing in your day. It’s a time to vent, rant, reflect, and process just for you.

If possible, write at the same time every day

Incorporate your writing practice into a daily routine.

Make it short and fun!

Write a one-word journal entry that captures your day.
It’s a challenge to come up with that one word. You can think about it while you are doing some mindless life maintenance activity—like flossing your teeth, taking out the garbage, or folding clothes.
Then once you’ve determined that word, writing your journal entry takes almost no time.

Go deeper with our How to Journal Consistently article >>

Back to the question: Does it really matter that you write consistently?

Writing consistently helps you maintain your journaling practice. It means that when you re-read your journal, there are enough entries to have meaning and flow.

Your ability to write consistently in your journal will be determined by how you feel and doing what’s right for you. So, while you’re writing and when you finish, notice how you feel.

Did you like the process?
Were you feeling relaxed and soothed during or after writing?
Did you feel at times frustrated, angry, confused, despairing?

This whole spectrum of emotions is simply part of the process of journal writing. I know that I feel better most of the time after I write – like I’ve released a burden or relived a pleasurable part of my day.

How to Journal – What Help and Support Can I Get?

One of the best ways to learn more about how to journal is with the support of a like minded community. When we join with fellow journal writers there are regular opportunities to connect, learn and be inspired about journaling. People who like yoga connect in yoga communities, and the same is true for meditation, scrapbooking, running and more. There is a human instinct to find supportive communities who share our passion or interest, so we can learn and grow together.

At the IAJW, our journal writing community is for extroverts and introverts alike. Perhaps you want the inspiration and support of a community, but would rather sit back quietly and take it all in. Or maybe you want to chat with fellow journal writers live on our monthly Zoom Chats with guest experts. You can gain regular help and support for your unique approach to journal writing.

People journal writing in group for how to journal article

Join our Online Journal Writing Community

We know there is power in community. So come join fellow journal writers in the International Association for Journal Writing ! We offer a learning and inspirational community for journal writers worldwide. Access monthly online writing circles, interviews with guest experts in the field of journaling and expressive writing, courses, journaling tools, e-books and much more.

Treat Yourself to a Journal Writing Retreat

Lastly, you might want to join one of our virtual Renew You Writing Retreats . Take 3 hours for yourself to journal in a guided and nourishing way. Whether you want to kick-start or reinvigorate your journaling practice, this retreat gives you time for creative self-care and renewal!

“Wow! What an awesome experience! I must admit I was a tad bit skeptical about an online retreat. But woah! Was I wrong! The Renew You Writing Retreat was so invigorating, uplifting, therapeutic, inspirational….just plain awesomesauce. Have you ever had an experience like that? You go in a little skeptical and come out blown away? Have you had the experience of being deeply inspired through writing and sharing with others? If not, you’re missing out! Thank you, Lynda, for creating such a wonderful space and experience.” Airial W. Dandridge, Certified Life Coach

How to Journal – In Conclusion

If you’ve read this far, I know you’re passionate (or at least curious about) the many benefits of journal writing. Journaling is an empowering experience because you’re always the expert of your own life. Journaling helps you explore both your inner and outer worlds and make sense of your life experience.

As a Registered Social Worker and Certified Co-Active Life Coach, I have been immersed in human transformation, growth, change and wellness for the past 30 years. I’ve learned many different tools and techniques for self-care, healing and growth through my studies and first-hand experience. Journaling is my go to practice that helps me live an intentional, healthy and happy life. And it has helped many people to do the same! Including you, perhaps?

There is only one way to experience the many benefits of journal writing—pick up your pen and write!

“Writing was the healing place where I could collect bits and pieces, where I could put them together again…written words change us all and make us more than we could ever be without them.” bell hooks

May your journaling support you to live an incredible life!

Next steps:.

Join our Journaling Community with IAJW Membership>>
Check out our Journal Writing Facebook group>>
Explore our Journal Writing Store>>

Authors : Lynda Monk, Director of IAJW and Ruth Folit, Founder of IAJW , partnered to write this How to Journal article, attempting to answer some of the most common questions that new and, in some cases, even seasoned journal writers have.

23 Comments

Such a wonderful article. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks, Diana!

I went to write lots bits to remember and copied it almost word for word in my common place book,but I love to write and am trying to get back into it,I’m writing for recovery from am 8yr relationship with a covert gaslighting narcissist,and I couldn’t write,let alone relax,I have been out for almost 2yrs,and when I start to feel joy or something didn’t work out and I’m hard on myself,I swear I can feel his presence in my house,he doesn’t know where I am,I left him and moved 2hr away in a different state,the feeling is almost overwhelming

Hi Dixie, personal writing can help heal from painful relationships. It’s great you are getting back into it!

Thank you both Lynda and Ruth for this wonderfully informative resource. Never too old to learn something new! Thank you both for bringing this to us.

Thanks, Lyn. Glad it offered some new ideas!

Great article Lynda! You’ve covered so many bases – lots of work, and very informative and knowledgeable as always :) Emma-Louise

Hi Emma, thanks for your kind feedback!

You two put together a beautiful and accessible piece here. It’s filled with all the vast experience and love you have for journaling. Thanks, Beth

Thanks so much, Beth! Your feedback means a lot to us.

Lynda, a beautiful gift to receive, words combing thoughts, insightful expressions and creative suggestions. Thank you for sharing a writing world held in heart, pen or typing starts journaling what is seen, felt or sensed from a human inner essence. Whole ❤️ Namaste.

Thank you, Denise! Namaste.

My name is Jacki Smallwood. I have been watching your sight on Facebook, and all the various gifts you have given while on the sight. I have been in a nursing home for 3 years and in quarantine for the past 11 months, not leaving my room, no guests, no funerals or graduation s. To keep my sanity u journal, I share my journaling with other residents through Messenger to help others cope. I don’t have access to copy machine nor anyone to take it out to staples. I am asking if anyone of your organization would donate material that would help me so much and then share with others. I get 45.00 a month from SS and need every penny for my needs. Anything you can do would be so helpful.

Seniors are a special group often ignored through this Covid.

Thank you for anything you could for me.

Jacky Smallwood

Hi Jacky, thank you for your note and request. I removed your mailing address from your original comment before publishing it for your privacy. I will reach out to you by email. I am glad journaling is helping you during this difficult time. More to follow, Lynda

Lynda, I’m very grateful to have ran across this article. I used to journal a lot when I was younger and I write poetry and music pretty consistently for the last few years. I have been told journaling could be amazing for me to get over some of my past pains and nasty relationships and getting to know myself, growing into a stronger (as well as better person), and just for my general mental health. So, as I begin to journal this very day, I was writing down many things that I want to include and accomplish with this journal inside the front pages of my book and I happened to run across your article! Now I just want to give you a big thank you BECAUSE I attained a lot of information, ideas, and format to include in my new journaling experience! I’m very excited to embark and I just wanted to let you know again I’m grateful for running across your words.

Chelsea Venice, Florida

Hi Chelsea, thanks for your note and for sharing some of your journaling hopes! I love the serendipity that you found our journaling website. We have lots of free journaling resources, including journaling prompts, that might be helpful along the way. You can find them here if you are interested: https://iajw.org/free-journaling-resources/ Happy journaling!

Thanks for your article esp the prompts to change the language and freshen up what I usually write.

wonderful article

Thank you so much for this article! When I was in my deepest months I would always journal but then once I got better I stopped journaling. I really want to get back into it but instead of writing about the bad in my life, I am going to focus on the good.

thank you for this article!

You’re welcome, Gwen. Thanks for reading.

I love the ideas for making journaling more appealing in order to journal more consistently. Sometimes I get so caught up in the “should do’s” that I forget that there really are no rules!

Very informative article on journaling! I’ve found journaling to be a wonderful practice for self-discovery and personal growth.

23 Best Journals That Will Motivate You to Write More

There's nothing like a great notebook.

Young woman making notes whilst having champagne breakfast at boutique hotel in Italy

Our editors handpick the products that we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

McKenzie Jean-Philippe is the editorial assistant at OprahMag.com covering pop culture, TV, movies, celebrity, and lifestyle. She loves a great Oprah viral moment and all things Netflix—but come summertime, Big Brother has her heart. On a day off you'll find her curled up with a new juicy romance novel.

Happy New Year

Stylish Gym Bags to Sport Right Now

a young woman is writing on her personal organizer

40 Quotes to Use as Mantras for Positive Thinking

chinese new year food and drink still life

11 Lunar New Year Foods and What They Mean

What Is the Lunar New Year?

portrait of beautiful young overweight woman outdoors on bridge in city, doing exercise

The Best Plus-Size Yoga Pants for a Better Workout

Best New Year's Movies of All Time

20 New Year’s Eve Outfit Ideas

The Best Gym Bags with Shoe Compartments

27 Uplifting Motivational Podcasts

Our Favorite Books of 2021

The Best LGBTQ Books of 2021 So Far

Want to get started with journaling here's how + tips for building the habit, from experts.

From the diaries we kept as little kids to the Notes app we all have on our phones today, writing thoughts down is part of what makes us human.

And journaling, as an ever-popular pastime, allows us to not only vent our frustrations but also record our day-to-day experiences, work through our emotions, and even plan for the future.

Want to try it yourself? Here, we're diving into the many styles of journaling, how to journal, plus tips for building the habit if you're just getting started.

Grab your journal and let's get into it!

What is journaling, exactly?

Journaling , by definition, is simply writing in a journal or diary. The beauty of this practice is that the rest is entirely up to you!

You can write about virtually anything you want, take yourself as seriously (or not seriously) as you want, and of course, you can write a paragraph, 10 pages, or anywhere in between.

As artist and guided journal author Meera Lee Patel previously explained to mindbodygreen, "The purpose of journaling is to awaken conscious thinking, which is simply having an honest conversation with yourself."

She adds that this does not mean being conscious of your writing—of the words you're using or the sentences you're forming.

"In fact, if being hyper-aware of your writing is causing you to censor yourself," she says, "it defeats the purpose of journaling."

Depending on which style of journaling you're going for, you might have a more regimented practice or routine (i.e., gratitude journaling about things you're grateful for every day, or dream journaling every morning when you wake up).

But if you're going for your standard "freeform" writing, much like a basic diary, you can take any liberties you like.

That said, let's break down the different types of journaling you might want to try.

Types of journaling

Freeform journaling or daily journaling.

Freeform journaling, or daily journaling, is the kind of diary-style writing you probably imagine when you think about journaling.

According to psychotherapist Babita Spinelli, L.P. , this kind of journaling is used for personal reflection but can also benefit personal growth and mental health. "This is our personal diary," she explains.

Mindfulness journaling

Mindfulness journaling involves combining a mindfulness practice with a journaling practice, such as by describing your current surroundings or emotional experiences in detail.

You might write down what's going on around you, or the things you can feel, touch, and smell with your senses.

Mindfulness journaling is a great way to get out of your head and into your body, as well as connect to the present moment.

This style is great if you want to calm down, regulate your emotions, or strengthen your mindfulness practice in general.

Gratitude journaling

Gratitude journaling, which involves writing down and reflecting on the things you're grateful for, has been extensively researched for its role in mental health.

As one study 1 published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found, feelings of gratitude are linked to the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—regions of the brain that influence our decision-making, willpower, motivation, and mood.

And by taking your gratitude practice to your journal pages, you're actively carving out time to recall what you're grateful for.

As Spinelli tells mindbodygreen, "This type of journaling can increase positivity and balance negative intrusive thoughts. We can lose perspective about what matters, and gratitude journaling also reminds us of those blessings."

Morning pages

Similar to freeform journaling but with more of a routine, writer Julia Cameron's morning pages technique involves handwriting three pages of thoughts in the morning.

The stream-of-consciousness method is meant to illuminate thought patterns and unlock creativity first thing!

Bullet journaling

If you're less inclined to write about your feelings and experiences but love keeping a planner, you'll love bullet journaling.

The Bullet Journaling Method combines elements of a calendar, to-do list, and notebook all in one.

This style of journaling allows you to not only reflect but also plan. You can find bullet journals with formats already in place, though many fans of this style opt to create their own pages with blank journals and daydreams all in one place.

Here's our full guide to bullet journaling for more information.

Dream journaling

If you're someone who always has wild dreams that leave you guessing what they mean, dream journaling might be for you!

As Spinelli notes, "Our dreams reflect our inner subconscious. Dream journaling records our dreams and can help us or our psychoanalyst interpret them."

The key with dream journaling is to keep the journal right on your nightstand so you can write your dreams down as soon as you wake up.

The quicker you get up in the morning, the faster your memory of the dream will slip back into your subconscious—but to that end, the more you get into the habit of dream journaling, the better you'll remember your dreams!

Tarot journaling

Similar to a dream journal, a tarot journal is a place to write down the cards you pull (and their interpretations) in tarot , oracle , or any other spiritual reading.

Here, you can also write down feelings that come up during the reading, how you think the reading relates to your life, and even what the "call to action" is going forward.

Manifestation journaling

Have a goal you're trying to reach? Enter the manifestation journal , which is essentially a journal used for—you guessed it—manifesting.

Manifesting uses the law of attraction to attract things into our lives using positive energy, thoughts, and behaviors, so you can think of a manifestation journal as a written record of what you want to attract.

In the same way that a vision board is a visual depiction of those things, for example, by holding your goals in mind as you write, you're fueling your intentions.

Guided journaling

If you're new to journaling and have no idea what the heck to write about, you might want to check out guided journals with built-in prompts and reflection exercises.

This is a great option if coming up with ideas is stumping you and frustrating you. Just pick a prompt that piques your interest and start writing!

(Psst: There are prompts later on in this article if you're looking for some.)

Therapy journaling

Last but not least, Spinelli tells mindbodygreen you can also keep a therapy journal if you're currently working with a mental health professional. After all, a lot can be said in a one-hour session, and you might want to reflect on it further.

"Therapy journaling is a way to reflect on your sessions with your therapist. It also helps to release and track what brings you anxiety, joy, grief, anger, and other feelings," Spinelli explains, adding, "You can organize your thoughts before and after your session."

How to start journaling

Decide which style of journaling is right for you.

Ready to get started with your new journal? The first thing to figure out is what you want this journal to be. If you're feeling freeform, you're ready to start writing!

Otherwise, ask yourself what it is you hope to get out of journaling. Do you want to feel happier and more grateful? Gratitude journaling, then, would be the best bet for you.

Similarly, if you're looking to be more calm, centered, and mindful, you would, of course, go for mindfulness journaling.

And remember, there's no rule saying you can only have one journal. If it feels right to have four different journals for four different things, more power to you!

Make it a part of your routine

Like any new habit, sitting down with your journal at a set time is a great way to work it into your everyday routine. "Pick a day and time that is best for you—you can be flexible with yourself but maintain consistency in your practice," Spinelli suggests.

Start small

On the topic of habit-building, it can be tempting to get overzealous and push yourself to write pages at a time or for an extended period of time. But that's just a recipe for frustration.

Instead, Spinelli tells mindbodygreen, "By starting with a few minutes at a time then gradually increasing, we feel less overwhelmed and more likely to continue," adding, "Journaling may take some time to get used to."

Release any judgment or expectation

According to Spinelli, another key to enjoying your new journaling practice is to release any judgment, criticism, or expectations for your self.

"Do not become consumed with trying to journal 'perfectly' or making sure everything is written correctly," she says, adding, "This is your private journal to allow you to express yourself with pure freedom. Don't let your inner critic take over."

Pause if you need to

Things can get heavy when you're writing about a horrible day, a bad breakup, or even a childhood trauma. While journaling can help you work through these difficult emotions, Spinelli explains, "There may be times when journaling may stir up sadness, anger, or other emotions."

Remember that it's all a part of the process, and you can make room to pause if needed, Spinelli notes.

Stay consistent

Going back to the idea of creating a routine and starting small, try to be as consistent as possible to build the habit up.

If you miss a day, don't get down on yourself about it, but commit to sitting down with your journal and writing something .

It doesn't have to be long, profound, or even especially deep. If all you write is, "Today was the worst," at least it was the worst and you journaled about it.

Try using prompts for inspiration

And of course, as aforementioned, journaling prompts are a great option to help spark inspiration when you're not sure what to write about.

As Spinelli explains, they're great to lean on if you're finding it difficult to get started, or even to focus.

Journaling prompt examples

What have you recently introduced into you life that's brought you peace, joy, or comfort ?
What are 10 things you like about yourself?
Who is someone that makes you feel seen in your day-to-day life, and how do they do that?
What are five things around you right now that you're glad you don't have to live without?
What are some beautiful moments that happened this past week?
What powerful lessons have you learned?
What do you appreciate about yourr current life circumstances?
Picture a wise, loving, and more evolved version of you. Not someone else but the you you're meant to be. Imagine becoming that you. Describe yourself.
What values did your parents have, and do you hold those same values?
How would you describe yourself without any titles? (i.e., without any roles like "mom" or jobs like "writer")
What are 10 everyday occurrences that make you happy?
What emotion do you tend to experience the most?
Is there anything you're currently working on changing or shifting in your life?
What would you like to stay the same?
Who is your hero and why?
In what ways do you show up for others?
In what ways do others show up for you?
Is there anyone in your life you need to forgive?
Is there anyone in your life who you want to forgive you?
What does success mean to you?
What about your financial situation are you grateful for?
What about the way you make money brings you joy?
What problems do you usually run into in the workplace?
How do these issues reflect your inner values possibly not being met?
What is your dream job and why?
Do you think career and purpose are intertwined?
What is your relationship to your purpose?
Describe your childhood bedroom using all five senses.
How do you feel after going for a long, meditative walk? Does the world seem any different after you've been breathing deeply and paying attention?
Write about a tiny detail you noticed today—light falling on a leaf, a broken clasp on a necklace, an unusual stone.
Describe your favorite smell in detail.
Step outside and close your eyes for a moment. Upon opening them, write about what your gaze gravitates to first.
Where do you want to be in one year's time? How about five years?

Benefits of journaling

Can improve mental health .

Journaling has a number of benefits, including most notably, its benefits for mental health. Spinelli says she highly encourages her clients to journal to support their mental and physical well-being.

"Writing down our thoughts and feelings helps to reduce our anxiety, regulate our emotions, bolster our self-awareness, and provides perspective," she explains, adding that it also helps to stop intrusive thoughts and break unhealthy patterns of obsessive thinking.

"It helps us to get unstuck by writing down our thoughts and unloading it from our minds to paper," Spinelli says.

And as licensed marriage and family therapist Linda Carroll, M.S. , previously told mindbodygreen, "Journaling can be a useful tool for all of us, including for those times when we are depressed," adding, "It can be a place to express ourselves as long as we are not judging ourselves."

Can help with emotional processing and regulation

Getting your thoughts out on paper is a great way to express and process emotions, as well as regulate them when you're feeling stressed, upset, or mad.

According to Spinelli, journaling also provides relief by helping us release the emotions that weigh heavily on our minds. "This reduces stress and anxiety, [and] it helps to process our feelings and address emotions we have been avoiding," she explains.

Can help strengthen your relationship with yourself

If nothing else, journaling can be thought of like a date with yourself. It's an opportunity to get clear on how you actually feel about something and work through any difficult emotions. It's intentional time you spend with yourself, and it's an act of self-care.

As Spinelli notes, "Journaling also holds us accountable and can support committing to changes we want or need to make. It's an impactful tool for personal and professional growth."

Can help you sleep

Last but not least, you'll be happy to know journaling can even help you sleep! The caveat is it's only specific kind of journaling.

Specifically, as research published in the 2 Journal of Experimental Psychology 2 found, writing a detailed to-do list of everything you have to do tomorrow can help you fall asleep faster.

"The more specifically participants wrote their to-do list, the faster they subsequently fell asleep, whereas the opposite trend was observed when participants wrote about completed activities," the study authors write, adding, "Therefore, to facilitate falling asleep, individuals may derive benefit from writing a very specific to-do list for five minutes at bedtime rather than journaling about completed activities."

Keeping that in mind, leave your journaling sessions to earlier in the evening as you're winding down rather than journaling just before you sleep. Leave that time for your to-do lists! (Looking at you, bullet-journalers.)

The takeaway

From gratitude journaling to dream journaling, there's a style of journaling out there for everyone. And remember, no one's judging if you go out and buy five different journals for different topics.

The world, or in this case, your journal, is your oyster—and getting into the habit of sitting down with it is a beneficial practice you can come back to time and time again.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491/full
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxge0000374

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 limbs of yoga - what is asana.

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How plants can optimize athletic performance.

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

How ayurveda helps us navigate modern life.

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

There's A Taurus New Moon Coming—Here's What Your Sign Needs To Know

Sarah Regan

This Week's Horoscope Feels Like A Reset After Months Of Heaviness

The AstroTwins

These 3 Zodiac Signs Can Expect New Love This Taurus Season

Here's How To Channel The Energy Of This Month's Powerful New Moon

10 Ways Health Experts Save Money On Their Well-Being Routines

Sheryl Nance-Nash

These 2 Zodiac Signs Can Make For An Electrifying Relationship

What Does The Color Blue Symbolize? Here's Everything To Know

Julia Guerra

How To Find Your Numerology Life Path Number—In Case You Were Wondering

The Annual "Day Of Miracles" Is This Week—Here's Your Horoscope

There's A Taurus New Moon Coming—Here's What Your Sign Needs To Know

Reflective Journaling: How to Start + Prompts

Reflective journaling is an amazing way to get to know yourself better and grow. Recording your feelings, thoughts and experiences can give you a deeper understanding of yourself – your strengths and your weaknesses.

If you’re not sure how to start, consider using prompts to guide your reflective journaling. Here’s everything you need to know to get started and grow through the journey of reflection.

What is Reflective Journaling?

Reflective journaling is an amazing technique for exploring and reflecting on one’s thoughts and experiences. It goes beyond ordinary writing, as it encourages introspection and self-reflection . Regularly engaging in reflective journaling can help individuals cultivate greater self-awareness and gain deeper insights into their emotions, actions, and patterns of behavior .

Prompts can be useful in guiding the writing process. They ask thought-provoking questions that stimulate critical thinking and facilitate personal growth.

Examples of such prompts include:

“What was the most challenging experience you encountered today? How did you handle it?”

Reflective journaling is an invaluable tool for personal growth and self-discovery. With dedication and commitment, you can unlock deeper levels of self-awareness and benefit from your own experiences.

Benefits of Reflective Journaling

Reflective journaling is a tool that helps you delve into your emotions, develop your analytical abilities, and uncover insights about yourself for personal growth and self-improvement. Simple yet so helpful!

Emotional Healing and Self-awareness

Reflective journaling is more than just a practice for self-reflection. It’s also a powerful tool for emotional healing and self-awareness . By writing your thoughts and feelings down, you can release pent-up emotions. This act of catharsis helps you process and heal from past experiences and ultimately leads to emotional well-being.

Furthermore, reflective journaling provides a private place for exploration and expression . You can delve deeper into your emotions and thoughts without fear of judgement or criticism. This encourages self-acceptance and personal growth .

Dr. James Pennebaker’s research at the University of Texas has also revealed the healing power of writing about traumatic experiences. His studies found that people who engage in expressive writing show improved immune system functioning and emotional well-being when compared to those who don’t.

Enhance Critical Thinking Skills

Reflective journaling is a great way to enhance critical thinking. It involves reflecting on our thoughts , experiences, and actions ; which leads to gaining knowledge. This encourages us to analyze information from different angles and develop a better understanding of complex matters.

It also helps us to think about ourselves and the world around us. We start to question our beliefs and behaviors, and challenge any prejudices that could stop us from thinking objectively. This helps us make decisions that are based on facts and not on emotions.

The practice of reflective journaling leads to an open-mindedness . We learn to look at different views with empathy and respect. This gives us the freedom to explore new concepts and create a more rounded approach to problem-solving.

It’s an important skill to have in life, and especially in work. Employers want people who can think critically and respond to changes in the workplace . Enhancing these skills through journaling gives you an advantage in any situation, from academics to careers.

Identify Patterns and Personal Growth

Reflective journaling can help you recognize patterns in your life. It helps you gain deeper understanding of your thoughts, feelings, and motivations . This enables you to spot areas where you want to improve and develop problem-solving skills.

As you journal, you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. This allows you to spot patterns and triggers that have an impact on your emotional state. You can use this understanding to manage your emotions better and bring about positive changes in your life.

Moreover, reflecting on emotions allows you to manage stress and negative feelings better. By doing this regularly, you can enhance your self-reflection capabilities and foster personal growth .

How to Start Reflective Journaling

To begin your reflective journaling journey, equip yourself with the essential tools. These steps will lay a strong foundation for your reflective journaling practice.

Choose a Journaling Method

Beginning the journaling process may seem overwhelming, but finding the ideal method can make a huge difference. Here are 5 different journaling techniques to think about:

Stream of Consciousness: Writing whatever comes into your mind without any judgement or editing. This encourages a free-flow of ideas and feelings onto paper.
Prompt-based Journaling: Using questions or prompts as a starting point to guide your entries. These can be open-ended or specific, depending on what you want to explore.
Bullet Journaling: Lists and bullet points to organize thoughts and tasks. A combination of diary, planner and creative outlet.
Visual Journaling: Incorporate art forms like drawing, painting or collage into your journal entries. This provides a visual representation of your feelings.
Gratitude Journaling: Focusing on positive experiences and gratitude to cultivate an optimistic mindset. Writing down 3 things you’re grateful for each day can make a huge difference.

These are only a few popular methods. There are more out there that fit different needs and preferences. Some people prefer digital journaling platforms or audio recordings instead of traditional pen and paper. The key is to find a method that resonates with you, making it easier to reflect on your experiences.

Journaling can make a big impact on your life. It can give you clarity, self-awareness and resilience during difficult times. The beauty of journaling lies in its flexibility – you can choose a method that suits your unique style of thinking and expression. So don’t hesitate – explore the world of reflective journaling and uncover the benefits it can bring.

Create a Routine for Journaling

To get the most from journaling, set aside dedicated time for it.

Here’s a 3-step guide:

Find your ideal time . Test different times of day. When do you feel most focused and introspective? Morning, lunch break, or before bed? Pick the one that fits your rhythm.
Set realistic goals . How much time can you commit each day or week? Start with 10 minutes then gradually increase. Quality matters more than quantity.
Make it a habit . Set reminders and alarms on your phone. Treat this as an unmissable appointment with yourself. Schedule time for self-reflection and growth.

Near your bedside table, keep a journal for thoughts that come to you before bed. Write them down so you don’t miss them in the morning.

Editor’s Note : To form any habit, consistency is key. Even short journaling sessions done consistently will lead to greater self-awareness.

Find a Quiet and Comfortable Space

For reflective journaling, it’s key to find a space that’s both quiet and comfy. A peaceful environment will help you stay focused and relaxed – so that your thoughts can flow freely.

Here’s a three-step guide for finding the ideal place:

Seek Solitude : Look for a place away from the hustle and bustle. It could be a corner of your home, a park bench, or even a café nook. Just make sure you’ll be alone with your thoughts.
Comfort is Key : Make sure your spot is comfortable. Sit on a cushion or chair, and bring things like soft blankets or lighting to enhance relaxation.
Minimize Distractions : Create an environment free of interruptions. Turn off devices, or put them on silent mode. Consider noise-cancelling headphones or soft music to drown out ambient noise.

In addition, consider the aesthetic appeal of the surroundings. The colors and natural elements can have an impact on your mood and creativity.

So, finding a quiet and comfy space is essential when starting reflective journaling. By creating the perfect environment, you can invite tranquility and focus into your practice, allowing you to delve deeper into self-reflection and personal growth.

Reflective Journaling Prompts

To enhance your reflective journaling practice with impactful prompts, dive into the sub-sections for self-reflection, goal setting, and processing emotions. These journal prompts serve as solutions for exploring various aspects of your thoughts, emotions, and aspirations without explicitly stating their purpose.

Prompts for Self-Reflection

Self-reflection pays off! It provides insight into our thoughts and actions. Here are some useful prompts to get you started:

What am I grateful for today? Ponder the things that bring joy and appreciation.
How did I challenge myself today? Think about how you pushed your limits.
What emotions did I experience? Take note of the sensations and triggers.

It’s important to reflect on more than just our daily experiences. By looking deeper into our feelings, successes, and gratitude, we can become more self-aware and grow.

Do these prompts daily to make the most of self-reflection. Every moment is an opportunity to discover more about yourself – don’t miss it!

Prompts for Goal Setting

Setting goals is a must for personal and professional success. Here are some prompts to get you started on your goal-setting journey:

Think about your passions: What gets you going? How can you use them to set goals?
Recognize areas for improvement: Analyze your good and bad points. What skills or habits do you want to improve?
Make a vision board: Put together images, words, and symbols that symbolize the goals you want to reach. Visualizing them can help motivate you and make your path clearer.

More tips for effective goal setting :

Write your goals down: Writing them out makes them more real and you’re more likely to commit to them.
Break it down: Break big goals into smaller pieces. This helps avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Pro Tip: When planning action steps, consider which ones will have the most impact on reaching your goal.

Prompts for Processing Emotions

Journaling can be a great way to process emotions. Here are six prompts to guide you:

Write about a situation that brought you immense joy. Detail the sensations that added to the emotion.
When did anger consume you? Describe the event that caused it and why it had such an effect.
Sadness can envelop us. Write down your feelings and thoughts that come with it.
Fear can be overwhelming. Explain the circumstances and analyze why it affected you so much.
When did guilt plague you? What led to it and how has it shaped you?
Love can be powerful. Explore the emotions and experiences associated with it.

These prompts are just starting points. Adapt or create your own that resonate with you.

Writing down your thoughts and understanding the source can help you heal and grow. Journaling is an amazing way to explore complex emotions and develop emotional well-being. Get out your pen, open your journal, and let the words flow as you journey into self-discovery.

Tips for Effective Reflective Journaling

To get the most out of reflective journaling consider the following tried and tested techniques.

Write Honestly and Freely

Penning down honestly and spontaneously is essential to effective reflective journaling. It enables you to self-reflect, honestly articulate your feelings and emotions, and explore your encounters in more depth . So, how do you do it?

Be Open: While writing in your reflective journal, be open and transparent about your ideas, sentiments, and experiences. Don’t censor yourself; just let your emotions flow out in words.
Welcome Vulnerability: Reflective journaling is a chance to explore your weak points and insecurities. Welcome them warmly and use them to enhance your growth.
Abstain from Judgement: To write with honesty and freedom, it’s important to put aside judgement of yourself and others. Create a secure space for your musings without judging or examining them prematurely.

Also, consider including unique details such as specific moments that moved you or sudden realizations that appeared during the reflection process.

Reflect on Your Entries Regularly

Reflecting frequently is essential for introspection and growth. It enables you to gain insight into your feelings, emotions, and experiences.

Regularly reflecting on your entries helps you explore the patterns, themes, and emotions in your life. You may even make connections between external factors and your feelings.
Reflection gives you a chance to assess yourself and improve . Analyzing your journal entries lets you identify areas that need improvement or change.
Reflection also helps you be grateful for life’s experiences. By looking back at your entries, you can remember how far you’ve come and what you have achieved. Gratitude journaling is another helpful tool for this.
Finally, consistent reflection promotes self-awareness and personal development.

Reflection is key to unlocking the potential of reflective journaling. It is a powerful tool for self-discovery and can have a positive impact on your life. Make sure to embrace the power of reflection and see the results!

Use Creative Expression Techniques

Unleash your creativity onto your reflective journal pages! Utilize various art techniques to enhance your experience.

Colors, shapes, and lines can visually represent your reflections.
Experiment with poetic devices like metaphors and imagery .
Create visual diagrams or mind maps to explore connections.
Compose melodies and write lyrics that capture the essence of your reflections.
Capture moments that resonate with you through photos !

Discover what works best for you. Drawing may be therapeutic for some, while others may prefer writing songs. Choose methods that resonate with you personally. Creative expression encourages self-expression and enhances self-awareness . It also promotes personal growth.

So go ahead and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery!

Reflect and Grow!

Reflective journaling is a great tool for self-growth. Put your thoughts, emotions, and experiences on paper. Gain insight into yourself and your life. Writing helps to clarify your thoughts and feelings. And it’s a way to gain perspective on challenges.

You have the freedom to write about whatever you want. When something big happens, write about it. Or do daily reflections. It’s totally personal.

Not sure what to write? Try prompts. Ask yourself questions like: “What am I grateful for today?” or “What did I learn from a recent challenge?” This can also help you uncover things you might not have noticed. Once you’ve written something, review it with an open mind. Look for patterns, themes, or how things have shaped you – this adds another level of meaning.

Remember: don’t be hard on yourself. Journaling is about being aware and growing. Embrace the messiness. Explore your thoughts without judgment. Use your journal as a safe space to confront your fears, celebrate successes, and understand yourself better.

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024:

Gratitude Journal Prompts Mindfulness Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Anxiety Reflective Journal Prompts Healing Journal Prompts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journal Prompts Mental Health Journal Prompts ASMR Journal Prompts Manifestation Journal Prompts Self-Care Journal Prompts Morning Journal Prompts Evening Journal Prompts Self-Improvement Journal Prompts Creative Writing Journal Prompts Dream Journal Prompts Relationship Journal Prompts "What If" Journal Prompts New Year Journal Prompts Shadow Work Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Journal Prompts for Dealing with Loss Journal Prompts for Discerning and Decision Making Travel Journal Prompts Fun Journal Prompts

How to Start and Keep a Photography Journal

You may also like, stream of consciousness journaling: a beginner’s guide.

How to Start and Keep a Pregnancy Journal

How to be more creative, leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Productivity
Favorite Journals

The Ultimate Guide to Journaling

As a lifelong journaler with a notebook-buying problem, I will be the first to recommend the good, old-fashioned art of putting your feelings to paper. But I’m not just a fanatic—it legit supports my mental health. And if I had a Moleskine for every therapist who’s ever recommended journaling for self-care, well…I’d be a very happy camper. Still, as much as I love jotting down all my thoughts and feelings, sometimes it’s much easier to buy fancy new journals than it is to actually use them.

From busy schedules to writer's block, we all have our sources of struggle with the practice. And that’s not even counting all the difficult stuff that could come up in the process. “There’s a vulnerability in journaling,” says Megan Logan, LCSW , therapist and author of Self-Love Workbook for Women . “It's one thing to think something in your head, and it's a whole other thing to document it in black and white.” Plus, scribbling about your innermost workings can feel self-indulgent when you’re not used to dedicating time to yourself.

But if you can get over your roadblocks, it’s worth it. Journaling gives you a place to unload your heaviest emotions, celebrate the good stuff, and discover who you truly are. “Pausing to reflect on how things are going by writing them down will give you more intentionality and clarity during your day and throughout your life,” says Ryan Howes, PhD , clinical psychologist and author of Mental Health Journal for Men . And when you’re more in-tune with yourself, you can end up feeling more confident and less anxious and stressed as a result.

So what’s a non-journaler to do when there are so many hurdles to being a person who, you know, journals? Here are some expert-backed strategies so you’ll stick to it (for real this time).

Try different kinds of journaling.

Half the battle in making journaling a habit, especially if you’re starting from square one, is finding a method that works for you and your self-expression, says Logan, adding that ease and accessibility can determine if you follow through with the practice. It might take some time for you to find your style, but here are some things to consider.

Hard copy journals vs. digital journaling

I don’t know about you, but I go back and forth on this all the time. Some days I romanticize the heck out of handwriting in a diary—it feels special and distinct from typing, which I do all day long. Other times, I get impatient with physical logs because handwriting takes more effort, so I embrace the casualness and ease of the Notes app. Is it messy and unorganized? Yes. Is it the only way I journal consistently? Also yep!

Like me, you may have to experiment a bit to find the best match(es). Analog lovers may take a second to find a pen that doesn’t bleed in your favorite journal…or a favorite journal in the first place. For the digital types, you might dig apps like Daylio , Day One , or Happyfeed and how they’re with you all the time if you’re attached to your phone. Or you might be more comfortable typing on the computer, recording voice notes, or a mix of more than one.

Freeform vs. guided journals

Intimidated by the blank page or screen? There are tons of guided journals and workbooks that encourage you to open up because they “give you permission to explore and talk about things you otherwise wouldn’t,” says Logan. Some center on particular topics or identities, like the Mindfulness Journal for Depression or the Mental Health Journal for Black Women . Others provide time or space restraints, like the popular One Line A Day memory book or this astrological journal that gives you a half page per day. And some apps like Reflectly , Dabble Me , and Grid Diary offer a mix of specific prompts to keep you focused.

On the other hand, Dr. Howes notes that you might feel stifled by a structured format and prefer to explore whatever inspires you in the moment. In that case, freeform writing in a blank notebook or Google doc could be your jam. (Some apps offer blank space for freewriting too.)

Even if you go the freeform route, you can still self-impose some guidance if it helps you commit to the practice or go deeper. For example, you can organize your thoughts into themed lists (most embarrassing memories, songs that speak to you, things that bring you joy) or word association clouds (stick a person, place, feeling, or another word in the center, then branch out from there). Of course, it’s your journal—anything goes!

Lean on journal prompts for inspiration.

One of the most common barriers to journaling Dr. Howes hears is: “I don’t know what to write.” He often recommends guided journals to folks for this reason, but if you want to forge ahead with a blank canvas, here are a bunch of journal prompts for whatever you’re feeling.

Journal prompts for self-discovery
Journal prompts for loneliness
Journal prompts for mental health
Self-esteem journal prompts
Motivational journal prompts
Confidence journal prompts
Anxiety journal prompts
Anger journal prompts

Looking for more inspiration? Here are some therapist-backed strategies for getting started.

Log what you’re grateful for

Both Dr. Howes and Logan say gratitude journaling is the MVP for beginners or anyone whose journaling practice has gotten a little stale. Not only is it super low effort—just jot down one thing you’re grateful for a day—but the mental health benefits of gratitude are well-documented. Hello, reduced depression and stress and increased overall happiness and life satisfaction .

Chronicle your day

If you struggle to journal because you’re afraid of unleashing intense emotions, it can be easier to start on the surface by scribbling about the ins and outs of your daily life, Logan says. Think: “I went to the grocery store and wandered through the aisles for two hours today because I had literally nothing else to do.”

Plus, it’s fun to reread these entries, and not just for nostalgia. You might spot behavioral patterns when reviewing old events—and your interpretations of them at the time—which can help you see if this way of living is working for you or put your current life into perspective, says Dr. Howes.

It sounds obvious, but it bears repeating: Your diary is the perfect playground for whatever you’ve got swirling around inside your head. “We often have 20 different thoughts and feelings going on at once,” says Dr. Howes. “One thing that journaling forces us to do is to focus on one at a time.”

You don’t have to do anything but express your straight-forward thoughts and emotions, like how you think your boss hates you or you feel frustrated about today’s meeting. But you can do some low-key therapy work if you’re down. According to Dr. Howes, your journal is a great place to spot and challenge negative thought patterns or get to the bottom of how you’re really feeling . For example, write about why your boss’s lack of exclamation points in her last email sent you spiraling. Are you feeling insecure or undervalued? Do you typically need constant reassurance that people aren’t mad at you? Has she given other signs she’s not pumped about your work?

Check in with your goals

You could even think of your journal as a goal or habit tracker where you check in on your progress, Dr. Howes says, noting that this is especially handy for those who struggle with productivity and yearn for more accountability and motivation . When writing about your goals, ponder over your five-year plan , remind yourself why finishing X is important to you (if it even still is), or measure your growth so far. If you need more in-depth instruction, try this goal-setting worksheet .

Problem solve

It can be more enlightening to bounce around ideas with yourself in a journal than in your own head, says Dr. Howes. “If you’re feeling stuck , try throwing a bunch of possibilities on the page and sorting through them until you find the best one,” he advises. Other ways to reach a decision: List the pros and cons, name steps you definitely won’t take, or write about how you ideally want a situation to resolve.

Explore your past

Your journal is a safe space to sort through life events and how they inform your present. Dr. Howes says you can dive in anywhere: pick an age, brag about your highlight reel, unpack a time that felt particularly challenging, or explore a random memory that comes to mind. Then, write down whatever comes up, like how you felt at the time, how you feel about the event now, and how you think it might’ve impacted you. “If you don't want to write about yourself directly, then write about a role model you had or a significant event you witnessed,” Dr. Howes adds.

Make sense of your dreams

Dr. Howes has had clients bring their dream diaries into sessions with him, and good material comes up, he adds. “In part, dreams are your brain processing the information you've taken in during the day, so they can offer a kind of internal litmus test—a state of the union,” Dr. Howes says.

He recommends keeping your journal or phone near your bed so you can write down dream details when you wake up and before they slip away. When recapping, note any repeat scenarios and images that come up. No need to go ham on dissecting the symbolism unless you want to. Just get curious about the general themes, like if you’re being chased or are falling, he suggests.

Brain dump

Give yourself a time or space constraint (10 minutes or three pages, for example) and just word vomit. Even if that means writing “I don’t know what to write” or “I hate journaling” over and over. You usually wind up stumbling into something more substantial to express, says Dr. Howes. (Fun fact: Many associate this stream-of-consciousness journaling with morning pages, made famous by Julia Cameron’s everpopular The Artist’s Way , yet another guided journal available!)

Troubleshoot your biggest barriers.

Even after you’ve picked your notebook or app and decided what to write, getting yourself to journal consistently is a whole other ballgame. Here are a few tips to help make the practice stick.

If you keep forgetting to journal…

Try a routine. Many people benefit from some sort of consistency, at least in the beginning. Dr. Howes says that when you wake up or before you go to sleep are common time slots for journaling (especially because morning and nighttime routines are good for your mental health too). You can also tie the activity to events, feelings, or other random triggers, like journaling after therapy, when you feel jealous, or whenever you have the apartment to yourself.

If it feels like a chore…

If you’re a newbie, manageability is key. A routine might keep you consistent, but be flexible about breaking it and be open to cutting back on how much or how often you try to write. “If you feel like writing a lot some days, great. If you don’t feel like writing much or anything at all other days, that’s also great,” says Dr. Howes. “The journal is there to serve you. You don’t want it to feel like a job.”

If you’re not motivated…

Logan is a fan of making A Thing out of journaling so it becomes an activity to look forward to. “I always like to pair it with doing something special, like having hot tea, wearing fuzzy pajamas, and sitting in your special chair with a candle,” she says. You could also try bringing your notebook to a coffee shop or park. If that doesn’t help, you might be bored with journaling itself, so think about if there’s another way you could switch things up. Perhaps you’re in the market for a guided journal or some journal prompts?

If you’re worried people will read this…

Maybe it’s a legit concern ( ugh, nosy siblings ) or a hypothetical one ( what if I get famous and my diaries are published after I die?! ). Either way, it’s hard to get real in your journal if you're preoccupied with how you’re coming across, Dr. Howes says. Do what you need for peace of mind, like using an encrypted app, a ’00s-inspired Password Journal, or a password-protected note on your phone. Hell, you can even entrust someone with the job of burning your diaries after you die! Alternatively, you can skip the paper trail altogether and tear up each page you complete, delete your docs, or use apps with vanishing text, like Halka .

If you’re overthinking your words…

According to Dr. Howes, plenty of journalers put pressure on themselves to be amazing wordsmiths. But unless practicing your prose is the goal of your Me Time, don’t waste the brain space. Instead, try leaning into writing as poorly as possible to see if it shakes your perfectionist tendencies. “Forget about word choice, forget about grammar, and forget about complete sentences if you want,” says Dr. Howes. “As long as you’re getting your thoughts onto the page, leave the editing for…well, never, really.”

Maybe it’s the content of your words, not the quality, that has you nervous about seeing it on paper in black and white. Understandable, Logan says. If you’re in that boat, take a stab at forgoing words altogether. Doodling, collaging, making playlists, and other creative outlets are all ways to harness the spirit of journaling without having to write. This can also help with writer’s block because “sometimes you can’t find the words, or there aren’t words that do justice to what you’re actually feeling,” says Logan.

If it doesn’t feel awesome…

That’s normal. Shit can get really real and uncomfortable when you’re looking your emotions right in the eye, Logan says. That’s another reason she likes creating a comforting space and adding self-care to her writing routine. “Doing something nice for yourself at the same time can help you walk away from journaling without carrying those dark things with you,” she adds.

There’s also a chance you’ve fallen into a ruminating trap, whether you’re rehashing the same rant over and over, catastrophizing, or just plain hurting your own feelings, says Dr. Howes. To combat future spirals, he recommends setting a timer for your writing sessions, at least when you’re working through topics that get you going . “One of the best parts about a journal is how you can close it,” Dr. Howes says. “You can say, ‘This is where I'm keeping these tough feelings for now. I'll come back and visit them when I'm ready to, but I don't have to stay in them.’”

The bottom line: There are plenty of hurdles to journaling, so experiment to find the methods that work for you. And if you still hate journaling after about a month, there’s no shame in trying something else, like talking through your feelings in therapy, Dr. Howes says.

Wondermind does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Always consult a qualified health or mental health professional with any questions or concerns about your mental health.

Writing Therapy: How to Write and Journal Therapeutically

Writing Therapy: Using A Pen and Paper to Enhance Personal Growth

Of course, the answer to that question will be “yes” for everyone!

We all fall on hard times, and we all struggle to get back to our equilibrium.

For some, getting back to equilibrium can involve seeing a therapist. For others, it could be starting a new job or moving to a new place. For some of the more literary-minded or creative folks, getting better can begin with art.

There are many ways to incorporate art into spiritual healing and emotional growth, including drawing, painting, listening to music, or dancing. These methods can be great for artistic people, but there are also creative and expressive ways to dig yourself out of a rut that don’t require any special artistic talents.

One such method is writing therapy. You don’t need to be a prolific writer, or even a writer at all, to benefit from writing therapy. All you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and the motivation to write.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students or employees.

This Article Contains:

What Is Writing Therapy?

Benefits of Writing Therapy

How to: journaling for therapy, writing ideas & journal prompts, exercises and ideas to help you get started, a take-home message, what is writing therapy.

Writing therapy, also known as journal therapy, is exactly what it sounds like: writing (often in a journal) for therapeutic benefits.

Writing therapy is a low-cost, easily accessible, and versatile form of therapy . It can be done individually, with just a person and a pen, or guided by a mental health professional. It can also be practiced in a group, with group discussions focusing on writing. It can even be added as a supplement to another form of therapy.

Whatever the format, writing therapy can help the individual propel their personal growth , practice creative expression, and feel a sense of empowerment and control over their life (Adams, n.d.).

It’s easy to see the potential of therapeutic writing. After all, poets and storytellers throughout the ages have captured and described the cathartic experience of putting pen to paper. Great literature from such poets and storytellers makes it tempting to believe that powerful healing and personal growth are but a few moments of scribbling away.

However, while writing therapy seems as simple as writing in a journal , there’s a little more to it.

Writing therapy differs from simply keeping a journal or diary in three major ways (Farooqui, 2016):

Writing in a diary or journal is usually free-form, where the writer jots down whatever pops into their head. Therapeutic writing is typically more directed and often based on specific prompts or exercises guided by a professional.
Writing in a diary or journal may focus on recording events as they occur, while writing therapy is often focused on more meta-analytical processes: thinking about, interacting with, and analyzing the events, thoughts, and feelings that the writer writes down.
Keeping a diary or journal is an inherently personal and individual experience, while journal therapy is generally led by a licensed mental health professional.

While the process of writing therapy differs from simple journaling in these three main ways, there is also another big difference between the two practices in terms of outcomes.

man writing - what is writing therapy journal therapy

These are certainly not trivial benefits, but the potential benefits of writing therapy reach further and deeper than simply writing in a diary.

For individuals who have experienced a traumatic or extremely stressful event, expressive writing guided purposefully toward specific topics can have a significant healing effect. In fact, participants in a study who wrote about their most traumatic experiences for 15 minutes, four days in a row, experienced better health outcomes up to four months than those who were instructed to write about neutral topics (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005).

Another study tested the same writing exercise on over 100 asthma and rheumatoid arthritis patients, with similar results. The participants who wrote about the most stressful event of their lives experienced better health evaluations related to their illness than the control group, who wrote about emotionally neutral topics (Smyth et al., 1999).

Expressive writing may even improve immune system functioning, although the writing practice may need to be sustained for the health benefits to continue (Murray, 2002).

In addition to these more concrete benefits, regular therapeutic writing can help the writer find meaning in their experiences, view things from a new perspective, and see the silver linings in their most stressful or negative experiences (Murray, 2002). It can also lead to important insights about yourself and your environment that may be difficult to determine without focused writing (Tartakovsky, 2015).

Overall, writing therapy has proven effective for different conditions and mental illnesses, including (Farooqui, 2016):

Post-traumatic stress
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Grief and loss
Chronic illness issues
Substance abuse
Eating disorders
Interpersonal relationship issues
Communication skill issues
Low self-esteem

Download 3 Free Positive Psychology Exercises (PDF)

Enhance wellbeing with these free, science-based exercises that draw on the latest insights from positive psychology.

Download 3 Free Positive Psychology Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

There are many ways to begin writing for therapeutic purposes.

If you are working with a mental health professional, they may provide you with directions to begin journaling for therapy.

While true writing therapy would be conducted with the help of a licensed mental health professional, you may be interested in trying the practice on your own to explore some of the potential benefits to your wellbeing. If so, here there are some good tips to get you started.

First, think about how to set yourself up for success:

Use whichever format works best for you, whether it’s a classic journal, a cheap notebook, an online journaling program, or a blog.
If it makes you more interested in writing, decorate or personalize your journal/notebook/blog.
Set a goal to write for a certain amount of time each day.
Decide ahead of time when and/or where you will write each day.
Consider what makes you want to write in the first place. This could be your first entry in your journal.

Next, follow the five steps to WRITE (Adams, n.d.):

W – What do you want to write about? Name it.
R – Review or reflect on your topic. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and focus.
I – Investigate your thoughts and feelings. Just start writing and keep writing.
T – Time yourself. Write for five to 15 minutes straight.
E – Exit “smart” by re-reading what you’ve written and reflecting on it with one or two sentences

Finally, keep the following in mind while you are journaling (Howes, 2011):

It’s okay to write only a few words, and it’s okay to write several pages. Write at your own pace.
Don’t worry about what to write about. Just focus on taking the time to write and giving it your full attention.
Don’t worry about how well you write. The important thing is to write down what makes sense and comes naturally to you.
Remember that no-one else needs to read what you’ve written. This will help you write authentically and avoid “putting on a show.”

It might be difficult to get started, but the first step is always the hardest! Once you’ve started journaling, try one of the following ideas or prompts to keep yourself engaged.

Journaling with Photographs writing therapy

Here are five writing exercises designed for dealing with pain (Abundance No Limits, n.d.):

Write a letter to yourself
Write letters to others
Write a poem
Free write (just write everything and anything that comes to mind)
Mind map (draw mind maps with your main problem in the middle and branches representing different aspects of your problem)

If those ideas don’t get your juices flowing, try these prompts (Farooqui, 2016):

Journal with photographs – Choose a personal photo and use your journal to answer questions like “What do you feel when you look at these photos?” and “What do you want to say to the people, places, or things in these photos?”
Timed journal entries – Decide on a topic and set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes to write continuously.
Sentence stems – These prompts are the beginnings of sentences that encourage meaningful writing, such as “The thing I am most worried about is…” “I have trouble sleeping when…” and “My happiest memory is…”
List of 100 – These ideas encourage the writer to create lists of 100 based on prompts like “100 things that make me sad” “100 reasons to wake up in the morning,” and “100 things I love.”

Tartakovsky (2014) provides a handy list of 30 prompts, including:

My favorite way to spend the day is…
If I could talk to my teenage self, the one thing I would say is…
Make a list of 30 things that make you smile.
The words I’d like to live by are…
I really wish others knew this about me…
What always brings tears to your eyes?
Using 10 words, describe yourself.
Write a list of questions to which you urgently need answers.

If you’re still on the lookout for more prompts, try the lists outlined here .

6 Ways to process your feelings in writing – Therapy in a Nutshell

As great as the benefits of therapeutic journaling sound, it can be difficult to get started. After all, it can be a challenge to start even the most basic of good habits!

If you’re wondering how to begin, read on for some tips and exercises to help you start your regular writing habit (Hills, n.d.).

Start writing about where you are in your life at this moment.
For five to 10 minutes just start writing in a “stream of consciousness.”
Start a dialogue with your inner child by writing in your nondominant hand.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude by maintaining a daily list of things you appreciate, including uplifting quotes .
Start a journal of self-portraits.
Keep a nature diary to connect with the natural world.
Maintain a log of successes.
Keep a log or playlist of your favorite songs.
If there’s something you are struggling with or an event that’s disturbing you, write about it in the third person.

If you’re still having a tough time getting started, consider trying a “mind dump.” This is a quick exercise that can help you get a jump start on therapeutic writing.

Researcher and writer Gillie Bolton suggests simply writing for six minutes (Pollard, 2002). Don’t pay attention to grammar, spelling, style, syntax, or fixing typos – just write. Once you have “dumped,” you can focus on a theme. The theme should be something concrete, like something from your childhood with personal value.

This exercise can help you ensure that your therapeutic journal entries go deeper than superficial diary or journal entries.

More prompts, exercises, and ideas to help you get started can be found by following this link .

17 Top-Rated Positive Psychology Exercises for Practitioners

Expand your arsenal and impact with these 17 Positive Psychology Exercises [PDF] , scientifically designed to promote human flourishing, meaning, and wellbeing.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

In this piece, we went over what writing therapy is, how to do it, and how it can benefit you and/or your clients. I hope you learned something new from this piece, and I hope you will keep writing therapy in mind as a potential exercise.

Have you ever tried writing therapy? Would you try writing therapy? How do you think it would benefit you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

Abundance No limits. (n.d.). 5 Writing therapy exercises that can ease your pain . Author. Retrieved from https://www.abundancenolimits.com/writing-therapy-exercises/.
Adams, K. (n.d.). It’s easy to W.R.I.T.E . Center for Journal Therapy . Retrieved from https://journaltherapy.com/journal-cafe-3/journal-course/
Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 11(5) , 338-346.
Farooqui, A. Z. (2016). Journal therapy . Good Therapy . Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/journal-therapy
Hills, L. (n.d.). 10 journaling tips to help you heal, grow, and thrive . Tiny Buddha . Retrieved from https://tinybuddha.com/blog/10-journaling-tips-to-help-you-heal-grow-and-thrive/
Howes, R. (2011, January 26). Journaling in therapy . Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy/201101/journaling-in-therapy.
Murray, B. (2002). Writing to heal. Monitor, 33(6), 54. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/writing.aspx
Pollard, J. (2002). As easy as ABC . The Guardian . Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/jul/28/shopping
Smyth, J. M., Stone, A. A., Hurewitz, A., & Kaell, A. (1999). Effects of writing about stressful experiences on symptom reduction in patients with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 281 , 1304-1309.
Tartakovsky, M. (2014). 30 journaling prompts for self-reflection and self-discovery . Psych Central . Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/09/27/30-journaling-prompts-for-self-reflection-and-self-discovery/
Tartakovsky, M. (2015). The power of writing: 3 types of therapeutic writing . Psych Central . Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/01/19/the-power-of-writing-3-types-of-therapeutic-writing/

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

Hello, Such an interesting article, thank you very much. I was wondering if there was a particular strategy in which writing down questions produced answers. I started doing just that: writing down doubts and questions, and I found that answers just came. It was like talking through the issues with someone else. Is there any research on that? Is this a known strategy?

Hi Michael,

That’s amazing that you’re finding answers are ‘arising’ for you in your writing. In meditative and mindfulness practices, this is often referred to as intuition, which points to a form of intelligence that goes beyond rationality and cognition. This is a fairly new area of research, but has been well-recognized by Eastern traditions for centuries. See here for a book chapter review: https://doi.org/10.4337/9780857936370.00029

As you’ve discovered, journaling can be incredibly valuable to put you in touch with this intuitive form of knowing in which solutions just come to you.

This also reminds me of something known as the rubber ducking technique, which programmers use to solve problems and debug code: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

Anyway, hope that offers some food for thought!

– Nicole | Community Manager

I have never tried writing therapy, but I intend to. Its so much better than seeing the psychiatrist for my behavior issues, which nobody has even identified yet.

Hi great article, just wondering when it was originally posted as I wish to cite some of the text in my essay Many thanks

Glad you enjoyed the post. It was published on the 26th of October, 2017 🙂

Hope this helps!

Hi Courtney

I know you posted this blog a while ago but I’ve just found it and loved it. It articulated so clearly the benefits of writing therapy. One question – is there any research on whether it’s better to use pen and paper or Ian using a PC/typing just as good. I can write much faster and more fluently when I use a keyboard but wonder whether there is a benefit from the physical act of writing writing with a pen. Thanks.

Great question. The evidence isn’t entirely clear on this, but there’s a little work suggesting that writing by hand forces the mind to slow down and reflect more deeply on what’s being written (see this article ). Further, the process of writing uses parts of the brain involved in emotion, which may make writing by hand more effective for exploring your emotional experiences.

However, when it comes to writing therapy, the factor of personal preference seems critical! The issue of speed can be frustrating if your thoughts tend to come quickly. If you feel writing by hand introduces more frustration than benefits, that may be a sign to keep a digital journal instead.

Hope that helps!

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Humanistic Therapy: Unlocking Your Clients’ True Potential

Humanism recognizes the need of the individual to achieve meaning, purpose, and actualization in their lives (Rowan, 2016; Block, 2011). Humanistic therapy was born out [...]

Holistic Therapy: Healing Mind, Body, and Spirit

The term “holistic” in health care can be dated back to Hippocrates over 2,500 years ago (Relman, 1979). Hippocrates highlighted the importance of viewing individuals [...]

Trauma-Informed Therapy Explained (& 9 Techniques)

Trauma varies significantly in its effect on individuals. While some people may quickly recover from an adverse event, others might find their coping abilities profoundly [...]

Download 3 Free Positive CBT Tools Pack (PDF)

3 Positive CBT Exercises (PDF)

6 Ways to Start Journaling and Feel the Emotional Benefits

If you want to chronicle your feelings, à la Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, discover the right type of journaling for you.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Shondaland editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Bridget Jones’s Diary . The Princess Diaries . The Carrie Diaries . Bridgerton. In pop culture, journaling always seems so easy. While the notion of keeping a diary comes across as whimsical and beautiful on-screen, it’s totally untenable for many people. If you’ve been too intimidated to start — or return to — journaling (à la Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton) you may not have found the right style for your personality.

Dotted Lined Classic Notebook - 60 Sheets

Sparkle while you plan your next social intrigue with this House of Bridgerton Happy Planner notebook. This Classic size notebook features blues and teals, and quotes inspired by Lady Whistledown herself. Make note of your daily tasks, dance partners, and organize your social calendar with this Regency inspired Bridgerton notebook.

The therapeutic writing specialist says unnecessary boundaries and expectations can stop people from continuing the introspective process. Jacobs encourages potential journalers to play with styles that diverge from their natural way of writing or thinking. “When you experiment with a less familiar technique,” she says, “you have less expectation, and there is less judgment when you don’t have a set of ideas to compare to your writing.”

2024 House of Bridgerton Happy Planner

Make your most proper plans with this House of Bridgerton vertical Happy Planner. This Classic sized Bridgerton planner runs from July 2024-June 2025 and features 18 dividers with designs worthy of Lady Whistledown's society papers. Embrace all the elegance of Shondaland | Netflix's popular period drama Bridgerton! Organize your to-dos, tea parties, everyday plans, and social engagements.

Another stigma that blocks people from journaling is the notion that it must be done every day or for specific amounts of time. If you are interested in making journaling a habit, a 2009 European Journal of Social Psychology study found that it takes 66 days on average for one to stick. However, there is no rule that it needs to be accomplished daily. “Don’t expect your style of journaling to be consistent,” Jacobs cautions. “Different phases of life and circumstances might lead to different ways of expression. Let it evolve and change to fit your needs.”

Jacobs notes that journaling is beneficial for self-reflection and growth, and those who journal are healthier. A 2018 University of Cambridge study found that writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings contributes to long-term improvements in mood and stress levels, lower blood pressure readings, reduction of depression, and a greater sense of well-being. It’s also been shown to strengthen immune systems and improve the physical health of people battling terminal or life-threatening diseases like cancer, asthma, and arthritis.

Dotted Lined + Dot Grid Classic Notebook - 60 Sheets

Dream of your fairy-tale ending with this House of Bridgerton themed dotted lined and dot grid Classic Happy Planner Notebook. Track, tasks, to-dos, and the latest gossip in the ton. This Bridgerton themed notebook features delicate patterns reminiscent of classic regency wallpaper and blooming florals.

Whether you journal on your phone or in a leather-bound book, write daily, weekly, or whenever inspiration arises, combine styles or stick to one, Jacobs says it can help you process thoughts, feel more settled, build confidence, and be more aware. “You relieve your heart, body, and relationships of burdensome and snarled energy,” she explains. “You feel better and more whole.” Remember: There are no rules, especially for an activity so personal.

“The most important thing is to journal for yourself only,” Jacobs says. “When you try to let the process be open and only for you, it will become easier and easier to get to it. Whatever shape your process takes, over time it will evolve and gain momentum.” Here are six different styles of journaling to consider:

Personal Diary

Keeping a running, unstructured, free-flowing diary is one of the most popular styles of journaling. Writing freestyle trains your mind to be more flexible. If you’re trying to work through personal issues or simply want a safe space to explore thoughts that you might not feel comfortable sharing with others, this classic journaling style could be the best one for you. By chronicling the happenings in your life and your feelings attached to them, you can sort through your thoughts and have a record of your life to look back on.

Bullet Journal

A bullet journal (also called list journaling) is great for those who like to gather their thoughts but want to keep them short, organized, and concise. Bullet journals are often used for tracking patterns, such as water intake and screen time, or keeping lists, like goals and milestones. They are effective for individuals who don’t have a lot of free time but still want to reflect or who like to brainstorm, doodle, and schedule. Don’t be fooled by pretty pictures of these types of journals on social media: They don’t have to be photo-worthy to be effective or meaningful.

Scrapbook Journal

The scrapbook or art journal is wonderful for visually minded types who prefer images to words and like to express themselves through external inspiration. With stickers, tickets, cards, clippings, doodles, photos, and found objects, journalers can collect and assemble tangible objects to create a memory-style journal. It’s a perfect outlet for imaginative people or those who desire to be more creative.

Video or Audio Journal

If writing isn’t for you, expressing your feelings with video or audio could be more advantageous. Hitting record on a voice note, tape recorder, or webcam can be as equally therapeutic as putting pen to paper and will still help you chronicle your days or synthesize your thoughts. When you’re done, you can save them to a hard drive or in the cloud. As with any journal, deciding whether to share the recordings or keep them for yourself is entirely up to you.

Gratitude Journal

Many studies note that writing down what we are thankful for can make us feel happier and less depressed. For those seeking a positive mindset or who believe other types of journaling lead to darker places, gratitude or affirmational journaling can provide a lift. Writing down a detailed list of three to five specific moments, things, or people you are grateful for can be rewarding. Whether big or small, elaborating on why you’re grateful or recalling affirmations you’d like to remember will help solidify the happy feeling and contribute to a healthier, more grounded you.

Dream Journal

If you find yourself at a loss every time you open a journal or need a kickstart to reflect, documenting your dreams is an unrestrained way to start. Describe your dreams, draw pictures based on what you experienced, and examine what the dreams meant to you and how you felt within them. You can take dream journaling a step further and compare dreams to what’s consciously happening in your life. Keep your journal next to your bed so you can immediately write things down and enter your day with a fresh perspective.

Mia Brabham is a staff writer at Shondaland. Follow her on Instagram at @yourstrulymia .

Health & Wellness

a person with their arms spread wide in a field

For Me, Healing Had Its Limits

I Traveled to the Birthplace of the Cheeseburger

a woman standing in a purple garment in front of clouds

Feeling Low? Here Are 10 Ways to Pump Up in 2024

A Path to Well-Being: Connect Your Body and Mind

a woman with hands pressed over lips and a roundup of wellness products

10 Wellness Tools to Use After a Long Day in 2024

I Went to a Spa That Pretended to Be a Nightclub

illustration of workout classes in unique locales like an elephant sanctuary and theme park

10 Unlikely Places to Take a Workout Class in 2024

A Path to Well-Being: Tap Into Spirituality

I Tried Meditating With a Vibrating Gizmo

illustration of people hugging inside gift box

A Path to Well-Being: Boost Joy With Generosity

I Close My Eyes for 20 Minutes Each Day

4 Free Creative Alternatives to Talk Therapy That Can Support Your Mental Well-Being

S eeking mental health support when you need it is important for looking after your overall well-being. A common misconception about mental health, however, is that speaking to a counselor or therapist is the only option.

Talk therapy isn’t the best-suited option for everyone. If you’ve tried and disliked speaking to a therapist, or if it’s just not your cup of tea, don’t fret. With a little digital help, you can access different therapy options to better suit your needs. Here are some creative alternatives to talk therapy that can support your mental well-being.

1. Journal Writing Prompt Therapy

Journal writing prompt therapy is exactly as it sounds—you use prompts for journaling that can support and improve your mental well-being. The idea behind journal writing prompt therapy is to answer questions to dig deep into your emotions, anxieties, fears, and experiences and help process difficult feelings, experiences, or memories.

Journal writing prompt therapy can help you overcome various barriers in your life. Its benefits include improved self-awareness and compassion, processing trauma and making sense of distressing situations, managing difficult emotions, and providing a safe space to explore your thoughts and experiences freely without judgment or punishment.

There are several digital tools you can use to get started with journaling writing prompts therapy, including:

Pinterest. Simply type “journaling writing prompts therapy” into the Pinterest search bar to receive endless therapeutic journaling ideas. Pin or save for later use.
Online resources. Websites such as Oprah Daily , PsychCentral , and Positive Psychology offer free journal prompt resources to help support your mental health.
YouTube. Channels created by licensed therapists, such as Therapy in a Nutshell , offer videos on journaling prompts for mental health.
CBT apps. Using a self-guided CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) app such as Intellect: Create a Better You provides guided journal prompts and programs to help support your mental health. (Learn how to use the Intellect app to aid your mental health here.)

Download: Intellect: Create a Better You for Android | iOS (Subscription required, free trial available)

2. Expressive Arts Therapy Activities

If you find it difficult to articulate what you’re feeling, then expressive arts therapy is a multi-modal approach to mental health support that can be useful. Instead of talk therapy, you can use a variety of non-verbal art modes to help you access your emotions, express yourself, and heal.

Expressive arts therapy isn’t just limited to visual arts—it also includes crafting, dancing, writing poetry or lyrics, and playing or listening to music. The idea is to use whatever form of art you enjoy best to express yourself. You can allow your imagination and creativity to take over as you lean into an emotional process of self-discovery.

Here are a few ways you can try expressive arts therapy:

Poetry. Reading or writing poems can help you express deep-seated emotions and explore your feelings through the written form. The National Association for Poetry Therapy is a good place to start. You can also use the PoemHunter website (or mobile app) to read, analyze, and discuss poetry to help support your mental well-being.
Dancing. You can try therapeutic dancing for free in the privacy of your own home by playing a game like Just Dance Now . Udemy offers a course to learn dance therapy. Alternatively, use the American Dance Therapy Association to find a registered therapist for Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT).
Crafting. Crafts can be a therapeutic pastime, whether it's pottery, textiles, paper crafts, or scrapbooking. For crafting inspiration and tutorials, try the Creativebug app.

Expressive arts is about finding a creative outlet to process and express your feelings, experiences, and healing.

Download: Creativebug for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Music Therapy

Music Therapy is a clinical and evidence-based practice that uses music interventions (often facilitated by qualified music therapists) to achieve your personal mental health goals. These goals could be expressing feelings, managing stress, or alleviating pain through interventions such as music improvisation, receptive music listening, songwriting, or playing an instrument.

A common misconception about music therapy is that you need to have some sort of musical ability to benefit from the practice, but you don’t! There also isn’t one style of music that’s more beneficial than the other, so the key with music therapy is picking the instrument, style, or sound that you like the most, and seeing how it can help you.

To try music therapy yourself, here are a few accessible starting points:

Listen passively. Playing relaxing music in the background can help reduce stress and strengthen your well-being. There are plenty of free music streaming services you can try , from YouTube Music to the ever-popular Spotify .
Create music. You can either play an instrument or use a music generator to compose your own music and songs . If you don’t have any musical experience, you can learn to play an instrument online, using resources such as New Guitar Lessons , Drum Lessons , or Hoffman Academy .
Write your own lyrics. Therapeutic songwriting can help you address and process any emotional traumas or express your ideas and feelings. Online tools such as SongPad and LyricStudio can help you with your songwriting process.

If you’re keen to learn a new instrument, but not sure which one to pick, give Yousician a go. The app offers lessons on bass, guitar, piano, ukulele, and singing, taught through step-by-step video guides. As the content on Yousician is created by music teachers, it’s the next best thing to being taught in person. Yousician can also give you feedback on your progress by using the record function.

Download: Yousician for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

4. Art Journal Therapy

Another creative activity that can boost your mental health is art journal therapy. For art journal therapy, you use a diary to visually express your thoughts, emotions, and ideas through your preferred art form. Think drawing, sketching, painting, photographing—you can approach an art journal for therapeutic uses based on your favorite type of art.

As with most journaling practices, the idea with visual journaling is to practice consistently. Picking a time of day to work in your journal can help promote its benefits, from mindfulness and self-expression to stress reduction.

You can try art journal therapy using MoodArt—an app designed to help you map your emotions and express them in an artistic way. It’s easy to get started with the free version: simply tap the plus ( + ) icon (located within the calendar and at the bottom of the screen) to start your expressive art therapy activity.

You can create your expressive art using the following features:

Factors tab. Tap the theater faces icon to open the Factors menu. Scroll across to find an illustration that represents what area of your life you wish to express or explore (e.g. family, finances, news, relationships, or work) and tap to add it to your picture.
Shapes tab. Tap the shapes icon to choose different shapes to add to your picture.
Background color tab. Tap the fill icon to pick a color for the background of your picture.

For each shape or illustration that you add to your picture, you can modify its shape, size, orientation, and color. Keep adding and editing elements to your picture until you feel satisfied, then tap the save icon to give your image a title, description, and choose to save in-app or onto your device.

For more expressive art ideas, check out these free online soothing art therapy apps for mental peace and stress relief .

Download: MoodArt: Your Emotions in Art for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

Try Creative Alternatives to Talk Therapy

If talking to a therapist doesn’t suit your needs, trying a creative alternative could help you look after your mental health. From using prompts for therapeutic journaling to expressive dancing, you'll find plenty of creative therapy options online.

4 Free Creative Alternatives to Talk Therapy That Can Support Your Mental Well-Being

Creative Writing Program Marks Three Decades of Growth, Diversity

Black and white photo shows old American seaside town with title 'Barely South Review'

By Luisa A. Igloria

2024: a milestone year which marks the 30 th anniversary of Old Dominion University’s MFA Creative Writing Program. Its origins can be said to go back to April 1978, when the English Department’s (now Professor Emeritus, retired) Phil Raisor organized the first “Poetry Jam,” in collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.D. Snodgrass (then a visiting poet at ODU). Raisor describes this period as “ a heady time .” Not many realize that from 1978 to 1994, ODU was also the home of AWP (the Association of Writers and Writing Programs) until it moved to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The two-day celebration that was “Poetry Jam” has evolved into the annual ODU Literary Festival, a week-long affair at the beginning of October bringing writers of local, national, and international reputation to campus. The ODU Literary Festival is among the longest continuously running literary festivals nationwide. It has featured Rita Dove, Maxine Hong Kingston, Susan Sontag, Edward Albee, John McPhee, Tim O’Brien, Joy Harjo, Dorothy Allison, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sabina Murray, Jane Hirshfield, Brian Turner, S.A. Cosby, Nicole Sealey, Franny Choi, Ross Gay, Adrian Matejka, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Ilya Kaminsky, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Jose Olivarez, and Ocean Vuong, among a roster of other luminaries. MFA alumni who have gone on to publish books have also regularly been invited to read.

From an initial cohort of 12 students and three creative writing professors, ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program has grown to anywhere between 25 to 33 talented students per year. Currently they work with a five-member core faculty (Kent Wascom, John McManus, and Jane Alberdeston in fiction; and Luisa A. Igloria and Marianne L. Chan in poetry). Award-winning writers who made up part of original teaching faculty along with Raisor (but are now also either retired or relocated) are legends in their own right—Toi Derricotte, Tony Ardizzone, Janet Peery, Scott Cairns, Sheri Reynolds, Tim Seibles, and Michael Pearson. Other faculty that ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program was privileged to briefly have in its ranks include Molly McCully Brown and Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley.

"What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here." — Luisa A. Igloria, Louis I. Jaffe Endowed Professor & University Professor of English and Creative Writing at Old Dominion University

Our student body is diverse — from all over the country as well as from closer by. Over the last ten years, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of international students who are drawn to what our program has to offer: an exciting three-year curriculum of workshops, literature, literary publishing, and critical studies; as well as opportunities to teach in the classroom, tutor in the University’s Writing Center, coordinate the student reading series and the Writers in Community outreach program, and produce the student-led literary journal Barely South Review . The third year gives our students more time to immerse themselves in the completion of a book-ready creative thesis. And our students’ successes have been nothing but amazing. They’ve published with some of the best (many while still in the program), won important prizes, moved into tenured academic positions, and been published in global languages. What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here.

Our themed studio workshops are now offered as hybrid/cross genre experiences. My colleagues teach workshops in horror, speculative and experimental fiction, poetry of place, poetry and the archive — these give our students so many more options for honing their skills. And we continue to explore ways to collaborate with other programs and units of the university. One of my cornerstone projects during my term as 20 th Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth was the creation of a Virginia Poets Database, which is not only supported by the University through the Perry Library’s Digital Commons, but also by the MFA Program in the form of an assistantship for one of our students. With the awareness of ODU’s new integration with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and its impact on other programs, I was inspired to design and pilot a new 700-level seminar on “Writing the Body Fantastic: Exploring Metaphors of Human Corporeality.” In the fall of 2024, I look forward to a themed graduate workshop on “Writing (in) the Anthropocene,” where my students and I will explore the subject of climate precarity and how we can respond in our own work.

Even as the University and wider community go through shifts and change through time, the MFA program has grown with resilience and grace. Once, during the six years (2009-15) that I directed the MFA Program, a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) university-wide review amended the guidelines for what kind of graduate student would be allowed to teach classes (only those who had already earned 18 or more graduate credits). Thus, two of our first-year MFA students at that time had to be given another assignment for their Teaching Assistantships. I thought of AWP’s hallmarks of an effective MFA program , which lists the provision of editorial and publishing experience to its students through an affiliated magazine or press — and immediately sought department and upper administration support for creating a literary journal. This is what led to the creation of our biannual Barely South Review in 2009.

In 2010, HuffPost and Poets & Writers listed us among “ The Top 25 Underrated Creative Writing MFA Programs ” (better underrated than overrated, right?) — and while our MFA Creative Writing Program might be smaller than others, we do grow good writers here. When I joined the faculty in 1998, I was excited by the high caliber of both faculty and students. Twenty-five years later, I remain just as if not more excited, and look forward to all the that awaits us in our continued growth.

This essay was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of Barely South Review , ODU’s student-led literary journal. The University’s growing MFA in Creative Writing program connects students with a seven-member creative writing faculty in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Enhance your college career by gaining relevant experience with the skills and knowledge needed for your future career. Discover our experiential learning opportunities.

Picture yourself in the classroom, speak with professors in your major, and meet current students.

From sports games to concerts and lectures, join the ODU community at a variety of campus events.

Sacrifice Zone: A Wild, Wonderful, and Honest Zine of West Virginia

Sacrifice zone zine wvu mfa creative writing matthew powney

Zines are making a comeback in the creative writing world.

If you open Etsy on your web browser and simply type “zine” in the search bar, you’ll discover a wonderland of beautifully crafted, pocket-sized art/writing made by genuine artists and creatives. A zine exists for any niche interest now: ranging from fanzines about the 90s TV show Frasier, to literary analyses on the cross-cultural implications of fan fiction in the literary world, to carefully curated handbooks for thrift shopping, among so many others. Chances are, if you’ve ever browsed an indie bookstore or explored a local art fair, you’ve probably come across a zine in the wild!

And if you’ve never heard of a “zine” before, you might be wondering what exactly this art form is. As defined by Purdue University, “A zine (pronounced ZEEN) is short for ‘fanzine’ and is usually a small-batch, independently published work that circulates less than 1,000 copies. Anyone can be a zinester (aka ‘someone who creates a zine’), and most people make zines for the love of creating rather than for seeking a profit. In general, a zine is a pamphlet-like publication that can include text, images, artwork, found objects, or any other creative material that helps to express the author's message” ( Purdue ).

Matt Powney, a recent graduate of West Virginia University’s MFA program in the Poetry track, has spent the last year designing and creating a zine of his own making with his partner, Kay, aptly titled Sacrifice Zone . As a creative with a deep respect for the honest nature of writing, and the importance of producing work that deconstructs the extractive nature of corporate, economical culture in West Virginia society today, producing a zine tailored to Matt’s own interests seemed like the natural way to share his work with others.

After purchasing a copy of the first issue of Sacrifice Zone in fall 2023, I knew that Matt had found a metaphorical creative goldmine for himself. The collage artwork within the first issue of Sacrifice Zone features a fractured urban/rural landscape of our West Virginia that has been literally and metaphorically gutted by Big Pharma, corporate greed, incarceration, and predatory coal companies. The kaleidoscope-esque imagery is haunting and powerful, and pairs beautifully with the crisp poetry and painfully tender creative nonfiction on the page. I had the pleasure of learning more about Sacrifice Zone from Matt in the following Q&A:

You talk a lot about your intention for creating Sacrifice Zone in the first installment, and what it means to you and your readers – would you care to share any more insight about your intention for creating this zine, and what you hope to get out of it with each installment?

Mostly, I just hope to create some level of community and discussion about prison in Appalachia, and making art in Appalachia. I just want to give people a voice and platform for their art. Both Appalachians in general and people in prison are a silenced group of people, so the more amplification they can get, the better in my eyes. My main goal for this zine is to undo stereotypes, and sharing stories is a great way to do that.

Sacrifice Zone seems like a really collaborative project! How did you go about choosing pieces for the zine, arranging them in the order they’re in, as well as the art/images that were used in the zine? Did you and Kay work together in the making of Sacrifice Zone?

Sacrifice Zone is a collaborative project. I relied on a lot of friends and mentors to have this project come together. For this first installment, I just asked a bunch of my friends for submissions - people from all over Appalachia, with different relationships to the prison system. I got the inspiration for the art and for the general vibe of the zine from Thomas Martin’s zine , Martha Stewart Mixtapes, which Kay contributes to regularly. Their zine feels alive. It is what I wanted for Sacrifice Zone, so naturally, it became a model of what I wanted the zine to look like. Knowing that Thomas uses collage art from Martha Stewart Magazine to make Martha Stewart’s Mixtapes, I started thinking about what I could use for our magazine and realized I’d thrifted stacks of the perfect magazine already - old copies of Wonderful West Virginia.

As for selection of the specific art we used, Kay and I spent an evening going through all of the magazines and matching them to our submissions. We had a lot of fun doing it, and found images we loved that weren’t right for this issue that we are excited to use for future volumes.

You mentioned that Thomas Martin, a previous MFA student, was an influence for Sacrifice Zone . Are there any other zines or forms of media that inspired you to create your zine?

Yes! I read Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration around the time I began working on this project. It is a book of art made by people in prison. It was also a huge inspiration. One of the poems I included in the zine, also called “Marking Time,” was inspired by this book.

Do you have an idea of what themes you want to cover in future installments for the zine?

Right now, we are open to any art that fits the project. Maybe in the future, we will think about themed volumes, but right now, we’d like to make as many connections as we can.

Do you have a current submission window for the next installment of Sacrifice Zone ? Or a future pub date?

I have already received some submissions for the next installment and am still open to receiving more. We are hoping to put another one out in May, but with Kay and my first child due in early May, there could be some delay. [As of this blog post, Matt and Kay are officially parents!]

How can people purchase this zine and future zines in the series, and for how much?

Right now, I am personally selling copies. The easiest way would be to contact the instagram page, @sacrifice.zone , and a copy can be mailed to you. In the future, we hope to have an online store and to sell them through local vendors.

If you want to support Matt Powney and Sacrifice Zone , you can stay up to date by following the zine’s official Instagram page: @sacrifice.zone

Stay tuned for more news, events, and happenings among WVU’s Creative Writing program!

Get the most out of Kindle Scribe

Discover all the ways you can read, take notes, organize, sketch, and create.

Shop Kindle Scribe

Upgrade the way you read

Get organized, work smarter not harder, explore your creative side, frequently asked questions.

Learn how to use Kindle Scribe features for a more engaging and comfortable reading experience.

Read with ease

Kindle Scribe comes with a large display and lighting options including adjustable warm light and an auto-adjusting front light. Choose the text size appropriate for your reading comfort level.

Handwrite sticky notes

Create sticky notes with a simple tap on a page and begin writing. Sticky notes help you get the most out of your reading experience - jot down your thoughts and return to them with ease.

Organize notes and highlights

Sticky notes and highlighted passages are automatically organized by book in one place, so you can come back to review them.

Build better reading habits with Kindle Scribe

With Kindle Scribe, build a steady reading habit via a variety of features that elevate your reading experience and make reading more user friendly and versatile.

How to read with greater intention

Reading with intention can help us learn and discover without straying off track, immersing us in the experience rather than drowning us in distraction.

Elevate your book club with Kindle Scribe

Kindle Scribe takes everything customers love about Kindle today and adds writing, creating a more functional, immersive, and shared experience for your book club.

Discover the tools to help keep your notes and yourself organized.

Create to-do lists

Choose from a variety of page templates including lists and calendars to help you quickly organize and keep track of your day.

Organize your notes

Create and label notebooks, and place them in folders or subfolders to easily find your notes.

See your notes

With notebook overview, flip more easily through your notebooks, view several pages of your notebooks at once, and insert, move, or delete full pages.

How to use your Kindle Scribe for Bullet Journaling

Kindle Scribe enhances the bullet journaling experience by easily being able to take notes, draw diagrams, and jot down ideas.

How Kindle Scribe can help you harness the power of list-making

With the ease, look, and feel of an old-school notebook and the power of technology, Kindle Scribe takes list-making to a whole new level.

Tips and tricks to organize your notes, folders, and more

Here are ten features to get the most out of your Kindle Scribe.

Packed with features and flexibility to make your day a little easier.

Accomplish more

Mark up PDFs, take meetings notes, or convert notes to text to email your contacts. Now that's convenient.

Edit your notes easily

Use the lasso select tool to circle any text or object you want to resize, move, cut, copy, or paste your notes within and across notebooks and books.

Convert and send handwritten notebooks as text to your contacts

Save time - convert and send your handwritten notebooks as text to friends via email, to use in documents or presentations. How handy is that?

Using Kindle Scribe for more effective meetings

Kindle Scribe provides features and tools to help guide more effective meetings.

How to use your Kindle Scribe at work

Kindle Scribe is more than an e-reader, it's also a powerful, take-anywhere productivity tool for your busy days.

How to become a better notetaker

Students and professionals can up their notetaking game with the new Kindle Scribe.

Use to journal, sketch, create, and have fun.

Discover pens and brushes

Try the fountain pen for beautiful calligraphy, a marker or a highlighter to emphasize your notes, or use the pencil for light sketching. Some writing tools feature enhanced pressure and tilt capabilities.

The benefits of journaling to improve your life

Journaling can be an effective way to improve your wellbeing, achieve greater mental clarity, and find inspiration, and its great on Kindle Scribe.

How Doodling can enhance creativity, productivity and focus

Whether you’re a gallery-worthy artist or casual scribbler, the new Kindle Scribe is designed to get you back to the drawing board – literally.

From guided journals to sudoku puzzles, Kindle Scribe users can download dozens of write-on titles

With Kindle Scribe, users get access to 60 write-on titles - including guided journals, word games, and much more.

1. Does Kindle Scribe convert handwriting to text?

Yes. With Kindle Scribe, you can convert your handwritten notebooks and share them as text with your colleagues, family or friends. Choose the notebook you want to convert to text, tap the “Share” button located on the top right corner of the page, and select “Convert to text and email.” After that, you’ll have the option to preview and edit the converted text, and then share with up to 5 contacts. Converted text and edits are not saved to the device.

2. Can I write directly on my e-books?

To keep pages clean and uncluttered, we enable sticky notes and not writing directly on the page. You can add sticky notes on supported books to take handwritten notes with your Pen.

3. What types of documents can I import and write in?

You can write directly on PDF documents that are imported through Send-to-Kindle . Kindle Scribe does not currently support writing directly on the page in PDF documents loaded via USB-C or previously sent to your library before 11/11/2022. You can also create handwritten sticky notes in millions of Kindle books, as well as PDF (with adjustable layout), DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTM, HTML, PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP, and EPUB documents imported through Send-to-Kindle. Learn more about supported file types and what you can do with your documents.

4. What are the features I can use in my PDF and Microsoft Word documents?

For PDFs imported to your Kindle library through Send-to-Kindle , including the new Send-to-Kindle from Microsoft Word (using the “like a printed document” option), you can switch between portrait and landscape view mode, crop margins to increase font size, and select text to make structured highlights with your finger or pen, add text notes, or look up dictionary definitions, translations, and Wikipedia results. For Microsoft Word documents sent to your Kindle library through Send-to-Kindle, including the new Send-to-Kindle from Microsoft Word (using the “like a Kindle book” option), you can adjust font and layout, and insert handwritten sticky notes into the documents. To use Send-to-Kindle from Microsoft Word, a Microsoft 365 subscription is required.

5. Can I see my notebooks in other surfaces?

You can access your notebooks through the Kindle app for iOS and Android. Go to the “More” tab, select “Notebooks” and access your notebooks.

6. How can I download the latest software?

We provide over the air software updates for general device improvements and performance enhancements. These updates automatically download and install on your Kindle Scribe when connected wirelessly. Don't want to wait? Manually download the latest software following the instructions noted on the Kindle E-Reader Software Updates page .

7. What's the difference between the Basic Pen and the Premium Pen?

Kindle Scribe includes either a Basic or Premium Pen . The Premium Pen has a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button, which can be assigned to seamlessly switch between the different pen brushes, and more.

8. How do I know when I should replace the tips in my pen?

If ink strokes appear before you even touch the pen to the screen, or if you see visible damage to the tip, that means it’s time to replace the tip. Kindle Scribe includes 5 replacement tips and a tip replacement tool. Use the tip replacement tool to extract the old tip and insert a new one for optimal writing performance. For additional help, please refer to this page .

Get an Amazon.com Gift Card + 20% off one new Kindle Scribe when you trade-in.

Choose devices to trade-in to get an Amazon.com Gift Card equal to their appraised value + get an additional 20% off a new Kindle E-reader (limit 1 per customer; terms apply). To learn more, visit the Trade-In page .

Amazon Newsletter
About Amazon
Accessibility
Sustainability
Press Center
Investor Relations
Amazon Devices
Amazon Science
Sell on Amazon
Sell apps on Amazon
Supply to Amazon
Protect & Build Your Brand
Become an Affiliate
Become a Delivery Driver
Start a Package Delivery Business
Advertise Your Products
Self-Publish with Us
Become an Amazon Hub Partner
› See More Ways to Make Money
Amazon Visa
Amazon Store Card
Amazon Secured Card
Amazon Business Card
Shop with Points
Credit Card Marketplace
Reload Your Balance
Amazon Currency Converter
Your Account
Your Orders
Shipping Rates & Policies
Amazon Prime
Returns & Replacements
Manage Your Content and Devices
Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
Your Ads Privacy Choices

IMAGES

115 creative journal writing prompts for kids & adults
51 Great Journal Writing Ideas
9 Aesthetic Journal Ideas (For Creative Inspiration)
11 Creative Journaling Ideas
25 Innovative Journaling Ideas • JournalBuddies.com
61 Journaling Ideas (Basics On What To Write +Prompts)

VIDEO

My Approach to Journaling
How to Start a Creative Writing Journal for Daily Inspiration?
Journal With Me In My Practice Notebook 📔 No Talking Video
What I write in my bullet journal || prompts for beginners
6 Best ChatGPT Plugins for Writers (After Testing Dozens of Them)
Creative Journaling Update Pt 2

COMMENTS

50 Inspiring Journal Prompts to Spark Your Creativity
Starting point: If you've never tried journaling before or if you're experiencing writer's block, journal prompts can help you get started. Direction: Prompts can provide direction to your writing, says Dr. Romanoff.By focusing on a specific topic or question, you can explore your thoughts and feelings around it. Structure: Sometimes, you might prefer to write down your thoughts freely ...
250+ Journal Prompts for Every Scenario and Circumstance
Creative Writing Journal Prompts. Creative writing prompts are a treasure trove for the imagination. They can serve as a springboard into worlds of fiction, poetry, and personal exploration. These prompts are designed to spark your creativity, challenge your writing skills, and encourage you to venture into uncharted territories of your mind. ...
128 Creative Journal Prompts (Updated!) » JournalBuddies.com
Creative Journal Prompts is newly updated (August 2022) — Hooray! Here you will discover loads of fun, fabulous creative writing prompts and ideas for writers of all ages and stages of life. Best of all, this list of ideas has been updated and EXPANDED from 63 ideas to 128 wonderful creative writing prompts. Wow!
8 Effective Journaling Techniques for Creative Writing
8 Effective Journaling Techniques for Creative Writing. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Aug 19, 2021 • 2 min read. Journal writing is a low-pressure way to ease into the habit of daily creative writing. Use these journaling techniques to launch an effective daily practice.
15 Types of Creative Journaling Plus Benefits and Techniques
3. A Poetry Journal. Even if you don't usually try poetry, a poetry journal can be one of the powerful creative journaling ideas that jumpstart your writing. Noting down poems and playing with writing techniques such as metaphor, rhyme, and simile can inspire creative thinking and generate new ideas for your writing. 4.
599+ Journaling Prompts to Ignite Your Daily Creativity
Journaling prompts are pre-defined questions or statements that inspire individuals during journal writing. They act as a spark to ignite creativity, often guiding introspection and helping writers dive into specific topics. ... Beyond self-reflection, there are creative writing prompts related to crafting a funny story, writing a letter to ...
20 Journaling Prompts for Writers to Spark Creativity
3. Hope. 4. Survival. 5. Honor. Focused journaling is helpful for writers to kickstart their creativity. And using journaling prompts are helpful if you don't feel like you have a lot to say.
9 Best Creative Writing Journals: Take Your Thoughts to the Next Level
My Picks for Best Creative Writing Journals. Note: Even though many of these titles are called 'journals' — it's likely you will want to pick up a blank companion journal or notebook to really capture all of your creativity.The spaces in 'journals' can be very limiting. 1 - Keep It Simple. Inspirational thoughts and heartfelt words are all around us.
72 Journal Prompts to Boost Your Creative Writing Skills
Below are 72 journal prompts to help you get started. Journal Prompts. 1. When I'm in pain—physical or emotional—the kindest thing I can do for myself is…. 2. Make a list of the people in your life who genuinely support you, and who you can genuinely trust. 3.
70 Inspiring Journaling Ideas + Prompts
Then, I also included some bonus thought-provoking questions after those first 52 that might help, as well. For a total of 70 journaling ideas to get you started. So, if you've been thinking about getting back into journaling, writing, or just want to take a few minutes tor reflect each week, be sure to bookmark and pin this post for later.
64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery
The results suggest that keeping a journal led to more optimism and gratitude, both of which can boost well-being. A 2018 study suggests that writing about positive experiences for just 15 minutes ...
Creative Writing: Reflective Journaling
A reflective journal is similar to a diary in that we document our experiences. However, reflective journaling goes deeper than diary writing; we use it to gain deeper understanding of our experiences rather than simply document them. Reflective journaling is a form of creative writing that allows us to practice self-reflection, self ...
61 Journaling Ideas (Basics On What To Write +Prompts)
27. Use an image that sparks an idea for journal writing. 28. Journal about a dream you remember. 29. Use a timer for a journal writing sprint. 30. Small daily journal sentence. 31. A creative character sketch. 32. Write about something absurd. 33. Write an encouraging personal note to yourself. 34. Start with your favorite meal. 35. Describe ...
How To Use Creative Journaling To Improve Your Writing
This can help your writing for your book or for freelance writing, as well. 3. Try bullet journaling. If your brain is too exhausted from writing all day to form complete sentences, you can try bullet journaling. This practice allows you to write down just the main ideas you want to convey and use artwork if you want.
Creative Journaling Exercises, Prompts, and Ideas to Keep You Writing
Creative journaling exercises are an alternate form of writing prompts. They challenge your imagination and keep you from falling into a pattern of producing the same types of material every time you sit down and write. Creative writing exercises may seem very similar to creative journaling exercises, but they can be a little bit different.
A Guide to Journaling for Writers
A journal is an excellent tool for project planning. Start by defining the project and setting goals and milestones, and then add a tracker to log your progress. This can help you stay focused on a project so you actually finish it. Use your journal as a brain dump or idea bank.
Creative Writing Journal
Take notes on your observations and see what story ideas emerge. 4) Use real-life stories. The news, gossip, the experiences of your friends, and even stories from history books can be sources for creative writing. Make notes on the story, and imagine the parts you don't know. Imagine it as if you were there.
35 Inspiring Topics for Journal Writing » JournalBuddies.com
Journal Keeping Ideas and Topics to Spark Your Creative Juices and to Write About— This excellent set of 35 topics for journal writing is designed to serve anyone from age 12 and up into adulthood—which means it's suitable for use in your middle school, high-school, or post-secondary classroom, or simply for your own personal use. Yes!
How to Journal
"Journal writing is one of the rare forms of writing in which freedom of form and content support each other magically." ... Journaling is also being used across various disciplines, such as education, psychology, leadership, business, health, creative writing, coaching and counselling fields, as a powerful tool for learning and growth.
50 Easy Journal Prompts that Make Journaling a Breeze
Journaling is a personal journey, and these journal writing prompts are stepping stones to self-awareness and creative expression. If you don't have your journal, consider getting a new one to shake off the writer's block and let the blank pages inspire growth and discovery. 120 More Related Free Journal Prompts to Inspire You
23 Best Journals for Writing 2022
Part weekly planner, part journal, this linen-covered book with an undated format offers writing prompts and quotes and advice from Oprah herself to help you set intentions for each week. 12 monthly calendar pages and 52 weekly calendar pages provide room for schedule-keeping while weekly reflection pages are your space to look back on achievements and forward to new accomplishments.
How To Journal: 10 Different Styles, Tips To Get Started + More
Freeform journaling, or daily journaling, is the kind of diary-style writing you probably imagine when you think about journaling. According to psychotherapist Babita Spinelli, L.P. , this kind of journaling is used for personal reflection but can also benefit personal growth and mental health.
Reflective Journaling: How to Start + Prompts
Reflective journaling is a great tool for self-growth. Put your thoughts, emotions, and experiences on paper. Gain insight into yourself and your life. Writing helps to clarify your thoughts and feelings. And it's a way to gain perspective on challenges. You have the freedom to write about whatever you want.
Here's How to Start Journaling and Actually Enjoy It
But if you can get over your roadblocks, it's worth it. Journaling gives you a place to unload your heaviest emotions, celebrate the good stuff, and discover who you truly are. "Pausing to reflect on how things are going by writing them down will give you more intentionality and clarity during your day and throughout your life," says Ryan Howes, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of ...
Writing Therapy: How to Write and Journal Therapeutically
For five to 10 minutes just start writing in a "stream of consciousness.". Start a dialogue with your inner child by writing in your nondominant hand. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude by maintaining a daily list of things you appreciate, including uplifting quotes. Start a journal of self-portraits.
6 Ways to Start Journaling and Feel the Emotional Benefits
Jacobs notes that journaling is beneficial for self-reflection and growth, and those who journal are healthier. A 2018 University of Cambridge study found that writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings contributes to long-term improvements in mood and stress levels, lower blood pressure readings, reduction of depression, and a greater ...
4 Free Creative Alternatives to Talk Therapy That Can Support ...
Journal writing prompt therapy is exactly as it sounds—you use prompts for journaling that can support and improve your mental well-being. The idea behind journal writing prompt therapy is to ...
Creative Writing Program Marks Three Decades of Growth, Diversity
By Luisa A. Igloria. 2024: a milestone year which marks the 30 th anniversary of Old Dominion University's MFA Creative Writing Program. Its origins can be said to go back to April 1978, when the English Department's (now Professor Emeritus, retired) Phil Raisor organized the first "Poetry Jam," in collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.D. Snodgrass (then a visiting poet at ODU).
Sacrifice Zone: A Wild, Wonderful, and Honest Zine of West Virginia
As a creative with a deep respect for the honest nature of writing, and the importance of producing work that deconstructs the extractive nature of corporate, economical culture in West Virginia society today, producing a zine tailored to Matt's own interests seemed like the natural way to share his work with others.
Amazon.com: Discover Kindle Scribe: Amazon Devices & Accessories
Create sticky notes with a simple tap on a page and begin writing. Sticky notes help you get the most out of your reading experience - jot down your thoughts and return to them with ease. ... creative side. Use to journal, sketch, create, and have fun. ... Journaling can be an effective way to improve your wellbeing, achieve greater mental ...

50 Inspiring Journal Prompts to Spark Your Creativity

Benefits of Using Journal Prompts

Self-Discovery Prompts

Personal Growth Prompts

Mindfulness Prompts

Creativity Prompts

15 Types of Creative Journaling Plus Benefits and Techniques

What is a Creative Journaling?

FAQs on Creative Journaling

61 Of The Best Journaling Ideas To De-Stress And Feel Happy

Benefits of Journaling

61 Journaling Ideas to De-Stress and Feel Happy

Journal Writing vs. Journal Typing

2 thoughts on “61 Of The Best Journaling Ideas To De-Stress And Feel Happy”

A Guide to Journaling for Writers

What is a Journal?

Benefits of Journaling

Journaling to Benefit Your Writing

Looking for more inspiration? Check out THESE journal ideas .

State Your Purpose

Should You Stick to a Schedule?

Digital Journaling?

Getting a Journal

Some Journal Writing Tips

Journal Writing

51 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Recent Posts

Pin It on Pinterest

Starting a Creative Writing Journal

Journal format

How often to journal?

What to write about?

Journal activities

Creative writing journal - Next steps

How to Journal

What is Journal Writing?

Do You Need to Write Regularly in a Journal?

Journaling is…

How to Journal – What are the Benefits?

How to Journal – Getting Started

Just Write!

How to Journal – Creating Writing Rituals

How do you Create a Journal Writing Ritual?

Write in an environment that’s inspiring for your journal writing

Journal at approximately the same time each day

How to Journal – What To Write

You can also write about what you don’t want to write about—and explore your resistance!

How To Journal – How Often Should I Write

Journal Regularly

Set a Timer

Journaling to Cope

How To Journal Consistently – Creating the Journaling Habit

Make your journal writing more upbeat

Write when you have difficult issues in your life that need to be resolved

If possible, write at the same time every day

Make it short and fun!

Back to the question: Does it really matter that you write consistently?

How to Journal – What Help and Support Can I Get?

Join our Online Journal Writing Community

Treat Yourself to a Journal Writing Retreat

How to Journal – In Conclusion

May your journaling support you to live an incredible life!

23 Comments

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

23 Best Journals That Will Motivate You to Write More

Happy New Year

Advertisement

What is journaling, exactly?

Types of journaling

Mindfulness journaling

Gratitude journaling

Morning pages

Bullet journaling

Dream journaling

Tarot journaling

Manifestation journaling

Guided journaling

Therapy journaling