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How to start a journaling practice
Journaling has become one of my favorite things to do in the morning. It is an essential part of my morning routine.
Journaling can help you in so many different ways. It can make you more productive, help you gain clarity, supports your mental health, sparks your creativity, brightens up your mood, give you more confidence, etc.
Often people don’t know where or how to start journaling. But it is actually very simple.
At the end of this blog post you will also find my journaling prompts you can download. Having some questions to follow makes it even easier to get started.
How do you start journaling?
First you need a notebook and I’m sure there are plenty of them lying around in your house. So, grab one and make it your daily journal.
The great thing about journaling is that there are no rules. You can write whatever you want. The idea of a journal is to express yourself in an honest way. Let down your guard.
It is important to just write what comes to your mind without overthinking it or judging it. We tend to think that if we write something it has to sound good. But it doesn’t. You don’t have to ever read it again if you choose to do so. This is for your eyes only.
When should you journal?
There are no rules for journaling. So you can do it whenever you want or feel like it.
I like to do it within the first 1-2 hours after waking up. There your thoughts are still unimpacted from the outside world. And by doing it in the morning it will help you set your attitude and focus for the day. However, there is no wrong timing. If you feel like writing down your thoughts in the middle of the day, then go for it!
And it doesn’t have to be 30 minutes of journaling every day. Do whatever feels right for you on that day. Sometimes I do it for 5 minutes and sometimes it takes me 50 minutes. This is up to you. Remember: There is no wrong way of doing it.
My journaling routine
Right now, I love to journal after coming back from my morning walk. But this changes depending on my current morning routine and wherever I am in the world. I make myself a coffee or tea, open my journal and start writing.
On some mornings I just dump my thoughts on to paper, other times I like to ask myself questions, try to understand where my feelings are coming from and gain a new perspective.
Think of it as intuitive writing. Write down everything that comes to your head. You can’t do anything wrong. This is just about letting go of your old thoughts and making space for the new to enter.
This feels really liberating and to put your own thoughts on paper and see them in front of you helps you gain a new perspective and turn them into something positive.
However, sometimes I sit there and there is just nothing to write about. Then I like to follow a few questions that set me up for a good day and help me gain clarity.
My Journaling Prompts
I have put together my journaling prompts and created a guide for you.
These questions help me to find the right perspective, direct my attention for the day and bring my actions into alignment with my goals.
And the results you get when you do this every day are incredible. Every morning you redirect your attention, focus on your goal and actively work towards them. And with each day, step by step, you will become the person who lives the life you envisioned.
Just try it out and don’t make it a big deal. Have fun with it. Journaling has helped me so much and I know it will do amazing things for you too.
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