Tips on Journaling

 

I am a journal junkie. I collect all sorts of journals. I try my very best to completely fill them up, but I never do. I just keep getting new ones! 

My love for journaling however is more than just the pretty covers. It’s what’s written that’s truly fascinating. People have their own reasons to why they journal. I have different journals that serve different purposes. 

Today I want to share some journaling ideas, tips, and types with you. Whether you’re already a daily journaler or someone who wants to get started, this post is for you.

JOURNAL IDEAS:

Free flow

This is where you write whatever comes to your mind. There’s no concrete question to answer and no rules to follow. You write as thoughts flow. This can be intimidating for some people because there’s no guidance for what they should write about. But I find this type of journaling actually very freeing. It allows me to stop in mid-thought, to write about 5 different things at once, and nothing that I write has to make sense. I think this type of journaling is very effective when you’re going through something, whether it’s an exciting or tough situation, and you just want to pour out your thoughts.

Questionnaire

There are a lot of personal growth, self-care, gratitude or other guided journaling question series you can find online. This is especially helpful if you need guidance or want guidance when you’re journaling. This helps you to be more intentional about what you’re writing. It’s a great way to also be reflective and focused. I find this type of journaling effective in healing and learning. It’s also a great idea for anyone who wants to start journaling but is unsure of what to write about or how to start.


Art Journaling

Art journaling is a creative way to journal. It’s effortless & it’s mixed media—which means you can write or paint or glue things together to express what you’re feeling or your thoughts. Art journaling is not really my cup of tea, but if you’ve been wanting to try it, I say go for it! Remember, you don’t need to stress over journaling. The thing about art journaling is it doesn’t have to be fancy. Try writing your sentences into a shape of a bird or gluing different paper textures together & describe your day—there’s so many options.



TIPS ON JOURNALING

  • Don’t let it become a burden. When you feel like you need to journal and it becomes a chore, stop and take a break. Thoughts can’t be forced. 

  • Don’t put a number to it. Some people journal 3 pages a day. If that works for you—great. For me, I’ve found that it’s easier not to put that expectation on myself because otherwise my words aren’t as open or full, simply because I’m just trying to fill 3 pages versus truly writing what I’m trying to express. If your entry today is only 3 sentences, that’s okay. If tomorrow it’s 3 pages, that’s okay too! 

  • Write with a good pen or pencil. I know this sounds so unimportant, but a good pen goes a long way! I find that when I’m writing with a good pen my thoughts just flow better. Also, a good pen makes me want to actually journal lol. 


TYPES OF JOURNALS

  • Blank journals: these are my favorite! I love blank journals because they give me the freedom to write however I want & I’m not restricted by lines or dots. These are also multi-functional, in that, you can use them like a bullet journal, a normal lined journal, or even an art journal.

  • Bullet journals: the dotted journals. These are also multi-functional; people use them as planners & diaries. I don’t use bullet journals, but I enjoying seeing people’s bullet journals! Bullet journaling can be fun. I would recommend it if you don’t want to go the whole art journal route but still want to be creative.

  • Lined journals: I like thin lined journals more than wide lined journals. I mainly use lined journals for studying, note taking, or more structure journaling. This is your basic journals. I also think lined journals make the best gifts because even people who don’t journal can use a lined journal to take notes.


Alrighty friends, those are some tips on journaling for you. I do think there are real benefits to journaling our thoughts & our emotions. It’s a great way to record & a great way to reflect. It’s an exercise that helps your mind. It’s a tool that helps your soul.

~Sincerely, Mainou