Why writing a journal is good.
Today we’ll break down a few easy journaling ideas for beginners and explain how they can help. Journaling is an activity anyone can do, no matter their personality type or background. It doesn’t matter if you are an introvert or an extrovert; everyone has something they would like to improve about themselves and their lives. Journaling helps you do just that!
Here are some journaling ideas that might help you get through the daily slog of journaling and make it fun again! Write about…
- Something funny that happened today.
- What your day would look like if you didn’t have to go to work.
- Your favorite color and why you like it so much.
- What are some of your dreams? Write them down and share them with your friends and family!
Reasons to keep a journal:
- Experience more gratitude-It will guide you in identifying your values and goals
- It will help you to Have more fun
- You could feel less stressed
- -And much more!
But sometimes, it can be hard to motivate ourselves and get started. So if this sounds like you, we’ve got some great ideas for keeping a journal that will make it easier to start and keep going.
As you look at how to keep a journal, you might wonder: “How do I even get started?”
You’re not alone! We’ve all been there.
And fortunately, we’ve got some journaling tips that should help you take the first step.
Take the first step in journaling writing.
Sometimes, we don’t start journaling because we don’t know where to begin. But at the end of the day, you have to start somewhere. Your journal is your best friend—it keeps you accountable, helps you stay organized, and gives you a place to vent when life gets tough.
If you’ve never written down anything before, start with just writing down a few sentences a day—it doesn’t have to be much more than that! Then, the more you practice, the better it will get.
Journaling is a great way to get in touch with your feelings. It’s been shown to help people feel better about their lives and themselves, and it can be a great way to make sense of your day-to-day experiences.
Even if you don’t immediately think of what you want to write about, start by simply sitting down with a pen and paper or using a laptop or tablet journal digitally. You can use the prompts below or note whatever comes to mind. If you’re unsure what you want to write about, look at these ideas.
What to write when you are journaling?
1) Write about how you feel today—are you excited about something? Sad about something? Do you feel overwhelmed? How does your current mood compare with your mood yesterday? What do these shifts mean to you?
2) Make lists! List all of the things that are making you happy right now—this could be anything from “getting a new puppy” (if that’s true) to “my favorite color” (if that’s true). Then list all of the things that are making you sad right now—again, this could be anything from “my boyfriend broke up with me” (if that’s true) to “I’m worried about my grandma.” Then compare the two lists and identify your feelings.
Start small. Keep a daily log of your life—the big and small moments. It’s okay if it’s just one line per day!
The point is to write things down, so your feelings don’t slip by without being noticed or validated.
Journaling can help relieve stress, improve health outcomes (like lowering blood pressure),
Ideas for keeping a journal
1. Daily & weekly journal ideas.
- Write down five things you are grateful for each day.
- Write down three things that have made your day better than it would have been otherwise.
- List the three most important things that happened to you this week.
- Make a list of things you want to accomplish next week and prioritize them in order of importance.
2. Gratitude journaling ideas.
Next up is gratitude journaling—it’s an essential part of self-care, and it helps us stay on track with our goals and values when we’re stressed out.
Gratitude is being thankful for what you have rather than focusing on what you don’t have. It’s a way to appreciate the small things in life and a great way to remind yourself that there are always more good things around than bad things.
Gratitude can help you stay positive even when things seem rough and help you find peace even when the world seems chaotic. It’s also just really calming! You can use a daily gratitude journal prompt or make it a weekly activity if that works better for your schedule (or any number in between).
Here are a few gratitude journaling ideas:
-What are you grateful for right now? What makes today special?
-How have you been kind to others today? How did that feel?
-When was the last time you were truly happy with yourself? What made you sad?
-Write about something that has made your day better than it would have been otherwise: a friend, an animal, something you ate, or a book you read.
3. What are some bullet journal page ideas for beginners?
Bullet journal ideas are the best! They can help you organize your life, keep track of important tasks, and even help you keep goals you might set for yourself.
Here are some of our favorite bullet journal ideas for beginners:
- Track what you eat each day.
- Make a gratitude list every night before bed.
- Keep track of how much time you spend on social media each day (and how much time you spend reading).
- Write down three things that went well each day and three that could have gone better.
- Write down daily goals or plans for each day of the week (bullets)
- Note your thoughts about things that happened during the day
- Put down your feelings about things that happened during the day
In addition to these bullet journal ideas, you can also do some creative journaling. Creative art journaling—this is where it gets fun! You can try out different types of creativity, like bullet journaling above or video journaling. If those are your style, just find something that works for you.
4. Creative Journal Ideas for beginners
If you’re a total beginner, creative journaling can seem like a daunting task. But it’s not! It’s super easy and fun, and the best part is that you’ll create something that’s 100% original to you.
The great thing about creative journaling is that it can be whatever YOU want it to be. You might want to write down your thoughts or feelings, draw pictures of what’s happening in your life right now, or even just doodle around on some sheets of paper. The possibilities are endless!
Here are some ideas for how to get started:
- Start with an idea in mind—you don’t have to start from scratch! Choose if you want a paper or digital journal (or if you have a specific aesthetic in mind), then dive right into it! Try drawing out some sketches before even beginning writing so that you can get an idea of what works best for this project before committing too much time/effort to an idea that may not work out well for what you’re looking for (but also doesn’t mean putting aside any ideas until later—just try them out first!).
- Write down things from your life: maybe there’s something happening now at home or school
5. Journaling to relieve stress
Journaling is a great way to improve your mental health and overall wellness. It’s also a great way to reflect on your life so that you can make changes going forward. Journaling can help relieve stress, improve health outcomes (like lowering blood pressure),
The benefits of journaling are countless: it helps you become more aware of yourself and your own emotions, it improves communication skills, helps with stress management, keeps you honest with yourself, encourages creativity and self-expression, helps build focus…the list goes on!
The benefits of journaling are countless: it helps you become more aware of yourself and your own emotions, it improves communication skills, helps with stress management, keeps you honest with yourself, encourages creativity and self-expression, helps build focus…the list goes on!
Benefits of gratitude journaling
What are some benefits of gratitude journaling? How does it make you feel? (Hint: it makes us feel good!)
Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces you can use to change your life. It has been proven to improve your health and well-being and is also a great way to make yourself happy!
Journaling writing prompts for gratitude:
- Write down three things that made you smile today.
- Then, write down one thing that made you feel grateful today.
- Write down one thing someone has done for you recently that made you feel grateful (maybe they gave you a
gift or helped out with something). - Write down three things that made your day better today than it would have been, even if it’s just having coffee with a friend or petting your dog!
- Write down three things that made your day worse today than it would have been, even if it’s just having an argument with someone or getting stuck in traffic!
- Describe what makes someone else happy (maybe their favorite food or color). Then write down why this makes them happy.
If you’re looking for some good ideas for keeping a journal, here are some bullet journal ideas: - What are some bullet journal page ideas for beginners? Bullet journal ideas are the best! They can help you organize your life, keep track of important tasks, and even help you keep goals you might set for yourself.
What is the best way to end a journal entry?
The best way to end a journal entry is to just say what you think. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it’s better if it’s not. You can just write a few sentences about your thoughts, which will do the trick!
You can also end a journal entry with a quote!
Quotes are a great way to reflect on your writing and tie it together. If you want daily quotes and inspiration, follow my Instagram @yourlovelyself!
Journaling Ideas Wrap up
Journaling helps you get your thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper. That’s it! It can be as simple as writing down a list of things that happened during the day or writing down your dreams at night. But, it can also be more complex than that—journaling can be a way to explore more profound questions about yourself and your life, or even just to practice being more mindful throughout the day.
We hear it all the time: “I should start journaling.” But… what happens next?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options out there. For example, should you use a physical notebook or a digital app? What kind of pen should you write with? Is there a particular format that works best for you?
For more tips on journaling, read my blog post “How to Journal for Self-Care.”
