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 writing 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.
Just vent
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.
