How to Start Journaling: A Step-by-step Guide For Beginners (& How It Improves Your Health)
Last Updated on 01/02/2023 by Nicky
How to start journaling for beginners
If your brain is a jumbled-up mass of scatterbrained thoughts, moods swings, and ruminations then learning how to journal will be an answer to your prayers.
Journaling is a great way to untangle all of the emotions swirling around in your mind that you can’t get sorted.
Plus, there are some unexpected benefits to journaling that you probably haven’t even thought about!
If you’re ready to start journaling but you’re a complete beginner then don’t worry.
We are going to go over how to get started journaling as a beginner and so much more!
These tips will not only help you get started with journaling, but they will make it easier for you to continue the task every day!
Oh yeah, and this post contains affiliate links to great products that will help you in your health journey. I will get a commission if you decide to buy from these links but I’m only recommending products that I feel confident about.
– Why You Should Start Journaling
I probably don’t have to convince you but some people might think that journaling is silly and doesn’t have any real benefits.
Well, ummm, they are wrong ya’ll…trust.
Journaling is an amazing practice that can help you with your mental, physical, financial, and spiritual health & well-being.
Who doesn’t need that?
Do you have stress and anxiety? If so, you can use journaling as a way to heal from these mental health challenges (source).
It can also be used to increase creativity and productivity. (source).
I also use journaling to help me deepen my relationship with Christ, manage my money, and help me with weight loss.
Developing a journaling habit in your daily life will help you improve your overall health and quality of life.
But don’t get bogged down if you can’t do it every day. I don’t journal every day and you don’t have to either.
However, it is a good idea to have a reason for journaling before you begin and to understand the benefits.
This way, you will stay motivated to write on a regular basis.
Below are some good reasons why you might want to start a regular journaling practice.
– 6 Ways Journaling Boosts Your Health
1) Journaling Boosts Mental Clarity
Sometimes my thoughts bounce around more than balls at a ping pong tournament.
When it starts to get that crazy between my ears, I start journaling for some relief.
Slowly, the thoughts start to calm down and rest, if only for a little while. You can click below to learn more about journaling for mental clarity: Journaling For Mental Clarity: How This Writing Craze Can Boost Your Mental Health
2) Journaling Boost Mood & Mental Health
Journaling is also a brilliant way to explore the toxic thoughts and feelings that may be storming inside of you.
It’s unhealthy to bottle up the torrid of emotions that come with mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Journaling is a healthy way to cope with these feelings.
Here are some ways to use journaling to elevate your mental health: 9 Creative Journaling Ideas To Skyrocket Your Mental Health!
3) Journaling Improves Your Fitness & Expedites Weight Loss
You might be surprised by this but journaling and planning are great ways to stay consistent with your workout regimen.
Plus, writing is a wonderful way to explore issues like emotional eating and overeating as a way to cope with trauma.
You can learn more about fitness and weight loss journal ideas here: 9 Amazing Fitness Journal Ideas To Make Your Weight Loss Goals A Reality
4) Journaling Deepens Your Faith & Walk With God
I’ve written many prayers and letters to God. Writing prayers to God in a journal is way more effective for me.
Why?
Because my mind wanders a lot less when I write my prayers.
It feels like I’m having more of a conversation with Him which deepens our relationship over time.
To learn more about prayer journaling you can click here: 5 Awesome Benefits Of A Prayer Journal & How To Start One (Free Printables Included)
5) Journaling Boosts Your Creativity
This benefit probably seems obvious but the more you write and express yourself through the written word the more creative your writing will become.
And then if you combine that with a visual or art journal your creativity will go through the roof!
Here are some creative journaling ideas you can start with: 12 Fun & Creative Things To Write About In Your Journal!
6) Journaling Boosts Your Financial Health
So this might be another surprise but journaling and planning out your financial goals is a great way to make those goals a reality.
When I was in debt I wrote out all of my debts and when I wanted to be totally debt-free.
Having this visual made it so much easier to accomplish this goal!
To learn more about getting out of debt check out this post: How To Stay Out Of Debt By Following These 3 Simple Tips
– Here Are Some Additional Benefits To Journaling
- Reduce stress
- Cope with depression
- Promote healthy self-awareness
- Release thoughts that are packed in their brain
- Understand problems or fears they are experiencing
- Give clarity to a mind full of jumbled thoughts
- Create goals to achieve tasks or reach their dreams
These are just the tip of the iceberg. Now I’m going to talk a little more in-depth about some of the different ways to journal.
– Journaling Methods: Best Ways To Actually Journal
Traditionally, a journal is a paper notebook and I truly love the feel of a pen in my hand.
However, we live in a tech-filled world nowadays so journaling is not limited to paper anymore.
You can journal by writing in a document on your computer.
You can use journal pages you print from home (also called printables).
You can even use a mobile app (my journal app of choice is Trello which is free!).
It’s just a matter of choosing a method of journaling that best fits your lifestyle.
If you enjoy writing lists or letters, you may find it easy to keep up with handwriting your journal.
However, if you have a busy schedule, are constantly on the go, or rely on your mobile device more than pen and paper, an app, google document, or even just your phone’s notes may be the way to go for you.
Honestly, I use a combination of digital and paper journaling. I highly recommend this because it’s the best of all possible worlds!
– Types Of Journals: Create One Or All Of These Journals!
One of the beautiful things about journaling is how many different types there are.
Check out all of the different kinds of journals below:
- Bullet Journals: a journal on steroids…it’s a planner and journal and so much more all in one pretty little package!
- Vision Journals: a beautiful combination of drawing and writing your feelings to help you visualize your goals
- Line a Day Journals: Basically this journal is what it’s called – you write down only one line a day.
- Classic Journal: Diary style journal
- Prayer Journal: Write your prayers down instead of just saying them
- Bible Journal: Write your questions, reflections, and other thoughts you have about God and whatever you’re studying in your Bible
- Dream Journal: Have a notebook right by your bed so you can write down your dreams as soon as you wake up
- Food Journal: Record what you eat for every meal and how those meals make you feel
- Weight Loss/Fitness Journal: This is a food journal times ten. Write, plan, and schedule your workouts, meals, grocery lists, and so much more
- Travel Journal: Plan your trip and record your memories of the trip all in one book
- Gratitude Journal: Keep track of everything you are grateful for so you can read over it when times get hard
- Project Journal: Are you planning something big like a huge trip, wedding, or starting a business? Keep track of everything in your project journal!
- Creative /Art Journaling: Combination of art, coloring and writing
- Introspective Journal: Write out your thoughts and feelings about errthang
- Worry & Fear Journal: Whatever you’re anxious or depressed about, write it all down in this journal
- Digital Journal: Any of the journals above except in digital form
– Materials You Need To Get Started: Journaling Supplies List
So what do you need in order to start journaling? I would suggest keeping it simple in the beginning and then getting more creative with your supplies as time goes on:
- Journaling medium: You need to choose what you will journal on ( bullet journal, notebook, printables, digital app)
- Writing Utensil: Choose what you will journal with ( pen, pencil, markers, colored pencil, etc.)
- Embellishments (binder for your printables, stamps, stickers, paint, washi tape, ruler, circle maker, post-itnotes, paper clips, wite-out)
Want to read this post later? Click here to save it to one of your Pinterest boards! (Link to this post’s pin on Pinterest)
– What To Put In Your Journal
So now we know why we should journal, what materials we need to get started and the kinds of journals there are.
But what specifically can we put in our journals to make them the most beneficial to our health?
Let’s explore this below:
1) Creative Lists
If you’re like me, you may not want a journal dedicated to just one thing. So instead you can have one journal with a bunch of different sections or lists.
Here are some that you could try: 20+ Creative Lists To Write In A Journal When You’re Bored Or Anxious
2) Bible Journal Printables
When I used to do my Bible studies I would just write freestyle whatever thoughts I had.
By using Bible journal pages, my study notes are more organized and structured and so much prettier. You can write your prayers, favorite verses, study questions and so much more.
To learn more about Bible journal printables you can read this post: Beautiful Bible Journal Printables To Put In Your Binder
3) Coloring Pages
Add some beauty to your journal even if you can’t draw. Adult coloring pages are all the rage right now!
Click to read this post about coloring sheets: 25+ Beautiful Adult Coloring Pages Christian Women Can Use To Boost Their Mental Health
4) Journaling Prompts
Journaling prompts are there to spark inspiration when you aren’t sure what to write.
Examples of journal writing prompts are like:
When I was younger, I wanted to be a…;
In 5 years, I would like to be….
Prompts can be literally about anything.
Food, money, mindset, grief, mental health, and so many other subjects!
Want to start using some journaling prompts?
Check out these blog posts: Journaling Prompts For Beginners; Grief Journaling Prompts; Proverbs 31 Woman Journaling Prompts; Journal Prompts For Mental Health
5) Affirmations
Do you talk down to yourself? Then start writing down some positive affirmations in your journal.
Check out this post to get you started: Positive Christian Affirmations
6) Bible Verses
You may want to journal specific Bible verses for specific issues you are currently going through.
If you’re struggling with weight loss or anxiety, you might want to find scriptures that are directly related to those topics and write in your journal about that.
Here are some blog posts to help you get started:
25+ Powerful Bible Verses For Weight Loss When You Want To Quit!
13 Most Powerful Bible Verses For The Girl Struggling With Anxiety Attacks
– How To Make Journaling A Habit
It is essential that you don’t get too hard on yourself when you start journaling.
Burnout is easy and often occurs, even if you enjoy writing.
If you aren’t used to getting your thoughts down on paper (or on a screen), you may quickly resent journaling and want to give up.
Many people start journaling by writing 10-15 minutes each day.
If this seems to be too much, reduce the time to 5 minutes.
You can always increase the time once you have established a good writing routine and get better at putting your thoughts into words.
Avoid forcing yourself to write at the same time each day. Sometimes life gets in the way of even the best-laid plans.
Many find it better to write in the morning, as they can release their negative thoughts & feelings before getting on with the day.
If you don’t have time to write in the morning, you can do it on your lunch break or even at night before bed.
Know that it’s okay to skip a day. Mental exhaustion is a real thing. Unexpected situations can arise and throw off our entire day.
Don’t stress because totally the opposite of how journaling is supposed to make you feel!
– How To Stay Motivated To Write
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the drive to pick up your journal – or open an app.
Everyone that keeps a journal will admit they have struggled with writing consistently more than once…including me!
The goal is to make it easy for you to remember to do it, and make it easy to do.
Try to think of your writing as your way to cope with your feelings or a fun form of creative expression rather than another chore.
– Journaling Tips For Beginners
As we’ve discussed, journaling can be a great way to express yourself. It’s a personal process and should stay that way, but you might be feeling overwhelmed and want some guidance on where to go from here.
If you’re a journaling beginner, these tips will help make the process more manageable:
Tip #1 – Start by using journaling prompts
If staring at a blank page scares you don’t worry!
There are many journaling prompts online that will boost your thinking if you are ever stuck.
Journal prompts are simple reflective questions or open-ended statements that help spark inspiration for your journaling session.
Here are some journaling prompts to get you started:
36 Encouraging Journal Prompts For Loneliness & 5 Practical Ways To Overcome It!
15 Positive Journal Affirmations To Stop Procrastinating & Pursue Your God-Given Dreams
Tip #2 – Set a reminder on your phone
If you find it hard to remember to journal, set an alarm on your cell phone.
If you know you have time every day at 8 pm to journal then set an alarm to remind yourself to do it then.
And if for some reason you can’t do it then reset the notification to remind you at another time.
Eventually, you might find that you don’t need to have a reminder at all and that it will just naturally become a part of your day.
Tip #3 – Go to a new place to journal when you need inspiration
If you feel stuck about what to write, it could be that you need to go to a new place in order to get some inspiration.
Being in the same place every day can be boring and make creativity harder than it should be.
It could be as simple as moving to a new room in your home if you’re not able to go out anywhere.
If you can get out of the house, give journaling in the park or at a coffee shop a try (I love going to Panera and the public library to do some work outside of the house).
You never know what kind of inspiration may hit when in a new environment.
Plus, it makes me feel cosmopolitan 🙂
Tip #4 – Start small
Journaling is best done in manageable doses.
Don’t stress out because that’s like the total opposite of what we’re going for here.
You want to start with something simple, like writing your thoughts every day for a week or two.
This will give you an idea of what journaling is like and how beneficial it may be for you.
Tip #5 – Set journaling goals
Set short-term goals when journaling.
This will help measure your progress and keep you from becoming discouraged.
For example, if you have been journaling regularly for 10 days, set your goal at 20 days.
You can also use your journal to set SMART goals which I talk more about in this post:
SMART Goals For Overcoming Procrastination To Write In Your Journal
Tip #6 – Keep your journal private
You don’t necessarily need to share everything with the world when journaling. That’s not the point of the practice.
In fact, sometimes the whole point of journaling is to write things that you don’t necessarily want to express to those around you.
Sharing what you write might bring up uncomfortable feelings or open up conversations that didn’t get touched on before.
If that doesn’t seem like something you’re comfortable with now, try keeping journals more about yourself than about others until you feel ready for that step.
In fact, if they are extra private, you might want to hide your journal…just saying!
– How To Get A Free Bundle Of Journals!
I’ve talked a lot about journals in this post. Now I want to share some of the journals I’ve made with you so you can use them too!
You’ll get mini versions of our:
- Joy Comes In The Mourning Grief Journal
- Digital Bible Study Journal
- New Year New You Digital Fitness Planner & Journal
- Bloom & Grow Bible Study Journal
- Weight Loss Starts In The Kitchen Printable Meal Planner
- Proverbs Bible Study Journal
- Creative Rest Mental Health Coloring Sheets
Enter your email address below to use mini versions of our HAYC journals!
– Are You Excited To Start Journaling?
I know I know…journaling might seem like a lot at first but I promise, it’s really not and it’s so worth it!
Journaling is an amazing way to improve your health in so many ways.
It can help you focus on your daily routine and feel more in control of your life.
There are many reasons to journal, so give it a try and see how it benefits you!
If How To Start Journaling For Beginners has helped you, please share it on social media!
Medical Disclaimer: While Healthy As You Can strives to provide the most accurate information, anything you read on this site is purely for informational or entertainment purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice or as a replacement for a doctor’s care, diagnosis, appointment, advice, etc. I am not a medical professional at all. Any information, tips, or ideas that you try as a result of reading this blog is tried at your, the reader’s, own risk.
Mental Health Disclaimer: While I care deeply about your mental health, please know that I am NOT a licensed medical professional, therapist, counselor, social worker, or mental health professional. Any advice here is not to be taken as medical advice or a diagnosis. IF you need to talk to a licensed mental health professional you can use online-therapy.com (affiliate link) or call a mental health hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
