Journaling tips: how to get started
In my previous post on journaling I shared my relaxed approach to the practice: a few lines daily on whatever comes to mind, and ad hoc writing when I feel the need. But I have kept some kind of journal on and off for decades, and writing is for me a completely natural way to express myself, let off steam and explore the meanderings of my mind.
If you’d like to stay away from more formal, guided forms of journaling but find yourself lost for words, this post is for you.
1. Pick one thing
Think about your day and pick the first thing that comes to mind – the sunshine, coffee with a friend, a worry about work, a child’s tantrum, anything. Whether it’s positive, negative or neutral, just write about it: what happened, how you felt, and see where it takes you. It can be a line or a few pages. Just start and find out.
2. Look back
Look a little further back in time. Where were you this time last week, last month, last year? What were you doing, how were you feeling, what has changed, or not changed between then and now? Reflect on the differences and similarities in your life and how you feel.
3. Look ahead
What is happening tomorrow, or next week? Do you feel excitement, worry, annoyance or joy? Explore those feelings. Or write a wish list for the coming season, reflecting on what those things mean to you and how you can make space for them. You could take it a step further and write a letter to yourself, to open at a set date, telling yourself what you wish for, to check on in the future.
4. Look in
How are you feeling, right now? Happy, calm, sad, tired, stressed, enthusiastic, discouraged? Or maybe just bored and uninspired? Start writing about it. Describe how it feels, and your thoughts about why you feel this way. If you find it difficult, imagine you’re telling a friend, and think about what they might say to you.
5. Look around
Look around you, at the objects on the table or desk, the pictures on the wall, the pen you’re writing with – do they spark any memories you could write about? Look further out, to your home as a whole, the street or town you live in – what do these places mean to you? Or do you dream of another place? Write about it, and why you wish you were there now.
These are just a few ideas for subjects that are always available to you, wherever you are and whenever you write. But there are many other prompts you could use – an online search should bring up ideas in a few clicks. You may also be interested in subscribing to my Inky Letter, where I share two new prompts every month, alongside my own letter on a related topic.
And if you are in need of a new journal, head over to my shop for a selection.
