Ten ways to jumpstart a journaling habit

by Sheila Allee

Have you ever set out to write in a journal on a regular basis, only to forget your intention or get too busy to
even think about it? It happens to almost everybody and it’s nothing to feel guilty about. Just pick up pen and
paper (or laptop) and start a whole new chapter in your journaling life.
To develop the habit of journaling takes time and commitment. But the rewards are worth every moment you
spend recording your thoughts, your feelings and your life’s events. 
Writing your way through your journey has been proven to enhance not only mental well-being but also
physical health. This practice can help you gain perspective on problems and relationship conflicts. Many
people find access to their inner voice or inner guide by taking to the page.
There are many other benefits to journaling – healing from trauma, letting go of emotional pain and making
decisions. 
Here are 10 ways to jumpstart a journaling practice. I hope they help you get started and keep going. 

1. Keep it simple
You don’t really need an expensive hardbound journal with a fancy cover. A spiral notebook from the grocery
store will do. If you want a hardbound journal and think it will inspire you to keep writing, by all means, get
one. 
I like to use a gel pen (also available at the grocery store) because it glides across the page and helps you write
faster. Really, any writing instrument you prefer will do just fine.
Many journalers insist you have to write longhand, that the process is more effective when you take the time
to handwrite each entry. But I don’t agree. If you want to use a laptop or other electronic device, that’s just
fine, too. The process is way more important than the tools. 

2. Set your intention

Knowing WHY you want to journal is important. Take a few minutes and think about what you hope to gain
from journaling on a regular basis. Do you want to record ideas for a book or other creative project? 
Do you want to access your subconscious and find out what’s going on there? Do you want to work through
a loss or a death or plot your future dreams? 
Maybe you want to heal from an emotional trauma or find better ways of coping with problems. Many thera-
pists advise their clients to journal as a way of enhancing the counseling process. If you can’t afford profes-
sional therapy, you can afford a spiral notebook. Just know that the journaling process will help you
immensely.
(Note: Remember, it’s very important to write down your intention – just a sentence or two. You’re more likely
to follow through if you take this step.)

3. Find a quiet spot to do your writing

Find a quiet spot to do your writing. It may be your bedroom, office, kitchen table, back yard, or a coffee shop.
If music helps you think and muse, play something. Light a candle, pour a cup of coffee or some tea. Make
sure it’s a comfortable spot, conducive to opening up on the page. Schedule your session when you are less
likely to be interrupted by family members, pets or phone calls. And set aside your smart phone during your
journaling time. 

4. Establish a regular time to journal

Many people visit their journals first thing in the morning or the last thing before bed. Try scheduling journ-
aling time in your calendar. Two or three times a week is sufficient – even 5 minutes each session will be
beneficial. 
Start slowly and build your practice gradually. If once a week is all you can manage, then make a date with
yourself to find your quiet spot at a specific time and day. After a few weeks, try journaling twice a week and
then three times. The number of times you journal is not as important as making sure nothing significant
from your life experience is lost.
5. Throw out the rules
One of the best things about journaling is YOU CAN’T DO IT WRONG! You’ll probably have some internal voice
complaining “You can’t say that!” or “Your spelling is terrible!” or “Who said you could write?” Ignore that voice
and all other negative feedback. 
Grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice and all other rules about writing can be ignored. Just write,
even if your handwriting is messy or you commit typos on the screen. This effort is for your eyes only, so you
can be totally honest on each page. 

6. Write without stopping

The key to accessing what’s going on in your subconscious is to write in stream of consciousness fashion.
That is, just keep writing even if your mind goes blank. Write down “I don’t know what to say” or “What else?”
Just keep going and something will pop into your mind. 
Think of journaling as a mind dump. Try to get everything that’s swirling around in your head onto the page.
As a result, you’ll likely find that you can think more clearly and that your creative spirit is unleashed.

7. Try different journaling techniques

Try different journaling techniques. To keep the process interesting, vary the ways in which you journal. For
example, you can write down things or people for which you are grateful. You can plan your day, your week
or the coming year. You can write an unsent letter to someone and unload anger/frustration/pain onto the
page. You can draw a picture or doodle to your heart’s content. Consider musing about a book you just read
or a movie you just watched. There are many ways to journal and I will provide some specific techniques
below.

8. Think of your journal as a friend

This is a friend who is always there for you when you need wisdom, support and practical help. Whenever
you have a flood of emotions or feel confused, you can always take to the page and write it all out. Whenev-
er you need to make an important decision, your journal will be at the ready to help you. 
The thing about friends is you have to pay attention to them and spend time with them. Your closest friends
are likely ones with whom you have shared your secrets and innermost thoughts. A journal is the same kind
of friend, only it’s always available 24/7.

9. Make it work for you

Remember, there are no rules. You can’t do it wrong. The ideas covered here are merely suggestions. Find
the journaling routine that works best for you. Read some published journals to see how others record their
thoughts and experiences. Don’t let anyone convince you that you must do it first thing in the morning or
right before bedtime. Ignore any rigid guidelines you may hear about. Your journal is for you and you alone,
so have fun with it.

10. Guard your privacy

To ensure that you can truly open up keep your journal in a safe place and ask your housemates to respect
your desire to keep it private.
One of the surest ways of keeping your journals confidential is to use an online app to store your scribblings.
There are several out there that are password protected. Do an internet search for “journaling apps.”
Whatever route you take, it is essential that no one else reads your writings – unless you choose to share them.
Journaling prompts
A prompt is something that helps you start thinking and writing. It could be a sentence stem like the ones listed
below, a poem, a quote or anything that stimulates your mind. Here are a few to keep on hand when you need a
spark. 
Today I feel…
My biggest secret (fear, wish) is…
If only…
My fondest childhood memory is…
A perfect day for me would involve…

Here’s an example from my own journaling:

My fоdt childhd memory is the day my dad went swimming with my sist and me. e was a huge public pl
acro the s eet om our house and Kathryn and I went the e ry day in the summ. My dad was gоe a lot of the me
because of his job and a long commute. But оe day he joined us at the pl. I ha such fоd memori of splashing him
and hugging him and reling in his ence. Dad was ry quiet and rved, hardworking and sious. It was rare for
him to take me to just play. It was the оly me he e r went to the pl with us. It remains the happit of memori.

Ignite your creativity

A journal is a great place to get your creative juices flowing. One way to do this is to write about a “Captured Moment”
– a scene from your past that includes a lot of sensory detail. You’ll want to include what you saw, heard, felt, smelled
and said. 
A good way to try this is to sit quietly, take three deep breaths and let memories flow through your mind like a video
streaming through your consciousness. Pick one memory and write about it, including as many sensory descriptions
as you can.
Here’s a Captured Moment I recently wrote:

The fox on the lost highway 

We had taken a wrоg turn о the narr, empty road. e sun was ight, the sky clear as we dro past clumps of cactus
and clusts of scraggly yucca. Sawtth Mountain lmed in the distance, its rusty piars standing guard o r the dst.
e clouds we puffs of co о and the sky pale blue as we re aced our path alongside g­den gray fields. As we rounded
a curve, a s eak of yeow/white croed the pa ment. It was a fox. And just as sn as we saw him, he disappeared into
the gra. A moment ago, we lamented that we had gоe the wrоg way. A‚ the fox, we lked at each oth and smiled.
“ Most saƒsfactory,” my husband said. “ Most saƒsfactory.”

Happy journaling!
I hope this article has been helpful and has inspired you to make journaling a regular part of your life. I don’t think
I’m the only journaler who can say this habit has been transformational. I’ve worked through a lot of self-doubt,
disappointments and anger in my journal. I’ve also celebrated the good things and developed a more grateful spirit.
I wish the same for you.
More support, inspiration, and prompts

All are Free to Write is a one-year journal designed to get you thinking about your life and
recording your thoughts. This volume is designed to correspond with the holidays and
special events of the 52-week calendar.

Each writing prompt was once a blog post on Sheila Allee’s Free to Write newsletter,
which launched in 2016. FTW began and continues to be a support and hopefully an
inspiration to those who want to develop a journaling practice.

Journaling has been proven to improve your health and sense of well-being. It can help
you gain perspective on conflicts and problems and can be a tool for personal growth
and healing.

Available on Amazon

Sheila Allee is a lifelong writer and the author of four books.

She spent her career as a journalist and communications
professional and served as a speechwriter for government,
academic and corporate executives.

She is the author of four books in multiple genres. My Father’s

Eyes, a memoir, won the Barbara Jordan Media Award for
positive depictions of people with disabilities. She has also
written a true crime, Texas Mutiny: Bullets, Ballots and Boss
Rule, and a how-to book on writing and giving a speech Sev-
en Steps to the Podium.

She devotes her time to teaching others to journal and to

write their life stories. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her
husband and rescue puppy.