JOURNALING FOR BEGINNERS: TIPS, BENEFITS & HOW TO GET STARTED

WHY START JOURNALING? 

We all get caught up in the hectic nature of everyday life. We’re constantly on the run and trying to keep up with all our tasks and to-dos. With so many things competing for our attention, we often lose sight of what’s important. One of our favorite ways to combat these feelings is through journaling! 

Journaling is a great way to help you unpack and wind down. Keeping yourself in check with your moods, habits, feelings, and emotions will help you appreciate beautiful things in life and allow you to live your truest, happiest selves.  

As planners, we are no strangers to putting a pen to paper. Planning and staying motivated is always important to us but we need to prioritize wellness by taking a moment of peace for ourselves. Adding journaling into your daily routine has proven benefits to help manage anxiety, depression, and the unpredictability of life. 

HOW TO START JOURNALING FOR BEGINNERS:

1. Find the journaling notebook for you. 

If you’re not free flowing with your thoughts, sometimes it is easiest to have some guidance. Our guided journals have prompts to help you start writing. Find one that fits your style, caters to your needs, or just makes you happy. 

2. Plan designated times to write.  

AM WRITERS: Start off your morning with a cup of coffee or tea and manifest good things for the day. Begin each busy day by nurturing your soul and setting your goals and priorities to help you focus. 

PM WRITERS: While not everyone is a morning person, the night owl life also works well for journaling. After a long, stressful day it’s nice to unwind and reflect. Write about something that made you smile or maybe you were grateful for an act of kindness. 

Find a time that works for you! Getting started can simply mean writing down one thing that made you happy that day. 

3. Not into prompts? Find a blank journaling notebook and make a list! 

If the idea of writing feels overwhelming, start out with lists. A very helpful list to manage anxiety is a can/cannot list. When you are feeling worried, writing these feelings out helps you rationalize your thoughts and expel negative energy that does not serve you. 

Examples: 

I can control... 

• How I handle a situation 
• How I treat other people 
• My thoughts, words, and how that affects those around me 

I cannot control... 

• What other people say 
• How other people feel 
• Things that happened in the past 

You can use this exercise to help think through stressful situations like a trip not going your way or times at work or school that make you frustrated. Try this out the next time you are feeling overwhelmed! 

4. Stay consistent! 

Just like any habit, consistency is key. Whether you choose to journal monthly, weekly, or daily, set reminders to write. Setting yourself up for success relies on creating routines. Choose what works best for you. That could mean carving out time in your day or reaching for your journal during times you feel stressed. Your journal is here to serve you, so just remember it is there when you need it. 

JOURNAL PICKS FOR YOU 

Need more help? 

Here are some of our favorite journaling notebooks to help you get started. Each has their own style and prompts to inspire you to learn how to start journaling. See more and find one that you think would work best for you!  

Happy Classic Guided Mood Tracker Journal 

• Create monthly habit trackers 
• Write letters to yourself 
• Find inspiration, focus on gratitude, and list your priorities 

 

Colorful Leopard Classic Guided Journal 

• Goal setting pages 
• Create your bucket list, watch list, and to-be-read list 
• Jot down your wild ideas with the open layouts 

 

Choose Gratitude Classic Guided Journal 

• Pages for weekly affirmations and gratitude prompts 
• Mood trackers to always stay in-check 
• Morning and evening reflection sections 

 

We’ve covered the why and the how to start journaling, now it’s up to you! We hope you feel less intimated to start and inspired to begin your journaling journey. If you need more advice, we’re always here to help. Don’t forget to follow us on social @the_happy_planner where we are always sharing tips, fun journaling notebooks, and more with our community! 

 

Happy Journaling!