As per the last census, about 8% of the world population currently keeps a journal. To some people, journal writing is not a big deal, but to another sum of people, it is fulfilling and therapeutic.
They find it a great hobby that helps them write down feelings, thoughts, experiences, and ideas on paper. It allows people to reflect on themselves, learn from past experiences, evaluate their weaknesses, and evolve accordingly.
If you are wondering how to start a journal or how to get into this journey, buckle up: we are spilling all the good tea here.
Before you learn how to start a journal, let’s understand what it is. A journal is a diary that records a person’s life events daily. It enables us to write what happened in a day and what we felt.
Don’t mix the details of journal writing discussed here with the professional journal that published the research work. If you go through the detailed definition, then we are solely talking about the personal journal that records your routine and lists your thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
Since it’s a personal account of everyday events, anyone passionate about writing can start a journal. Writing journals is a very useful and creative habit, whether teachers, students, parents, managers, employees, or people in different fields.
Before you learn how to start a journal, you must know that there are plenty of benefits of writing in a journal, so different people write a journal for different reasons, such as:
One of the most common questions when starting a journal is: What should I write in my journal? Or what exactly can I write in it?
Let’s answer this from my personal opinion. I generally write about stories of what happened at my workplace in a day, what was the best thing that happened to me today, what food I liked, what place I went to, what my pet did today, what the bad things that ruined my mood were, what I felt the most today, whom I missed, whom I love, and what the best things I learned were.
Few times back, a comprehensive research survey was conducted online to discover why people even get into journal habits and learn how to start a journal. The survey’s key findings showed plenty of benefits that hook different people to keep writing a journal.
Let’s see what those benefits are and how you can achieve them.
| Percentage | Impression |
| 78% | Respondents that Journals help them improve learning, memory and performance. |
| 77% | Respondents believe that journal writing helps them set goals. |
| 88% | Respondents said that journal helps them stay focused. |
| 74% | People reported stress management and emotion processing as a benefit of journal writing. |
| 77% | Responses of those who say that journaling helps in self-discovery. |
| 59% | Respondents shared how journaling improves their creativity and daily inspiration. |
| 59% | People believe that journaling improves their memory. |
One may come across challenges of writing a journal, if you have not been much into writing previously. It’s not easy, but it’s not that difficult either. Let’s see how to start a journal and make it a habit.
Don’t jump into writing lengthy journal entries at first; start with small entries or just one entry per day.
If you are having a hard time writing, you can start by stating the obvious and simple information, like ‘I ate breakfast today’ or ‘I am going to school.’’
Go easy with it and write whatever you are feeling at the moment. Take a journal as your friend and share traumatic experiences, overthinking, secret crushes, deep feelings, and secrets with it.
Set a time for starting a journal before going to bed. At the start, it takes only 5 minutes to write a short entry. When it becomes a habit, increase your writing limit over time.
The first tip on how to start a journal is to determine why you are writing a journal. Journaling has many motives that keep you focused, and they act as core benefits of journaling in a broader aspect, such as personal growth, expressing feelings, stimulating creativity, monitoring objectives, or simply documenting events.
Pick a method of journaling that is accessible and something that you like and work easily with, like a notebook or a digital platform. Access a method that makes how to start a journal process easy.
Develop a journaling routine that works for you. Having a consistent writing practice is essential. But don’t force yourself to journal daily if it feels too much.
Create an easy space, like a tranquil, pleasant area where you can write without any disturbances. It will make the experience more pleasing.
Set aside a certain period each day for journaling. It may be in the morning to start the day off, during a lunch break, or before bed to think over what happened during the day. Let the process of how to start a journal get exciting instead of a burden.
The best practice for how to start writing a journal is gratitude. Start your journal entries by noting a few things for which you are thankful. It will help you be optimistic.
Journaling has no rules or judgments. Write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Your journal is a private space, so feel free and be honest. Write about your feelings, fears, joys, and aspirations.
You don’t have to stick to just writing in your journal. There are plenty of types of journals and planners that you can utilize. You can get creative and try different techniques, like sketching, creating diagrams, bullet journaling, or recording voice notes.
You have to be patient while learning how to start a journal writing journey. It may take some time, but don’t be discouraged. In the beginning, don’t worry about trying to make each entry perfect or meaningful. The more you write, the more comfortable it will become.
Periodically, go back and review your past entries. Doing this can be beneficial in tracking your progress, recognizing trends, and gaining a deeper understanding of yourself. Practicing journaling for students does wonders in academics.
As you progress and develop, your journaling requirements may also alter. Adjust your journaling practice to fit your current objectives and situation. The process of how to start a journal ends with how to evolve with time.
If you prefer to keep your journal private, consider keeping it in a secure location or using a digital journaling app like Day One with encryption features.
To make journaling fun, one should know plenty of things to journal about. Journaling is your account of recording events happening around you.
You can journal about something major, like conquering fears and achieving success, something painful, like the death of a loved one or heartbreak, or even something simple, like what you eat and your favorite place to spend time.
You can write a journal about challenging situations and your actions to overcome them. You don’t have to always think of grand journaling ideas like everyone else, and you can talk about whatever is special to you.
Make the process of how to start a journal solely yours instead of following anyone’s rules. Make your journal your experience book with whom you can share problems and get advice based on your previous experience.
You can journal your travel stories detailing the train or airplane journey you experienced, the people you met, the destination you saw, the food you ate, and the things you experienced.
You can talk about hobbies that you enjoy. Talk about what you learned, how much you progressed in your hobby, and how it helped you feel better and learn something new.
Make your journal a pet diary and record your experience with your pet. Be humorous and write from your pet’s perspective on how they see you daily.
Journal about the things you are most grateful for in your life. Take away the disappointments and focus on the good things you are granted.
Most people who get into how to start a journal, take it as a therapy. You get to write about what keeps you anxious and what makes you feel bad and depressed. Share what you can’t share with anyone and lower your head’s burden.
Write motivational words of affirmation to remind yourself that you can do it and face all challenges.
Write about the embarrassing moments that are bugging your head. Write about them, laugh, and move on instead of overthinking them.
You can write about your favorite powerful motivational messages from the greatest people and interpret them in your own words and how they affect you.
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde
It’s common for students to get lost when they first start writing journal entries. Don’t make it too hard; take it as someone’s biography that records life events. Your journal is like your biography. If you are unsure how to start a journal, you can consult our biography writing service to help you outline the best journaling points, just like in a biography.
If you’re looking to make a change in your life, then learn how to start a journal. Writing down your feelings can be an amazing way to get to know yourself better and open up new possibilities. We have some awesome tips to help you get started. You’ll be able to explore your inner thoughts, gain perspective on your life, and boost your overall well-being.
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