7 Journaling Tips And Tricks For People At All Stages of Journaling

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Journaling can be hard when you are building up the habit or when you have an established journal and you feel like there is nothing else to write about, trust me there is always more to write about. If you are struggling to journal, here are the best journaling tips and tricks that will make you a pro journaler!

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Journaling Tips For All Stages Of Journaling

1. Pretend You Are Talking With A Best Friend

The best way to journal is to pretend you are catching up with your best friend. Don’t try to make it pretty or exciting, just jot stuff down. Getting your thoughts onto paper can be stressful, so thinking of your journal as a friend can be super helpful. Don’t forget that no one else has to read what you are writing down, and that is the most freeing part!

If you are still struggling when you are journaling, check out these 5-minute journal prompts that should be easy for you to answer and help you develop the habit of journaling. Once you have this habit developed, it is super easy to continue to journal. The best part is, once you start it gets addicting and you aren’t going to want to stop. Filling up the pages of an empty notebook is so gratifying! Collecting journals over the years can allow you to go back and read over previous hardships and good times and see how far you have come.

2. Journal About Art And See What Emotions Come Up

Go through a magazine or some art online and see what kind of emotions come up. My favorite thing to do is to go through a magazine paste a small object into my journal and think about that object for a long period. Make up stories about the object, and describe how it makes you feel! My favorite way to do this is to collage on a piece of cardstock and then paint over it with some gouache to create dimension and it gives me time to think about the piece.

Here are some ways you can incorporate collage into your journal:

• Find a face that describes how you feel and draw on it. After you are finished drawing, describe how you feel, the way the person in the drawing feels, and how you can improve your emotions.
• Make a collage while being intentional about what colors and emotions are sparked. Then journal about the collage and see what comes up.

Collage is my favorite for journaling because it helps take out the creativity and allows me to be inspired by what is on the page instead of what is in my head.

3. Try Journaling In A Different Location

Journal in a different place! This has been my secret for years and I am surprised that no one has talked about it. Writing in a new place can spark inspiration that you didn’t have before and can help you feel a little bit more out of your comfort zone if you are in a rut. Journaling can get repetitive and boring if you aren’t careful, so journaling in a new spot is a great trick for sparking some much-needed inspiration!

Here are some places you should try out:

• Local Starbucks or coffee shop
• Outside
• Dining Room Table
• Talk into a mic while walking

You really should try doing audio journaling. It has been really fun and makes me feel like I’m gathering information for later rather than journaling. It also helps me remember quick snippets of my day. You can also make cute videos while you are out and put them together each month to make a cute collage.

If you want to read more about outdoor journaling, click the link below!

4. Stream Of Conscienceness Journaling

Write about what is going on in the present. Just write. Don’t worry about it making sense or the grammar. Stream-of-consciousness journaling is a little weird at first but can spark a lot of emotion and take a lot of the pressure off. It also helps because it feels like you are distant from your thoughts, you can watch them go onto the paper and then move on from them. If you struggle with anxious thoughts, then doing a stream of conscience can be helpful.

Here are some tips for stream-of-consciousness journaling:

• Whatever you are thinking just write it down, it doesn’t have to mean anything, it can just be on paper
• Don’t punctuate unless it bothers you. write how you would text a friend.

5. Bullet Journaling

One of the best journaling tips is to start a bullet journal. You can customize a bullet journal to be whatever you want it to be and I think that is the best part of journaling overall. Bullet journaling is like having a personalized roadmap for your thoughts, dreams, and daily adventures. It’s not just a planner; it’s a canvas for your creativity and a sanctuary for your soul. Whether you’re a list-maker, a doodler, or a dream-chaser, bullet journaling welcomes you with open arms. It’s your space to jot down ideas, track goals, and reflect on life’s little moments. With its simple yet powerful system, it’s like having a trusted friend by your side, guiding you through the chaos of everyday life. So grab your favorite pen, unleash your inner artist, and let your bullet journal become the ultimate companion on your journey of self-discovery and growth.

Here are some great articles about bullet journaling that I think you will enjoy!

https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/bulletjournalist/how-to-start-a-simple-bullet-journal

6. Keep It Simple When You’re Overwhelmed

Don’t make journaling harder if you are overwhelmed or can’t keep up with it. Try out my 5-minute journaling prompts if you are in a rut and see if there is anything that you need to think about for longer before you start to write about it for longer. Maybe you are overwhelmed because you have been writing for too long too!

If you tried out bullet journaling and it wasn’t for you then that is okay! Here is a great guided journal that would be perfect for anyone looking for something easy to do instead of creating the prompts yourself!

7. Include Self Care Into Your Journaling Routine

Finding things you are grateful for is a great example of self-care in your journaling routine. Self-care is a huge trend right now, as it should be, and I think that journaling is one of the best forms of self-care. Today, you can do so much with your routine that it seems overwhelming, but lets simplify it a little bit!

• Write 5 things you are grateful for
• Write out your self-care goals
• Experiment with doodling

Why Journaling Is Important

I think journaling is more important than ever because we never take the time to slow down. Take a moment and think of the last time you sat down and relaxed doing nothing. It might’ve been last night or it might’ve been weeks ago. Either way, journaling is also a productive way to use your downtime and to slow down and enjoy life’s little moments.

When you are forced to articulate feelings, colors, experiences, etc, it helps you to see them for what they are. Journaling helps you to appreciate life and to enjoy every moment of it. You will start to notice all the little things that make life beautiful when you start to look for it, and journaling just reinforces that!

Journaling also helps you to notice things about yourself that you wouldn’t normally have beforehand. Let me explain, for example, I didn’t realize I had anxiety until I reread an old journal entry and thought to myself “Why was I so worried about that… it turned out just fine!” You will start to notice little things like this about yourself and it helps you to be less anxious and in your head in the future.

Don’t worry if you haven’t started journaling yet because I have you covered. I have a million blog posts about journaling that you can look at to gain inspiration and to get some valuable insights about your life.

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