How to Start Journaling in 6 Easy Steps

Have you ever used journaling to help guide you in processing your feelings? Did you know that studies show journaling can be used as a support tool in emotional healing? Journaling is an effective way to sort through those icky emotions that we have difficulty sorting out.

I’ve been journaling most of my life, but it’s not something I do daily. However, at the most challenging times in my life, I find myself returning to the practice of writing down my thoughts as a means of coping. These journaling phases can last weeks or months, just enough time for me to sort through my emotions and find my truth within the chaos.

If you’ve never tried journaling before, I’ve put together 6 steps to help you get started.

Start journaling in 6 easy steps

1) Use a paper journal

While there are many apps on your phone that can be used for journaling, I recommend using a notebook. There is something about putting pen to paper that brings an honesty in oneself that you wouldn’t get from a phone app; and using a paper journal will also keep you from distractions on your phone.

Your journal could be a fancy leather bound with blank lined pages or a spiral notebook. Having several journals helps keep your focus as you dive into your writing session. In my collection, I have had dream journals, pregnancy journals, healing journals and a divorce journal. Today, I mostly keep writing journals (for my books and blogs).

When your phase has passed, store it away so you can reference them in later weeks or even years. I have reread several of my past journals and was surprised at how raw and emotional some of those times were for me. Even my handwriting showed differences as the days I was angry my pen was hard and aggressive, sloppy. And my good days showed a more even script with my words pointing upwards to show the hope I was feeling. Revisiting these times makes me appreciate how far I have come in my journey.

2) Keep your journal close

Keeping your journal accessible will encourage you to write in it. If you decide to write in bed, keep it on your nightstand. If there are others in the house and you are concerned about them reading it keep it hidden in a drawer or closet where you can get to it easily.

Another good place to keep your journal is in another room in the house that may be your retreat. A separate TV room, sewing room, craft room or even the baby’s room.

One of the surprising places I’ve been journaling recently is in my car! I keep a small notebook in my purse and when I’m driving if I need to sort through my thoughts, I pull over into a parking spot somewhere and spend a few minutes writing. It doesn’t matter where you do it, just that you start the practice.

3) No need to schedule it

Daily journaling is a chore for me; it’s not something I do regularly. When I’m working through a crisis, I write when the mood strikes. Sometimes it’s daily, sometimes it’s every two-three weeks. I start where I left off, filling in the gaps as if catching up with a friend. How often usually depends on what I’m trying to sort out.

Journaling can be a 10-minute activity or longer, you don’t have to put a time to it. If you’re just starting out, writing down your thoughts for just 10 minutes a day is a great way to get into the habit of journaling. Once you’ve gotten down the practice of doing this, you can modify your writing time to what feels comfortable to you.

4) Keep your focus on one area to start

Focus on one area of your life that you are struggling with and only write down your feelings about the situation. Are you stressed at work because of a tyrant boss? Are you going through a divorce? Are your kids sick? Whatever the chaos, that’s where your focus should be.

Think about journaling as if you are going to visit a doctor. Do you have an earache, stomach flu, women’s issues? Each one of those ailments requires a focus with a specific doctor and you meet with them until you are cured.

Journaling can be addressed in the same way. Journaling for stress while you care for your elderly parents, a relationship breakup or a work issue? Keep at the focus until you are able to come to a conclusion of what actions you need to take, or are satisfied that you’ve got this stress all sorted out.

5) Be honest with yourself

The goal of journaling is to find truth in your emotions. Write your darkest secrets, things you would only tell your best friend, or things you fear telling anyone. This is the hardest part of journaling. Sounds scary, right?

When I was going through my divorce, I started drinking a lot and abusing alcohol. I was depressed and yelling at my kids on a regular basis. I didn’t trust telling anyone about my struggles or my behavior for fear of being judged. On the outside, everyone thought I was handling things well and showed strength. Yet on the inside, I was a mess. Alone in my bedroom and no one around and just a notebook, I was able to put aside my shame and guilt and write my truth.

My truth was ugly, but it allowed me to uncover my real feelings that I had been stuffing down trying to maintain normalcy. It also showed me where my weaknesses and strengths were. And it was an outlet to vent against my ex-husband or scream about the responsibilities and stress of raising my kids.

Be truthful with yourself in your writings, don’t write it as if someone else will be reading it. This is where the benefit comes from.

6) Date your journal entries

Dating your journal entries will help you make sense of the timelines between your writing sessions.

When I was going through my hypnotherapy sessions, I started a healing journal. What started as every day eventually became every week, every two weeks, then every three weeks. As I would start journaling where I left off my writing sessions were longer as there was so much time between sessions. But what I learned from that was that I wasn’t writing because things were going great in my life and writing through my emotional journey was no longer necessary.

Putting dates at the beginning of your entries will allow you to go back in time to see what changes have occurred in your life since the last time you wrote, or to revisit how you thought about something perhaps even two weeks back.

Make journaling part of your healing journey. Now that you have learned my 6 easy steps for starting a journaling practice, why don’t you give it a try?

I've designed several digital journals to support you in your healing journey. Visit my shop to take a look!