How To Journal

Dear diary, this article is about you.  

Look, I get it. Journalling can seem daunting. My fever dreams used to consists of blank pages, pens running out of ink and misspelling ‘definately’ for the zillionth time. (Oh my god I’ve done it again).  

But I’ve made it a habit and so can you. So, whether you wanna make it part of your daily routine or just write when you need to get some of those feels out, look no further. Here’s how: 

What do I even write about? 

Well, what do you need to write about? What about that comeback you thought of ten minutes later, or the thing you were scared to voice. Love letters you’ll never send, poems whilst you stare out the train window listening to mellow tunes... But you don’t have to be a prophet either. You can just recount all the banter that happened that day, ridiculous thoughts you had in the shower, funny one liners you overheard, a good band name... There aren’t any stakes. This journal is just for you, so write about whatever you like, in whatever style makes you happy! 

Where do you write it? 

Your best op is buying a cute journal that actually makes you wanna write in it. Preferably a small one that’s easy to carry around. You can also jot something down in your notes app to flesh it out later if need be. 

But don’t feel limited to just the written form. Why not start a video journal on photobooth or voice memo yourself for 10 minutes each day? Feel free to get creative with your journal – draw, glue in tickets and photos... just go for it. 

How often should you journal?  

Whenever you want to!  

Trying to do it every day can help you get into the routine of it so much so that you’ll find yourself wanting to actually journal. Researchers say that journaling for at least 15 minutes a day three to five times a week can boost your physical and mental health. 

Is it best to do it at the same time every day? 

Some prefer to journal when they’re fresh in the morning, others like to write right before they hit the pillow. Maybe if you’re going to the beach, the park or a café, you’ll wanna have a write then. The world is your oyster.  

How do I overcome feeling too embarrassed to journal? Don't be ashamed!! It’s a flex to journal. Hot people journal. Enigmatic people journal. Funny people journal.  

You don’t need to read your entries to your friends. In fact, you don’t even have to tell them you journal in the first place. Get a lock and key for your journal if need be.  

But remember, being in touch with your emotions and feelings is so healthy and mature soooo... there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.  

What if I can’t be bothered?  

I get it. It’s a bit of admin. Why not chuck it on your daily to-do list or set an alarm on your phone every day to remind you to do it.  

At the end of the day, just make it fuuuuun. Make it satisfying. Once it becomes part of that daily routine it can become a real breeze.  

Try not to overthink it, if anything journalling should be the thing helping with the overthinking. Don’t feel like you need to do it if you’ve got nothing to say, but those times where you have a whole lot to get out but you don’t know how, it’s time for your journalling era to shine. 

How often do you read over your old journals? Is this a good or bad idea?  

I read over my old journals probably around like once a year. I’m not going to lie to you at times, it can be embarrassing. There is nothing to say whether it’s a good or bad idea – at times it can be nice to reflect on all your old feelings and let yourself be in touch with past versions of yourself. I like to remember when reading over my old journals, as I said it may feel embarrassing but it’s important to push past this feeling and remember that all those feelings felt very real at the time. 

Now we’ve talked it out, go off and write it down. Trust me on this, it’s a game changer.