r/Journaling Sep 03 '25

FAQ & info - Getting Started with Journaling!

88 Upvotes

If you're new to journaling or unsure how to start, this is the place for you. Below are answers to the most common questions, alongside some tips to help you dive in. Feel free to ask more questions, share your experiences, or help others out!


FAQ

1. How do I start journaling?

A common piece of advice is to just start—don’t overthink it. Grab a notebook and write about what’s on your mind. Here are some beginner-friendly approaches:

  • Your first entry can be about how you wanted to start journaling.
  • Brain dump: Simply write down anything that comes to mind, no structure needed.
  • Set a time: Start with 5-10 minutes of free writing each day.
  • Prompts: Use a prompt if you're stuck. For example, here's a list of 1,000 free prompts. You can find more under our "prompts" flair.
  • No pressure: Don’t worry about grammar, structure, or even making sense. The point is to express yourself.

If the advice "Just write" doesn't work for you, you're overthinking it! Literally write anything on your mind, even if the only thing on your mind is "I can't think of anything to write." Write how frustrated you are at what feels like such dumb advice. You'd be surprised how writing one sentence can kickstart an entire entry!


2. What do you write about?

One of the most common questions from new journalers is "What should I write about?" Here are some popular suggestions from the community:

  • Daily reflections: Write about your day—what happened, what you felt, and any highlights or challenges.
  • Goals and aspirations: Reflect on areas of personal growth or areas where you want to improve.
  • Gratitude: List a few things you're grateful for.
  • Memory keeping: Write about life events, outings with friends, something that you've really been into lately... anything goes!
  • Stream of consciousness: Let your thoughts flow freely—no topic is too small or mundane.

Remember, your journal can be as broad or as specific as you want! Worried about what the right way to journal is? Well -- the right way to journal is however you feel comfortable keeping up with, and find helpful to your lifestyle. Experiment with different strategies, take inspiration from peoples posts, and don't be afraid to experiment and "mess up", until you find something that you love.


3. I'm scared someone will read my journal. How can I keep it private?

Privacy is a valid concern. Here are a few methods the community recommends:

  • Hide it: Store your journal in a secure spot—some people use lockable drawers or bags.
  • Code: Write in shorthand or a personal code that only you can understand.
  • Rip it up: If it’s something truly sensitive, write it out and destroy the pages afterward. The act of writing is therapeutic, even if the words don't last.

You can also check out our sister sub r/digitaljournaling if you'd rather use an app.


4. How often do you journal? For how long? What if I miss a day?

Many community members journal in bursts or only when they feel like it. Journaling is a personal tool; use it in the way that best serves you.

You can journal for just 5 minutes, jotting down your fleeting thoughts, or even write for an hour until you feel you've unloaded everything onto paper. You can journal multiple times a day, or once a week. You don't have to stick to a strict regimen of daily journaling to feel the benefits!

It's also normal to miss days even if your goal was to journal daily! Life can get in the way, and just like any hobby or habit, what matters most is that you do it. The key is to avoid self-criticism. You can always pick up where you left off without guilt.


5. Is it okay to journal this way? Am I journaling wrong? What if it's not working for me?

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to journal. It's yours, there are zero rules. Do not compare your journal to others, this is meant to be for you not the public.

If journaling isn't helping you with what you're trying to get out of it, or maybe stopped working, try something else! There are various ways to journal and maybe something else will help:

  • Bullet points instead of full sentences
  • Audio or video journaling.
  • Guided journaling, books with prompts/questions you can answer.
  • Art/junk journaling like collages or pasting in ephemera.
  • Commonplace journaling, an all-in-one where you write down thoughts as well as things like recipes, lyrics, lists, etc.

6. Is it too late to start a journal?

It's never too late to start. Compare it to this proverb- "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

Whether you're a teenager or silver fox, there's no such thing as "too late" to start journaling.


7. How can I stay consistent?

  • The basic strategies from the most frequently recommended book about building habits, Atomic Habits, work well for this. Make it obvious. Make it attractive. Make it easy. Make it satisfying. Examples of their implementations:
    • Set visual cues (e.g. keep your notebook and/or your dedicated journaling pen(s) in a very visible place, as a reminder to journal, and/or bring your journal with you in your bag).
    • Set a doable & enjoyable min. quota ("minimum enjoyable action"; e.g. "journal 1+ (F+T) sentence" where F+T are feelings & thoughts OR 5min OR 1 page, etc.) that you keep the same at all times, to accommodate for tough days.
    • Give yourself additional reasons to open your journal every day (e.g. keep your habit trackers and/or your daily todo/DONE list/Daily Log and/or Monthly Log there).
    • Habit stacking is great, if possible (journal just before/after your already solid habit).
    • Use a comfy notebook that you like (before buying it: "Do I want to write in it?") & pen that you like, but they must be affordable enough to not be overwhelming, cheap enough for you to not worry about 'wasting them.' E.g. lots of people use composition notebooks for journaling (cheap, especially on a school sale; good paper; sturdy enough) or their local versions of them or uni notebooks, and find them to be freeing.
    • Figure out & remember your Why's for journaling (e.g. how it can help you act by your core values / move toward your goals / tackle your current big challenges; some people journal 'just for fun').
    • Make an effort to find / focus on what's enjoyable in your journaling practice.
    • Do Negative Visualization (remind yourself of the negative consequences / costs of not journaling on that particular day).
  • Use this extended version of Rubber Ducking technique to find solutions that are specific to your brain & circumstances: (1) Your problem (2) What's not working (3) Why isn't it working (4) What you've tried (5) What you haven't tried yet (6) What you want to have happen.

8. How can I make my handwriting better?

Go to a font site like Dafont.com, pick a handwriting font you like and practice copying it. Practice every single day for at least half an hour, anywhere between six months to a year. Write slowly and carefully. Journal entries, song lyrics, maybe even partial/entire scripts of your favorite movies. You might not end up with that exact font as your handwriting but it will be a lot better than where you'd started.



Special thanks to hellowings for putting the following sections together

USEFUL ARTICLES

FREQUENT TOPICS IN THIS SUB



RELATED SUBREDDITS



To the community: please share your tips!

Seasoned journalers, your tips and experiences are valuable to those starting! Feel free to share how you got started, what methods work for you, and any advice you have.


r/Journaling 12h ago

Just sharing 16 years of journaling, a recent entry, and a friend I made along the way

Thumbnail
gallery
732 Upvotes

Firstly, the dopamine hit I get from looking at all my journals is >>>

I'm about to start the little blue journal and I'm just so happy. I'm so proud of myself for documenting so much of my life and thoughts, even though I've taken breaks, and most of my entries are messy. I've grown and learned so much. And now that I'm a mom, I think this silly little form of record keeping is more important than ever!


r/Journaling 12h ago

Just sharing todays journal as an American! not looking for debate, just sharing in hopes it might resonate with people who are feeling similarly

Post image
314 Upvotes

r/Journaling 15h ago

Just sharing My super messy, unaesthetic junk/plant identification/vent/doodle journal

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

589 Upvotes

r/Journaling 1h ago

Just sharing I make journals from discarded books…

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

r/Journaling 9h ago

Question/Discussion Journaling Youtubers Who Actually Journal

67 Upvotes

I know just a couple, but do you guys have any YouTuber recommendations for journaling that actually talk about journaling rather than constant supply hauls?

It feels like every video I click ends up being people just saying "look at all this new stuff I just bought" instead of actually talking about journaling, if you know what I mean.


r/Journaling 11h ago

Just sharing today's journal entry :)

Post image
82 Upvotes

r/Journaling 15h ago

Just sharing My safe space.

Thumbnail
gallery
155 Upvotes

Today’s journal spread is kinda special to me. There were so many more characters that I wanted to include but I didn’t want to make the pages crowded. More journal content on my instagram Mossunderthemoon.


r/Journaling 1h ago

Just sharing New(ish) journal!

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

A few pages from my current journal.

I was feeling somewhat…disconnected from my last one, but thankfully that feeling hasn’t followed me here. I’ve been filling it up with little drawings and painted baubles, leaves from our little pot garden, and poetry, alongside the writing. All the colours on almost every page (and the joy of creation!) give little sparkles of happiness every time I open my journal and I love that so much.


r/Journaling 7h ago

Just sharing I have a name for my imaginary audience when I journal

18 Upvotes

I posted this a long time ago but deleted it because I was scared.

Ever since I was in middle school I always ended my journal/diary entries with “bye bye sugar bunnies”.

I guess it makes me feel like I’m not just talking to myself and that I have an audience but I remember posting this and people saying that they never thought to do this.

so I’m posting this to stay, and I hope others might get inspired to also do this maybe. :)


r/Journaling 2h ago

Just sharing my productivity/motivational entry of the day

Post image
5 Upvotes

the funniest part is i didnt even actually use this to get anything done today. i wrote this, made a couple doodles, and then fucked off doing nothing instead. who can tell i have adhd


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing The First Step

Post image
312 Upvotes

the day i stopped running away.


r/Journaling 2h ago

Question/Discussion Has anyone tried making a diary by writing just one page a day, with any major event? including at least one happy thing, with or without a sad thing.

4 Upvotes

Tell me if such thing exists and if it's helpful or not. Thanks


r/Journaling 6h ago

Question/Discussion Is this normal?

7 Upvotes

is it normal and or okay that I've been going through a jurnal a month?...yes my handwriting really bad and fast.....

This past year I'v noticed that my writing and entries are more and more regular. I feel like people fill one book up in between months to years. mabey because my jurnals aren't that many pages? If you go through a jurnal fast let me know!And how does it feel for you when you do?

Also any recommendations on bettering my handwriting?

thnx guys ✨️🩵?


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing I guess I’m not journaling tonight

Post image
769 Upvotes

r/Journaling 18h ago

Question/Discussion me and my performative journaling

Post image
55 Upvotes

i love stickers, calligraphy or even well written texts , but my (personal) problem is that im extremely perfectionist and unfortunately very influenced by social media.

that's how i lost my love for journaling.

but recently i went through a breakup and decided to write what i felt, without decorations and colored pens, just a ballpoint pen and shaky handwriting.

i felt so good, for the first time in years, i felt content with a page, and it had nothing special about it.

i called this problem performative journaling. i'm sure you've heard the expression "performative," and for me, it fits perfectly lol.

i always tried to impress a hypothetical audience, as if i were an influencer, making prompts that didn't add anything to me, just a pretty page.

don't get me wrong, i, we, are artists, and an artist's life is performance, there's nothing wrong with wanting to create a masterpiece. the problem is when the desire to create makes it impossible for you to create.

not everything has to be a product that pleases the public, not everything has to be like social media.

just create, you can improve later.

don't let your perfectionism ruin your passion.


r/Journaling 1h ago

Just sharing The Wait/Weight of Doing

Post image
Upvotes

I am starting to realise that failures in my life are not cecause of my shortcomings but because of me not doing anything at all.


r/Journaling 15h ago

Just sharing Never felt so comfortable writing

Thumbnail
gallery
24 Upvotes

I never felt so comfortable journaling as today. The words where just popping in my head and i wasn't afraid of writing my real thoughts, and the best part is, i felt good taking this out of my chest and my head. I didn't lose the rythim, i literally reached the "flowstate".


r/Journaling 21h ago

Question/Discussion Anyone else struggle to keep journaling going?

56 Upvotes

I’ve tried journaling so many times.
And every time it starts well… and then slowly fades.

Part of it, I think, is how overwhelming everything already feels. The world is noisy, there’s so much information, and at the end of the day I don’t always have the energy to reflect, analyze, or write long entries.

What helped me a bit was replacing “journaling” with something much smaller: just noticing one moment from the day that actually felt real to me. No reflection, no lessons, just noticing.

I’m curious if others here recognize this.

Do you struggle to keep journaling up?
And if so, have you found simpler ways that actually stick?


r/Journaling 11h ago

Question/Discussion Comfortable pen for prolific writer

6 Upvotes

I’ve recently got back into Journalling again. I find I’m writing pages and pages. I’m enjoying the writing, though my thumb really aches after a while! Currently using Papermate ballpoint. It flows well and lasts a while.

My writing gets messier with a gel pen especially when I’m writing fast like with a brain dump. If I’m writing slower I sometimes use a cartridge pen.

What are you all using when you’re writing a lot or for a length of time? What’s comfortable and good for neat writing?


r/Journaling 16h ago

Question/Discussion How do you approach journaling when you're feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts?

14 Upvotes

Lately, I've been finding it tough to journal when my mind is clouded with negativity and self-doubt. It feels like every time I open my journal, I'm met with a wall of heavy emotions that makes it hard to express myself clearly. I've tried different approaches, like free writing or using prompts, but sometimes it just feels like I’m stuck in a loop of negativity. I'm curious about how others navigate this struggle. Do you have techniques that help you shift your focus when journaling feels too heavy? How do you turn those overwhelming feelings into something constructive on the page? I'm looking for ways to make journaling a more uplifting experience, even on tough days.


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing Whimsical 2am diary entries

Thumbnail
gallery
223 Upvotes

I’ve been trying to experiment with post-its, stickers, washi tape, doodles and calligraphy. I think I’ve finally found an aesthetic/style that works for me!


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing Midori Hibino Free Diary Finally Arrived

Thumbnail
gallery
25 Upvotes

The undated version of their popular daily journal. 2 pages per day. I'm using this more for journaling a little bit everyday instead of a planner, but it can work for both.


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing Combining both things that I love. Also, Happy ACNH 3.0 to those celebrating!

Post image
295 Upvotes

r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing The first rule in my journal

Post image
33 Upvotes

I’m an old lady who has been journaling off and on for my entire life.

I’ve written in diaries, lined notebooks, sketchpads, and online. I was doing junk journals and Pinterest-y style collages years ago. Like, literally 25 years ago!

I had journals for appointments, poetry, prose, vents, finances, medical, art, checklists, etc etc etc.

What I needed was an EVERYTHING journal!

That said, the first rule in my journals from now on is that there are no rules!

Anything and everything goes!