An Ode to Journaling: Tips for Getting Past the Blank Page

Journaling is a practice I’ve been coming back to more and more.  I used to journal every single day in high school, however, after my first year of college, it simply slipped down to the bottom of my list.  2020 has given me time to connect with myself more deeply; I’ve noticed a lot of changes within myself thanks to all of this extra time.  But sometimes journaling still seems daunting. So buckle up, whip out your pen and paper or a new online doc because I’ve compiled all of my best tips to help you [back] into your journaling groove.

If hand-written journal entries are your thing, my first tip is to find yourself a pretty notebook and start with a few minutes a day.  Having an aesthetically pleasing journal always motivates me to open it up and write since it’s so pretty to look at.  I’m living for this beautiful Paper Source journal! If you are looking for something a little more whimsical, here is this cute flying pigs journal also from Paper Source.  I like to leave a journal out next to my bed so that I can reach for it in the mornings and nights.  My sister also likes to keep a dream journal that she writes in as soon as she wakes up. Keeping your journal accessible is key, so make sure you don’t pile stuff on top of it. And make sure to keep a pen or pencil handy. 

If you don’t vibe with blank journals, fear not! You can find themed journals that have pre-written prompts that are great for beginner journalers and experts alike.  These are sold all over the internet and bookstores. I found this one from “loveismyprotestco” on Etsy that looks so cute, and filled with mindfulness prompts – I can’t wait to try it. We can all run into slumps when we don’t know what to write about or even just how to start, and these journals come in handy.  I also like them to jot down a few things each night if I feel I don’t have time for a full journaling session.  Another great tool is to look up prompts, to write in your own blank journal.  Some keywords to search would be mindfulness, affirmation, and gratitude prompts. These are fun to repeat throughout the year to track your journaling progress.

I like to keep a separate journal for my gratitude list where I write down at least three things I am grateful for each day.  This practice has huge psychological benefits in shifting your brain to handle stress better, be more positive, and increase resiliency. I highly recommend watching this 10 minute TedTalk by Alison Ledgerwood if you need any more convincing to start a daily gratitude list. 

I like to keep a separate journal for my gratitude list where I write down at least three things I am grateful for each day.  This practice has huge psychological benefits in shifting your brain to handle stress better, be more positive, and increase resiliency. I highly recommend watching this 10 minute TedTalk by Alison Ledgerwood if you need any more convincing to start a daily gratitude list.

If your mind feels too crowded to hand write your entries, try an online format.  I have found this increasingly helpful in 2020 as I have more thoughts than time to write.  Need more convincing for an online journal? It helps curb hand cramps! You can try a Google Doc and just “word-vomit” onto your screen and keyboard.  Feel free to include links and pictures to make it a more relevant and interactive media journal.  I started a COVID-19 journal back in March to help me process all of my thoughts.  There was so much information being broadcasted to us every hour during the start of the pandemic in the U.S. and I just didn’t know what to do with it all.  I included news article links, instagram posts, videos, pictures and more.  I am grateful I did this and have meaning to circle back to it and add more. Remember, we’re living through uncharted times and one day we will be able to look back at this – it will be nice to read how you were navigating it all. 

Another great thing about online journals is the flexibility it allows.  I love that I can rearrange my sentences in seconds, or lookup words and articles as I go.  Another positive is that I can copy and paste into my online journal.  For example, if I write down something on the “notes” app on my phone in the morning if I’m in a rush, I can send it to myself (in an email, etc.) and then copy and paste it in when I have more time.  I can access it from anywhere and all my thoughts can fit into the phone in my pocket.

Getting started is usually the hardest part of any process.  Hopefully these tips will help give you that extra motivation to get past that first stage.  We still have two months left of 2020, and we’ve seen how much has happened in these first 10 months.  I’m sure we will all be unpacking 2020 for the rest of our lives, so there’s no better time than to start looking after your mental health than the present.  Happy journaling!

• 2020
• gratitude
• journaling
• mental health
• mindfulness
• self-care
• writing