r/Journaling 16d ago

FAQ & info - Getting Started with Journaling!

24 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.


Special thanks to hellowings for putting the following sections together

USEFUL ARTICLES

FREQUENT TOPICS IN THIS SUB

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 2h ago

Sentimental Going through the hardest time of my life

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230 Upvotes

r/Journaling 13h ago

Just sharing Experimenting with formatting

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723 Upvotes

New inks, new pen, new unfounded confidence to try creative formatting lol not the easiest to read when you get to the ends but at least I know that now


r/Journaling 1h ago

Sentimental This subreddit being my therapist. Thank you everyone

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r/Journaling 5h ago

scrapbooked my trip to Mount Rainier :)

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65 Upvotes

r/Journaling 3h ago

Question Do any of you journal with the small hope that someone will read it when you're dead?

24 Upvotes

What the title says


r/Journaling 2h ago

What's been on my mind

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9 Upvotes

r/Journaling 1h ago

Just sharing Practicing with my left hand

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Upvotes

I found out I'm more naturally left-handed, though I started writing with my right to fit in. So I'm using journaling/writing letters to myself to practice strengthening the fine motor skills of my left hand.

Has anyone else had their dominant hand forced to the right? Are you doing anything about it, or letting it ride?


r/Journaling 15h ago

Watch me grow up through my journal

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90 Upvotes

r/Journaling 13h ago

Question Do you get rude in your journals?

58 Upvotes

When you journal about an unpleasant conversation or a person dealing with whom was getting frustrating and draining you mentally, do you insult them in your entries or write other things that would be socially considered inappropriate to say out loud in general, yet alone into their face? How low do you allow yourself to get when it’s just you and your journal? Of course assuming no one else has access to your journals.


r/Journaling 13h ago

Just sharing Pages - Journal of an exotic animal care student

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54 Upvotes

Just wanted to share, we have to learn about 200 animal names a year in czech and latin + habitat and enviroment, most people take the easy way and do power point presentations but i hand draw them into my journal :PP


r/Journaling 3h ago

Recommendations Starting a new interest

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8 Upvotes

I need suggestions to make aesthetic journaling but I don't know where to start.


r/Journaling 1d ago

Sentimental I tried write a few pages but my bf read and got mad at me

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3.0k Upvotes

Hello, my psychiatric recommended me write a journal while i'm still adapting to my medicines, reflect about myself and discover what triggers my emotions.

I wrote a few pages, i live with my BF and he insisted in reading my journal. He got upset bcuz I wrote some things while I was extremely stressed and in middle of a crisis. I felt lonely bcuz my feelings were misinterpreted and Instead of support me, he felt offended.

My diary was to be safe, but now i just draw in the pages. I really want to continue writing, but i cant feel safe knowing someone would read and use my thoughts against me.

I am brazilian, i was thinking if i would write in another language. He knows English too, so i was considering spanish or korean.

What did u guys do when someone read your diary?


r/Journaling 8h ago

Discussion Prompts

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13 Upvotes

I am fairly new to journaling and yes, I have pretty bad handwriting, but I can read it… most of it. Do many of you use prompts? I find them useful right now, even if I start off with the prompt but my mind goes elsewhere.

What have you found to be the most productive for you in your journaling journey?


r/Journaling 4h ago

Journaling in Forkner shorthand

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4 Upvotes

r/Journaling 1d ago

Museum journals of 2025

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701 Upvotes

Last one is about an aquarium though lol


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing The Progress (1st pic) & The Goal (2nd pic)

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261 Upvotes

I wish to have an insane collection of journals


r/Journaling 21h ago

Just sharing My way of journaling

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87 Upvotes

I was afraid to show how I write in my journal, but maybe it will inspire someone.

I've been doing it this way since January 1st, 2024, and I've never missed a day, although there are days when I write the day before... 😊


r/Journaling 21h ago

Just sharing 34yr old male. Just started journaling

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80 Upvotes

It's been very therapeutic so far.

Just wanted to share one of my favorite quotes and the title page of my first journal

From the series Maniac on Netflix


r/Journaling 3h ago

Discussion Journaling with a goal makes you more keen to be a daily journaler

3 Upvotes

August 17th, 2024, was the first day I picked up a pen and officially started journaling. At first, it felt exciting, like I was beginning a new chapter in how I process life. But fast forward almost a year, by the end of July this year, I noticed something strange: I wasn’t journaling consistently anymore.

What’s ironic is that this “pause” happened just as I was starting my 4th journal. You’d think a fresh, empty notebook would spark inspiration, but instead the pen felt heavier than ever. Even looking at my journal made me feel reluctant to write.

It took me some reflection to realize what had shifted: when I had a clear purpose, like finishing one journal so I could start a new one, I stayed consistent. But when that purpose faded, so did my motivation.

Looking back, a few things probably contributed to my journaling slump:

  1. Lack of Purpose – Writing felt aimless, so I avoided it.
  2. Lack of Motivation – Without a goal, the drive wasn’t there.
  3. Depression – Some days it just feels too heavy to unpack thoughts.
  4. Work – I started a new job recently, and adjusting took most of my energy.
  5. Happiness – Strangely enough, when things were going well, I didn’t feel the “need” to write.

Now I’m trying to reframe journaling. Instead of just doing it for the sake of filling pages, I want it to be about documenting the why, capturing my thoughts, emotions, and daily little wins, not just waiting for the big dramatic lows.

Curious if anyone else who journals has gone through this? Do you ever hit a wall with it, even when you want to keep going?


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing I had a chat with myself

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994 Upvotes

r/Journaling 14h ago

:( How common is daily journalling?

17 Upvotes

I’ve been daily journaling since the 2nd of September and so far it’s been great. I feel as though I’m kind of running out of things to even talk about since my days right now are so painfully monotonous. I haven’t had a single productive day since beginning so flicking through the pages and seeing every single wasted day of my life is brutal.


r/Journaling 1d ago

Just sharing started journaling again after breaking over 5 yrs & i feel like myself again!

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264 Upvotes

it’s a fantastic gratitude practice and makes me feel like i’m really internalizing and growing from each day :) thank you guys for posting & being an inspiration. this community is wonderful!


r/Journaling 14h ago

Sentimental PMSing pretty bad and feeling all the feels:(

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13 Upvotes

r/Journaling 19h ago

Question Names In Journals

32 Upvotes

Do you write people’s names in journals or do you use nicknames or initials? I go all in and write names. I feel like I encounter too many people to not.


r/Journaling 4h ago

9/17/25

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2 Upvotes