How to Start Your Journal Practice this Fall

Since I was young, I have had a journal to write my deepest inner thoughts in. I used to fill my journals with my day-to-day life and who the cutest boy in school was, what was going on with my friend group, and the occasional gripe about something going on in my family. I used to pretend I was Harriett the Spy and people watch making note of their diverse personality traits or what was possibly going on in their life at that moment.  There were entries about heartbreak when a crush didn’t work out or when I was having problems with a friend. I have an entry that I wrote after my grandma Carole died which brings a tear to my eye every time I go back and re-read that entry. I used my journal to express myself in a way I never felt comfortable doing in real life. I love having my own little time capsules.

As I have grown, the content of my journals has changed and the frequency in which I write. I fill my journal with heavier topics that are usually centered around family, my anxiety, and my mindset. To me, it has become more of a tool that I can use to work through hard things that I am going through or empty my brain to give it some space to think. My brain dump entries and the entries that I write during an anxiety spiral are sometimes so wild that I get the anxious feeling all over again if I go back and read them later. Journalling liberates me from my anxiety and stress, and I don’t think I will ever stop doing it. My journaling practice has varied throughout the years. Sometimes I am writing every day, filling page after page, and other times it will be months between entries. The act of journalling itself has been a constant in my life since I was old enough to write and will ALWAYS be something I come back to.

Have you ever wanted to start your own journal practice but you’re not sure where to start? No worries! I have a few tips for you to get started!

How to start your own journalling practice this Fall!

Use a Fun Notebook

For me, having a pretty notebook to write in has always been like a fun little motivator. When I was a kid, my first “diary” was baby blue with a tan pony surrounded by sunflowers on the cover, complete with its own lock and key! I know…the luxury! My tastes have evolved since then and I have graduated from the lock, but I still love a good floral pattern! My current journal is brightly colored with cacti on it that my mom got me for Christmas. I started it 5 days after I turned 35 this year and I would love to fill it before I turn 36. Any notebook will work but I highly recommend using one with a little flair! After all, we all could use a little sparkle in our life!

Use Journal Prompts

There are some days when I don’t feel like I have anything to say but I still want to write. This is where journal prompts come in so handy! I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to journal prompts for when I feel like I need a topic to write about. My favorite entries are sometimes just making a list of something. I have a whole journal that is just list prompts and I love it! Here are some of my favorite prompts:

1. What does my ideal day look like from morning to night?
2. What am I proud of myself for?
3. What am I afraid of? – a great one for anxiety
4. When people first meet me, I hope they feel…
5. What do I need to let go of?
6. What does success mean to me?
7. In the next year, I really want to…

Set Your Journal Where You’ll See it Every Day

I used to keep my journal at my desk with the intention that I would go in there every day and be inspired to write in my journal. Turns out I didn’t go into our office as often as I thought I would. You know the saying “out of sight, out of mind,” it’s such a true statement. Now, I keep it on my nightstand where I see it in the morning and evening. It helps keep the habit fresh in my mind.

Set The Mood

I don’t know about you, but I get distracted easily when I am journaling. Especially now since we have the new kitten, he needs a lot of attention. So, what I have been doing is setting the mood for when I journal. I grab a beverage, put on a playlist that speaks to me, and I even light a candle sometimes. I sit in a comfortable spot and let the words flow from my pen. It is a game changer. Recently, I have been journalling in the morning, so my beverage of choice has been a glass of water and my playlist has been a Spotify playlist of music from all the Harry Potter movies. Since we’re in Summer still I leave the candles put away, but the water and playlist are really all I am needing at the moment. Doing this makes journaling more like a ritual and gets you in the headspace for some good inner work!

Release the Pressure

There have been many times I have set the goal to journal every single day and then eventually when I miss a day I feel like a failure. That is the exact opposite reason I want to journal in the first place. I’m less worried about the number of entries and more about the feeling I get when I write in my journal. There also isn’t a steadfast rule that you must journal in the morning or at night for it to be effective. Anytime you can find to write is a good time. While you’re at it…don’t feel pressured to fill each page. Worrying about these various things takes the fun and helpfulness out of journalling so just take the pressure off right now.

I’m sure there are those of you out there who are more digitally inclined. That is just not how I roll. There is nothing better than putting pen to paper when it comes to journaling. I hope these tips get you inspired to grab your notebook and pen to get started on writing! Share the cover of your journal with me by sending a DM over on Instagram and if you have any other tips or tricks, share them in the comments below!