How To Start Journal Writing: Tips and Ideas For Beginners

Here are the best tips and ideas for beginners who want to know how to start a journal, what things to write in it, and how to stay consistent. This is all the inspiration you need to start writing in a journal.

In my previous post, I wrote about ‘Why You Should Keep A Journal.’ I explored some of the most important reasons, in my opinion, why everyone should have a journal that they write in consistently. In today’s post, I’d like to add onto that by sharing my best tips to help beginners start their journey of journaling.

I’ve been writing in a journal ever since I was a child, when my grandfather bought me my first diary with a lock and key. Over the years, I’ve kept many journals. I don’t think I’ve ever filled one in completely, because I have an unhealthy obsession with buying new stationery…but I am about to completely fill in my first journal, this year. (Thanks, 2020 trauma.)

I have been asked for tips by a few friends recently, for starting a journal and being consistent with writing in it. So I’ve compiled a few of my best tips to share with you all.

I implore you to try keeping a journal after you read this post. It is, in my opinion, the most cathartic experience you can give yourself. It’s like having a non-judgemental, friend that keeps your secrets and helps you sort out all your thoughts, no matter how deep or straight-forward they might be.

Image credit: Kinga Cichewicz, Unsplash

Now, let’s get into my most important tips.

No Pressure:

The first thing I want to address, is probably the most common issue when it comes to journaling: the pressure to be consistent.

The way I got around this obstacle, was by never intending to make this a daily habit. Some days you just don’t feel like writing or thinking, and that’s okay. You don’t need to put this pressure on yourself to be regular. Just consistent. So whenever you need to sort some thing out privately, or share something that’s bothering you, or just feel like going deep into your thoughts and writing, your journal becomes your go-to place.

I only write in mine when I feel like it. I put no pressure on myself to be regular. Some months I write a couple of times a week, sometimes barely once or twice in the whole month. Make your journal a no pressure zone.

The pressure to be regular isn’t the only kind of pressure that makes people not want to journal. This brings me to my next point.

No Judgement Zone:

You don’t need to be neat. You don’t need to make sense. You don’t need to make it pretty, neither in appearance, nor in terms of what you write in it. ALL your thoughts are worthy of being written down. No matter how ‘dumb’ or ‘boring’ or ‘negative’ they may seem, it’s important to learn not to judge yourself. That’s when it’s the most cathartic. And that’s the whole point. Make your journal a no judgement zone.

Don’t judge your thoughts and feelings, just let them out and onto that page. Don’t judge your handwriting or neatness. If you’re a perfectionist like me, this will take some effort. I just started on the first page and made sure I wrote fast and was deliberately messy. There. It’s already messy. Now you can’t ‘ruin’ it. Simple.

Image credit: Thom Holmes, Unsplash

Make Your Journal Accessible:

Another helpful tip is to make sure your journal is accessible to you. I always keep it on my bed-side table, because that’s where I write most often. I usually write at night, before I go to sleep. So, having my journal next to me ensures that anytime I feel like writing, laziness doesn’t get in the way.

I also like to journal when I go to the beach, or a cafe, or maybe my cousins’ house. Instead of taking my journal everywhere with me, I usually just have my iPad pro. It allows me to not only write, but also sketch and manage my blogs. I use the GoodNotes app to journal on-the-go. It’s great because I have multiple notebooks on it for different things. If you have an iPad, you might want to check out this post I wrote: ‘5 Best Apps For Writers and Artists.’

By keeping your journal in a place where you tend to write most often, you’re eliminating a whole obstacle to consistent journaling. This brings me to my next point.

Choose a Comfortable and Inspiring Spot:

My go-to journaling spot is my bed. The calm and quiet of the night, when everyone is asleep, is when I think most clearly. So it’s no surprise that this quickly became the best time and place for me to write. Just like that, you can find your own cozy spot and best time of the day to write in your journal.

Make sure you find/create a spot where you feel comfortable, and have no distractions around that could give you an excuse to avoid journaling. Make that spot the place where you feel most at-ease and inspired. Curate it, keeping comfort and inspiration in mind.

Image credit: Negative Space, Pexels

Use Prompts:

I sometimes find myself wanting to write, but not being able to come up with something to write about. When this happens, I immediately log onto Pinterest and search ‘Journal Writing Prompts.’ There are many bloggers who have shared tonnes of prompts and questions for you to introspect as you write.

The prompts that are out there are so varied that you are bound to find something that inspires you and gets you thinking. When all else fails, Pinterest and bloggers are always there for you.

Fill it with ANYthing/EVERYthing:

The best thing about having your own personal journal is that you can literally put anything in it. Words, pictures, doodles, sketches, stickers, even mementos like tickets to events, food wrappers, and pretty much anything else that can fit in there.

I like to call my journal ‘my brain-dumping ground.’ That’s literally how I treat it. I pretty much dump anything and everything that is occupying space in my brain, onto the pages of my journal. Sometimes when I don’t have anything major or ‘important’ to write, I just write about my day and my most mundane thoughts. I’ve realized that there is nothing that’s unworthy of going in your journal. All of your thoughts and feelings are worthy - every single one. If you thought it - you can write it. It probably doesn’t seem like it would do much, but I honestly feel like it’s quite cathartic.

I always save my favourite quotes that I come across on Pinterest and Instagram, and then every so often I write down a list of them in my journal. I write them with the title ‘Quotes I’m loving these days.’ It also helps me keep track of my recent feelings by noting what quotes I have been resonating with. I love this exercise and highly recommend it.

Image credit: Yannick Pulver, Unsplash

Honestly, your journal can be anything you want it to be. Just make sure it’s a nice place and whenever you visit it, you feel good. Make it your safe space. Free the contents of your mind into it. Make it a form of meditation for you, and do it often. It’s my favourite form of self care. I hope it soon becomes yours, too.