Journaling 101
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- So, you want to start journaling... but every time you try, you either get overwhelmed, forget about it, or feel like you're doing it "wrong." (Spoiler alert: There is no wrong way to journal.)
In this video, we're breaking down Journaling 101-the real way to start and actually keep up with it. Whether you're using a notebook you’ve had for years (but never touched), a digital journal, or a stack of half-filled planners you swore you'd use... I've got you covered.
✨ What You'll Learn:
✅ Different types of journaling (and which one works best for YOU)
✅ Why journaling is actually important (and not just to get your morning routine check mark)
✅ How to get your ADHD to play nice with your journal
👀 Comment below: What’s your biggest struggle with journaling? Let’s chat about it!
#journaling #journalpractice #howtojournal
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Do you have a journaling practice that works for you?
I think we need to let go of our FOMO. It's really okay to say the way I'm journaling is working for me, and I don't need to change up my routine or start a whole new way to journal and feel like a failure when it doesn't turn out the way it did in my head.
Your list of journals is pretty comprehensive. It gives us lots of ideas for ways to get our thoughts out on paper. It helps to be reminded that,
"Whatever works for you, works for you."
I am starting sketch noting. It is a hybrid of sketching and journaling. I am in the middle of making my own travelers-style leather notebooks and doing my own binding for the inserts using paper I can use whatever type of pen I want, even fountain pen, or use watercolor, doodle, whatever. The sketch part can be a emoji to a sketch. As long as the image means "whatever" to you personally, that is all that counts. Ability to draw is not needed either. I have always detested journaling. I grew up in an era where we learned from our mothers how their siblings found their diaries and tortured them with the info contained in them. No diary/journal, no sibling "blackmail". laughing... I am personalizing the whole journaling thing. I am more apt to get into this way after hours of creating the components. ;D Thank you for presenting journaling is so many ways to get a different perspective on the "art".
I started journaling about a year ago. At first it was “one line per day” then longer and longer until now I fill a whole page. I call it journaling as therapy.
As part of 12-step programs, journaling is highly encouraged. But I just can't keep this up. And I don't have any realistic desire to journal. I love to doodle. I'm thinking of using doodling to help me. I may even write again!
Great commentary on the freedoms of journaling - some channels are so ridiculous with the “how to” journal - I am a silent rebel and resent being told a correct way to do something that should be personal and has no rules, I got very discouraged with my journaling. Thank you for the reminder that it is personal! - it is so important to remember no one is grading us on our journals - I am adopting the multiple style idea - hadn’t thought about mixing it all up in the same journal. Love the idea of pretend travel - I am “taking a trip” to New Zealand soon 😁
I found gratitude journaling triggered more depression and anxiety for me - someone else made a comment about that, I never put my finger on the why of it but their comment explained it so well. I started a “notice something in nature” journal instead - with a note about weather, a color of flower, shape of a cloud, etc. - that is so much better for me than a gratitude list and makes me more observant - saw a hummingbird the other day that i probably would have never noticed if I hadn’t not been paying attention to nature
Under pressure tends to my theme song 😜
I started my journaling journey as a 7 or 8 year old as extra homework torture because writing ability in English was lacking (it’s not my first language). It started out during the summer to keep my learning going, and I absolutely did not like the practice (what kid would, when they’d rather be playing outside?!), but over the years I’ve done every variation under the sun-excluding artistic journaling as I’m not an artist and it doesn’t appeal to me. My preference though has always been to write-99% of my journaling to this day is writing-as that is what I have been taught, and in the 2000s, it wasn’t easy to get your pictures printed in time to keep the journal current as you were going through the trip, especially when you were with a guided tour that might be only in a place for a day or two or had to deal with 36 frame roll of film that you might not finish in time. And so I just wrote, but eventually in college, I stopped writing because I got so behind on my journal because I had this absolute need that I had to keep every single detail of every single day written and it had to be written accurately as it was. If it wasn’t accurate or it didn’t have the correct images, that wouldn’t work for me.
I would only pick up the practice again in 2021, first with a planner. I needed something to plan my days and lower my anxiety, but I saw these beautiful spreads on instagram about memory keeping, and thought that they would be so fun to have within my planner. Just little jots of detail of what I did that day in the column of my weekly planner, after work and my events were done. Shortly thereafter, I read Julia Cameron’s book and started the Morning Pages practice. I will not lie, that was tough as I struggled with what to write and many of the things that you talked about in your part about it, and I couldn’t even write a single full page at first. But eventually, I realized that the morning pages aren’t specific to one type of writing-it doesn’t have to be about your hopes and dreams or just whatever creative thing that you think you’re supposed to be coming up with while your brain is coming online. It doesn’t even have to be three or four pages, just that it’s a page of something that is meaningful to you, that is on your mind. It is meant to be a stream of consciousness for a reason, of course, but it was up to me how to use it or do it. And that’s where I started implementing all of the other journaling styles that you talked about in your video as part of my morning journals. Whatever was on my mind that morning when I woke up, whether it took a page or three, I wrote it down. As a result, I’ve worked through some trauma (shadow journaling), listed gratitude for both the good and the rough times, wrote my strange dreams from time to time, vented about something that has been bothering me, checked in with my emotions and more. Slowly but surely, this whole holistic practice of doing a bit of each journaling style throughout the morning pages of my journals has helped me heal, manage my emotions better, solve my own problems, and more importantly, it has helped me plan out my days-by learning the dips of my energy and when I’m most likely to have enough energy to do something. One of the things that I did last year was implement stickers into my journals because I’ve grown quite a collection and it needed to get used-this is how I got over my fear of the stickers being too pretty to use.
These days, I have my morning journaling, where I do all of the above, but I’ve also decided to separate my memory keeping and planning out of that. I plan ahead, but then at the end of the day I will notate a highlight (or three) of the day. Separately, I do have travel journals, but I only use them when I actually travel outside of my area. I unfortunately don’t find the appeal in creating a notebook dedicated to itineraries, as I find the research aspect a bit tedious, but I always love printing out my photos and getting things from the trip to do a creative/ junk journal with facts (those facts are important!!). At the end of the day, the biggest benefit that I’ve gained from all of this is because I’ve made this journaling practice work for me and my needs that day/week. With any sort of hobby or even a therapeutic experience, I believe that you need to meet yourself where you’re at-if you shoot for a perfect, beautiful, instagram worthy spread, but really you’re emotionally exhausted and all you *really* wanted to do was write a list, then you’re not meeting yourself at where you are, where your needs are. Take care of yourself, and all will sort out itself 😘
Thank so much for this video, I love that you emphasise "do what works for you". Whenever I see "can I do XYZ in my journal?". I wantto scream "Yes! In a world where our lives are at the mercy of so many external factors, a journal is that one thing that you have 100% control over." I've embraced mixing everything up and love looking back it. I also adore planning travel. I don't usually journal it, but I create electronic itineraries of the places I want to visit. The dopamine hit I get from it is free and satisfying.
Daily Gratitude journaling TANKED my mental health... If I've got these wonderful things to be grateful for, why do I still feel so anxious, depressed, etc?!?! It sent me into a shame spiral that exacerbated the anxiety and depression I was dealing with for quite a while. I googled about gratitude jot working for me, making me feel worse, and found some great articles by therapists and others with anxiety/depression that really validated what I was going through. It ended up feeling so forced and kinda fake to me. What ended up helping was a more balanced weekly gratitude practice. First, I list off what sucked that week, difficult or bad things that happened, stressful events, etc. THEN I'd list a few things I was grateful for or some good things that happened. Being able to express the sh*tty stuff made all the difference for me.
Don't even get me started on the artist's way... I absolutely agree with everything you said. Of course, if it works for some people, great. For them. But there's absolutely zero way I have the physical or mental energy to hand write 3 full pages of brain dump every single day. I do occasionally brain dump if I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed. But not every day, not even on a regular basis, more as needed.
"You don't have to journal the same way every day..." 🤯 💖 Mind blown in the best of ways! Why has that thought never occurred to me?!?! I think with social media we see all kinds of stuff about a consistent journaling routine or even a consistent daily routine. With ADHD, doing the exact same thing in the exact same way just evaporates my motivation. So why can't I have an INCONSISTENT daily routine?!?! An inconsistent journaling routine?!?! Doing things differently but consistently each day... I'm gonna have to think on this some more... 💖
Thank you for sharing your story. I will be in a Google rabbit hole about mental health and gratitude now. I think you just answered some questions I’ve been suppressing. ❤️
I love when you give us permission... I needed it and I appreciate you❤
I appreciate you too! ❤️❤️
I am a hodgepodge of a journal writer. It’s nice to listen to someone else who does this.
It’s the best! Plus, I can’t seem to stick to one way of doing anything 😂
It’s way more fun this way!
Me, too!!
Never taught about travel journaling, planning even if you are not going. Excellent idea.
I love what I call creative journaling. I don’t write about my feelings. It’s more of a memory keeping exercise. I feel like just being creative helps me step away from my negative thoughts and that process is what settles my feelings. Keeps me positive because it’s fun. Just play and do what works for you. Great video
Yes, I have been scribbling nonsense in a traveler’s notebook regular size, every day, for little more than a half a year now, I think. I love how the pages are coming to life, filled with words, written by different color pens for each side, stickers, washi and other decorations. It’s not what I write, it’s the feeling of the view of the written pages that make me feel good. Some days it’s just one or two sentences, one page cover three of four days, other days it’s one day for one page.
Then I have another little book where i write down todo lists, wishing lists, other things I want to remember, doodles and what’s not. And now you have inspired me to start a what I was thankful for today book.
It’s always fun to find a new use for notebooks ❤️
I do the exact same thing. I have my travelers notebook open on the coffee table and write out my life all day even when nothing happens. My life is in the pages.
Wow, I think that was the best explanation of journaling that I have come across, thank you so much ! New subscriber here 😊
Thank you so much. I’m so glad you liked it ❤️
I started so many different planners and journal styles and layouts without success. So, finding your videotalking about not buying more and just using what you have has been so helpful! I now just change the date on the page I'm on and put in whatever feels good and relevant. I have so many supplies, it'll be a while before I work through it all 😅. I am writing about my day or books that I like and will re-read or even an ongoing list of the ones I have. I won't be buying any more either. I appreciate your ideas here, too. So, my pages will include lots of these ideas to see what feels right. ❤
I have journaled for most of my adult life, but less now that I am older than when I was younger. I started journaling when I was 13 years old, and it really helped me work through a lot of issues. I like what you had to say about morning pages! although I tried them multiple times, nothing worked for me as far as therapeutic release goes. Nothing came of it and I gave up three times, four times for the final time. No more morning pages for me! I wasn’t going to leave a comment until I heard what you had to say about morning pages, and you were the first person I have heard say that it’s OK for morning pages not to have worked for you. Everyone says, do morning pages. They’re great, they’ll change your life! I can’t do them. Not only am I not up in the morning, and I’m better at the evening, but three pages of 8 1/2 x 11“ paper is a long long time to write, front and back. No thank you. I like what you had to say about all the journals, I think I will try the list one, maybe the gratitude one, maybe a couple others. Thank you for this video, I hope you have blessings in your day and in your life. Love from Meridian Idaho.
also the travel without travel sounds amazing! trip to japan here I come 🇯🇵
Great video; there is way too much baggage around journaling right now.
I do "morning pages" in the sense that I do them in the morning. I do write three pages, but in an 8x5 journal. I do not have brain-exploding breakthroughs daily. Instead, it's a combo of brain-dumping, dream and memory journaling, shadow work, and whatever else. Just to keep me even-keeled. Since I'd read Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones in college, I'd always called it free writing until journaling came on the scene.
Also, my favorite David Bowie song (a very tough question): "Heroes."
I ask the tough questions no one else is brave enough to ask 😂
Loved the video!
I do a combination thing… I have a 1 page per day journal which I use to memory keep - but I love to put ephemera with it. And when I have nothing to write about I doodle or put stickers or washi down under a line “nothing more to say”
I love your idea of the fantasy travel journal and will definitely look into the shadow work thing - I have a feeling there are a few things I should work through to be able to go forward…
I been loving your energy and videos, thank you so much for taking the risk to do your own thing ❤
While I understand that many people do like morning pages I think a lot of people are just lying their face off. They want to love morning pages because it's trendy. I don't believe it. I attended a workshop by the author and she said you have to write on 8 1/2 by 11 size paper three pages or you can't call it morning pages. She listed a number of other rules too. I haven't written a morning page since that workshop.
I am not a stream of consciousness journal writer. Journaling is incredibly important to me but it needs to be a tool that fits my streaks. And it works better for me to use journaling to intentionally think things through. I benefit more from doing things like writing a letter to My Future self. Writing a letter to a part of me that doesn't want to do something. Writing a written interview back and forth with a part of me that doesn't want to do something. Or simply writing about my day before the day started which is my favorite way of journaling. I write through my plan for the day in sentences in paragraphs.
These are fabulous ideas! Thank you so much for sharing your methods. I am going to implement some of those letters to myself. ❤️
I have been doing creative journaling for a few years now, partly to journal and partly to use up my stickers, stamps, and washi. I don’t have an exciting life but I’m still able to fill a whole page per day with just the highlights. I also do art journaling about 4 times a month but that’s really more just playing with/using my supplies
RwaP, you are a treasure of a find! Thank you for the wisdom I have recognized in this video. Take time for morning pages?!??? Who can do that? For sure, not me. What a fun and thoughtful explanation of why I should not bother myself, for my lack. Thank you exceedingly for that bit of advice and more in this most excellent video!
I started a Dear Diary style journalling in mid January. Before bed I write what's happened partly so I remember what I did and so I can get it out of my head before bed. It's helped me sleep better because I'm not holding it in. I can look the next day if I need to pick anything up. I'm hoping I can keep it up now!
I love the pretend travel journal idea! That’s a new one to me.
I found that having a multi book system is a really great way for me to stay interested in the process of journaling… ADHD things I guess? I think I have made a habit this year, without even intending to, because I just picked a book up and randomly started scribbling in a moleskine. Now I’m reusing a 2024 hobonichi cousin that I wrote in a total of 5 times last year lol 😂😂😂
The imaginary travel journal was a real "AHA!" moment!!! I'll have to mull that one over for a bit.
It really is a fun little project. ❤️
Excellent content. Thank you for these great ideas. It helps me trying not to squeeze in a box that really doesn't work for me. God knows I have boxes and boxes of journals (some with only a page used. LOL), this is a great help in my minimum spending year. You give people the acceptance to become who they are and not fitting in mainstream. Be Well! ♥
Actually I use sticker therapy as a basis for journaling. I don't care how a page looks because I love to sticker up my page and never care for a style. I love journaling but I keep it private because it is me. In my local planner community people are pretty focused on the brands of washi & PET tapes, stickers & planners. And they are obsessed with a certain - very often pretty neutral and muted - aesthetics. But fortunately this is not me! I am chaotic and colourful and sometimes pretty kitschy! 🤣
Actually I like your choice of Rebel Rebel. Mine is actually Fantastic Voyage at the moment but this will change soon I think. Depends on the mood I am in. Magic Dance probably because I always have to smile just thinking about it....
I want to keep a travel journal like the one you mentioned.
Another very informative and entertaining video! I'm experimenting with digital journaling. I feel like I'm a really boring person with not much to say, a lot of my days are the same so a planner really doesn't make sense, but I'm semi-forcing myself to try to write down (using a digital pen, so actually writing instead of typing) something about my day every day because, like you said about gratitude (and I'm going to incorporate that into my pages), if you know you're going to write something down, you start looking for it. I let myself get caught up trying to make my pages as beautiful as those I see on Pinterest and RUclips but I'm slowly getting over that and know my limitations. 😁
Honestly, most of my days look the same too. Only the headers change, lol. What I’m cleaning, what I’m filming, etc. But I like to remind myself what all I’m carrying everyday so when I can’t figure out why I’m exhausted I can look back and see, oh yeah, because I’ve done all of this. ❤️
❤ I love all your videos, I have ADHD and I'm dyslexic. My brain can be all over the place.
I would like to yes, make a suggestion in regards to your comments on morning pages.
I agree with you with the idea of writing down three pages worth of stream of consciousness material. I believe it is daunting and intimidating for most people, along with if it's extreme of consciousness, there should be no maximum or minimums in regards to what you're writing. When I first started writing morning pages, I was definitely not writing anything lengthy sometimes I would only write a sentence or less and that's the only thing that would pop in my head. when I was doing a research on this topic, what I found was stream of consciousness is like a muscle like any other muscles that we have mentally or physically what I found out to be true was overtime approximately 40 days. My stream of consciousness developed into something that I did not think was possible. My ultimate suggested is if you're inspired to write something down, write it down in regards to stream of consciousness, no matter the length, no matter how much time all that doesn't matter.
Again, I love your channel. I love all the suggestions in today's video. They are amazing. ❤
Very good video. Thank you!
Thank you for saying "floats your goat", I say that all the time and people look at me like I'm nuts. I feel a lil' vindicated right now, lol.
Same! 😂
I have one small book that every time I find a word I don't know I write it in my book. I'm A writer so I always have something to write, ideas, things people have said just anythinf. Never know what can be used for a character.
I love journaling!
I used a dream journal when I was on the road.I'd have some weird dreams.Some of them turned out to be prediction dreams, which is really creepy
I’ve had that too. It is freaky but oddly also satisfying when we “predict” things.
Thank you. I know I was right. I was just getting in the shower. When you said that I totally burst out laughing😂 1:43
😂😂😂 We are ALWAYS the ones who were right. It’s a gift we all share 🤷🏻♀️
@DakotaRebel yep
Minus shadow work and tarot, which I’m not for, this is great and helpful
I’ve had to stop reading anything Julia Cameron says about morning pages. She’s brilliant, but she is incredibly rigid about her ideas. Morning pages work fantastic for me - as long as I make them work for me. I type them instead of handwriting. And I don’t do them right away in the morning but instead when I have the time each day.
Totally agree. She’s amazing for so many reasons ❤️
Rich mahogany 😂 why do I suddenly have the urge to watch Anchorman
The second one was on the other day and I got sucked into it immediately 😂 They’re such good movies.
Sometimes when I journal, I hold myself back from writing the deep, dark feelings that I might be having. I guess I'm afraid of someone else reading it. What do you think?
@PattyBottorff I found a journal I wrote in when I was in high school. It is amazing how far we come and also still struggling with the same kind of thoughts today. I wouldn't have even realized that if I didn't write about it. Then I stopped for years, and so many memories are lost. If people go snooping in my journal without my permission, and they find issue with a way, I think it's it's their problem. And maybe they have the same problem they're not dealing with, unless i'm writing about some really nasty stuff, then I hope somebody's reading that stuff. Anyways, you write the stuff for yourself. Sometimes you share it sometimes you don't. sometimes people find out. But when I read some journals from a hundred years ago, I'm so thankful that they wrote down their thoughts and the troubles they went through to share a momentum time.
There are options to hide it, maybe under your mattress like we used to do in high school. Or maybe writing in code if there are nosy people around. You could even burn the pages after writing, letting yourself visualize the fire eating the dark and negative thoughts as a way of cleansing them from yourself. Or, worst case, get yourself an inexpensive lock box. I hate to think you’re holding yourself back from the possibility of healing from things because of other people.
I’m wondering what your thoughts are on junk journaling? I feel like it’s often used interchangeably with art journaling or collage or creative journaling. Would love to hear your thoughts on that.
I need to learn more about it. I know it has a lot to do with recycling and “found” items, but it’s one I never dived into. I’ll put it on my research list and see what I can put together. ❤️