Journaling for the first time can feel like an overwhelming task. You may be the kind of person who loves to watch videos on how to create artsy pages, but the moment you start, you give up. It happens, but you don’t need to worry. Here are tips to know to help you journal successfully.
When I tell people I’ve been journaling for the past ten years I almost always get the same response – wow I could never do that. Journaling can seem like a daunting task when you look at it from a birds eye view. However, it’s best to pick just one place to start.
Bullet journal, junk journal, gratitude journal, prayer journal and more; who knew there were different types of journaling? Sometimes they all can get interwoven as well and it can be hard to distinguish the type you want to do.
What type of journaling are you doing?
Bullet Journal: This type of journaling is for those who love to incorporate trackers into their daily life. It includes more of a drawing style that can separate each month. These pages can include mood trackers, monthly goals, future logs, etc.
Junk Journal: Junk journaling is very similar to scrapbooking, but in a smaller proportion. You keep everything in one book filled with paper than may have been thrown away. You have the opportunity to practice your art skills, while still sharing about what you’re doing.
Gratitude Journal: Did you know practicing daily gratitude drastically enhances your mental health? Keeping a gratitude journal can be very beneficial. It is completely up to you on how you want to create it. You can do bullet points of things you’re grateful for or even
Prayer Journal: Prayer journaling is so special. Prayer journaling is a dedicated notebook dedicated just to talking with Jesus. Inside you can have conversations with The Lord, write struggles you are going through, questions you have, prayer requests and more. It’s a chat between you and Jesus that you can look back on someday and see how far you’ve come in your faith
Diary: Dear Diary….. now that takes me back to being a kid watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Did Greg ever actually say “Dear Diary” in the books or movie? Diaries often get a bad rap, however they can be very impactful. You write daily entries, your feelings, etc.
What if I want to do them all?: There is nothing stopping you. Having everything in one place can either help relieve stress or cause stress depending on the type of person you are. Personally, I like having all my things in one place. I put almost everything in just one journal and I have been doing that for the past 6 years. Don’t think you have to stick to just one.
All you need is paper and a pen/pencil
That’s it!! You just need 2 simple things to start your journaling process. If you go on Youtube or Pinterest and search “journaling” you will often see these gorgeous spreads filled with washi tape, photos and colored pens. If you are just starting and don’t have those supplies, don’t worry!! I made the mistake of thinking I had to have all these things which led me to never starting.
It’s just for you
This is your space for creativity and thoughts. Almost everything these days is made to be seen by others. People showcase all their work and everyday lives throughout social media (guilty). It can be nice to have a place to keep your personal thoughts in one place. This is just for you and no one has to see it unless you want to share it.
It’s not a race or competition
You don’t have to journal everyday.
Honestly, it can be kind of funny looking through a journal and finding a small note from October 2012 and the next page it flashes forward to 2024. You can always start again or grab a new one if you want.
Mistakes happen
Sometimes your journal doesn’t always turn out how you want it. You could be trying to copy a bullet journal spread from Amanda RachLee and yours turns out looking like someone puked on it. This 100% happens to me all the time. Let these words be an encouragement that it is okay to mess up. You don’t need to be perfect to journal. Someday you’ll be able to look back and remember who you were at that point in time. You can see how you’ve grown over the years.
We all experience mistakes in life. Let this be a place to let it all out.
