Habits Start Here: Daily Journaling Tips You Need to Try
No matter what kind of journal you decide to keep, it’s difficult to get the full benefit of journaling unless you make it a daily (or at least, regular) habit. But forming new habits is often easier said than done. If you’re having trouble getting into a groove, read on for several daily journaling tips you should try.
Know Your Reasons
Sometimes we have trouble building habits when we’re unclear about the benefit of the new action. If this sounds like you, take a few minutes to figure out why YOU want to journal. What are you hoping to get out of the experience? What changes are you looking for?
Start With the Real Deal
When you journal using an app or on your computer, you won’t always think to write. A physical journal kept where you can see it is a visual reminder you need to be writing.
Write In Something You Love
This is so important. There’s nothing like picking up a book you love to write in. Whether its the size, cover, line spacing or any number of features, choose your journal with care, making sure it’s a joy to use.
Journal Early, Late or Both … But Choose
For some people, journaling first thing after waking up, suits them. While others find that journaling just before bedtime, allows them to decompress before falling asleep. If you are just starting out, experiment the first few days and see what feels right for you.
Try Using Writing Prompts
Finding it hard to write because you don’t know what to say? It might be time to brainstorm and create a collection of ideas you can refer back to. But if creating your own prompts is taxing, no worries … here are a few journaling ideas to get you started.
Use Phone Reminders
If you don’t journal because you forget to do it, putting a reminder on your phone is a quick and easy solution. Set it for a time of day when you usually have a few minutes, which you can now use to write if you haven’t already.
Use a Timer
Sometimes we get so caught up in writing the ‘right’ thing we don’t start writing at all. By using a timer and telling yourself to free-write until it goes off, you put on just enough pressure to get yourself writing without enough time to worry about whether your entry is ‘perfect’ or not.
Make it Fun
No matter what, a habit is impossible to form if you’re trying to do something you hate. Journal in a way that works for you. It shouldn’t feel like a chore. It should be enjoyable … something you look forward to.
The main thing to remember in building any habit is to be consistent and give it time. If you keep writing every day over a few weeks, the habit will form naturally with hardly any trouble at all.
