Journaling is a bit of a buzz word in the self care/personal development community. But it’s not just a trend, it’s a time honoured technique that can help you process your thoughts, develop your creativity and relieve stress, alongside a whole host of other benefits!

Are you someone who wants desperately to journal and get the benefits of it, but you’re finding it difficult to actually get started? If so, this article is for you! It will provide some simple ways to motivate you to start journaling and keep it up every day.

Start Each Entry with a Prompt

A lot of times the reason people don’t write in their journal more often is because they aren’t sure what to write about. This might be in the beginning where you lack proper inspiration, or you have been journaling for a while but are struggling with writers’ block.

Either way, journaling prompts are a wonderful start! They provide questions or statements that you answer in your journal entries, with topics like childhood memories, future goals, and recollecting different things in your life. Give them a try!

Use Your Journal Like a Diary

This is a little trick that really does work wonders.

Sometimes people get overwhelmed with the thought of journaling because there are so many different types. While each of these journaling types provide more flexibility for you, you might be more interested in just writing how you feel. That is wonderful to do, and it doesn’t have to follow any conventional rules of journaling.

Just write in it like you would a diary when you were a kid or teenager. Write to yourself, or write to an invisible person. Do it however you want.

Pick the Journaling Time Wisely

When you choose to write in your journal can also become more motivating for you. If you feel more creative and inspired in the morning, then that is when you should write in your journal.

On the other hand, some people find that they prefer nighttime writing, or in the middle of the day between appointments or while on a lunch break.

If you’re struggling with this, try different times and circumstances, and you will likely find at least one that works best for you.

Find a Better Reason to do it

So, you know you want to journal, have bought all the supplies, but just can’t find the motivation. If this sounds like you, you may just need to find the right reason to do it. Just wanting to journal because of some vague benefits might not be enough. Really hone in on why YOU want to journal, and what you hope to get out of it.

Don’t worry about the reasons other people choose to write in their journal. This is you and your experience, so it should really be unique to you.