Journaling has great benefits, but it’s hard to fit into your schedule. Here’s how to make it a habit for you.

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I have a great journaling setup. I got a pouch designed to be a Bible carrier (much like this pouch here, which is made to carry notes and stationery) and put in my journal, favorite gel pens, and a ton of cute stickers.

The only issue is that I rarely journaled.

I have a feeling I’m not the only one who’s had this issue before. You forget, you’re tired, you’re busy. Despite your best intentions, you don’t end up actually writing in the thing. If this sounds familiar, then you’re in the right place. Let’s make journaling a habit together.

The benefits of journaling are hard to turn down

According to this article by Berkley’s Greater Good Magazine, research has found that there are both positive mental and physical benefits to journaling. Among them are improved antibody count after vaccination, less symptoms of chronic illness, and general improved health.

That’s not hard to believe. Our physical and mental health are intertwined, one affecting the other. Muscles get tight when you’re stressed; you get confused and tired easily when you have a cold.

How do I make journaling a habit?

Making a habit out of anything can be difficult, at first. So what’s the easiest way to make journaling a habit?

The aforementioned article suggests ”expressive writing”—writing for about 20 minutes in-depth around a specific issue in your life—is a great way to start the habit of journaling.

Realistically, this makes sense. You get out how you’re feeling on paper and feel better for it afterward. But this never worked for me personally. If you’re reading this, there’s a solid chance it might not have worked for you, either. So where do you start?

For me, the way I started journaling was by incorporating a gratitude journal in my life. It’s not difficult at all, and it takes anywhere from five to fifteen minutes, depending.

How to get started journaling with a gratitude journal

All you really need, to begin with, is something to write with and something to write on. For stationery lovers like me out there, you might pick up one of those nice empty journals you have laying around and grab your favorite (and most comfortable) pen, plus a few goodies like stickers or washi tape.

If you’re more of a digital kind of person, you might consider using the GoodNotes app on your iPad or even just the notes section on your phone.

To get started with gratitude journaling all you need to do is the following:

1. Write down 3 things from that day you’re grateful for. Some days this will be harder than others. You might have to consider waking up a win some days. That’s just life.
2. Go as in depth as you want on each thing you’re grateful for. It might feel awkward at the beginning, so it’s totally okay if you end up just writing down your gratitude items at first. You’re building a habit. You have to master the basics first, and that’s just getting the words down.
3. Wrap up each day with a positive affirmation. This might be telling yourself that you’re good at what you do. It could be telling yourself that you’re strong and capable. It also might be just telling yourself that your hair looked nice that day.
4. As you get more comfortable with process, start writing more. Eventually you’ll be fully journaling in no time!

While it’ll be hard at first, you’ll eventually find yourself writing more and more down until you’re writing out your feelings. With me the process looked like this:

Writing gratitude & affirmation —> Writing more each day, either in your affirmation or gratitude statements —> Writing about daily events, spurred on by gratitude or affirmation —> Writing about each day/circumstances in life and how I feel about them

If you’re looking for a nice journal or a printable/digital journal, you might want to check out my Etsy shop, The Storied Lives. I have both general use digital journals and ephemera (think digital stickers) as well specific journals such as Tarot journals and an upcoming dream journal. Soon I’ll be adding more physical journals, too. Everything I offer (so far, at least) has been either designed or handmade by me. You can check it out here if it’s something you’re interested in!

I hope this helped! Do you have any advice for making journaling a habit, or any tips for new journalers? Please let me know in the comments! I genuinely love hearing everyone’s responses!

Talk to you soon,

Kara