Maggie John
In simple terms, a diary or a journal is a record of your day-to-day life; your deepest, darkest thoughts, and everything in between.
People have been keeping journals since the beginning of time, with records tracing back as far as 55 AD. The reasons why are much the same as they are today: it’s a way to remember day-to-day happenings, alleviate stress and inspire creativity. Some diaries have even become well-known books; take The Diaries of Samuel Pepys (1825) by Samuel Pepys and The Diary of a Young Girl (1947) by Anne Frank.
As I begin my new life in London, I’m determined to keep up with my diary so that one day, when I’m rich and famous, my children will be able to turn it into a best-selling memoir.
Why journal?
Journalling is something I have tried and failed to keep up with for many years now. I’ve always had the desire to document my experiences, but each attempt has ended up in much the same way: writing pages and pages in one go… and then not writing for months.
While writing extensive daily journal entries might work for some, it hasn’t for me. Despite the array of benefits that come with journalling, it can be a difficult habit to stick to.
If, like me, you’ve struggled to find a way of journalling that you can maintain, here are my top tips on how to ease into the habit.
How to journal
1. You don’t have to journal in a notebook
Although it can feel like a great release to get everything down on paper, there are so many ways to journal without even picking up a pen.
I’ve found the Notes app on my phone to be a particularly useful tool and an efficient way to quickly jot things down. Sometimes I’ll write long ramblings about whatever is going on, and other times I’ll simply jot down a few words. I find it far less tiring than writing in a physical notebook, which is why I also prefer to use it when I need to get something off my chest.
2. Your journal doesn’t have to be pages and pages about your day
I’ve often felt pressure to write extensive and detailed entries when I sit down to journal. While this can occasionally come naturally, even a short paragraph outlining what you did that day is enough. If what you did that day doesn’t spark inspiration, you might want to try following a guided journaling template.
“…it’s both a way to document the past week and reflect on what you want to change in the week ahead.”
For example, as part of my Sunday reset, I like to follow a gratitude journal template to reflect on my week. It’s a simple but effective method and only requires a few bullet points in response to a prompt. What’s great about gratitude journalling is that it’s both a way to document the past week and reflect on what you want to change in the week ahead.
Additionally, one-line-a-day journals are great if you’re trying to make journaling as straightforward as possible.
3. Try one-page-a-day
Not only do I have a lot to say, I have very big handwriting, so even if I tried to write one line, it would probably be more like four anyway. While I feel a bit like I’ve got all the gear and no idea to talk about journaling, writing just one page a day has helped me keep it up.
In January, I bought a page-a-day diary for 2023 in an attempt to keep a diary for a year. I started off well, but I quickly fell into old habits and, surprise, surprise, wrote too much. For most of the year I’ve dabbled in journalling, but at the start of August I decided to really give it a go.
“There’s enough space to get what you need to get down, but you can’t burn yourself out by writing a page a day.”
My best friend has kept a diary for nearly two years. She keeps it simple; rather than documenting every single moment of her day, she sticks to the stand-out moments. With that in mind, I set about journalling every day in August and it went very well. Some entries are longer than others, and some are as simple as “had a rubbish day.”
The perfect thing about a page-a-day journal is it helps to stay on top of it. There’s enough space to get what you need to get down, but you can’t burn yourself out.
A less-is-more approach to journaling
People often use the phrase “less is more” — this is especially true when it comes to keeping a journal.
I didn’t document my year abroad or my final year at university because I was overwhelmed by the concept of journaling — memories I now wish I had written down to look back on. No matter how you decide to go about it, journalling is an opportunity to document your experiences, your thoughts and your deepest darkest feelings, as well as giving you something to reflect on. So, pick up your pen and give it a go.
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Featured image courtesy of Maggie John.
