Journaling 101: How to Start Your Practice

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always kept a diary of sorts. The first one was a puffy, pink and purple Minnie Mouse diary, with a generic lock and key that was probably mass-produced in several continents. In it, my seven-year-old self scribbled down thoughts, dreams, experiences—secrets between me, those pages, and my mother (who I’m pretty sure was reading through them, too).

In the years since the Minnie extravaganza, I’ve kept many diaries—journals, as I prefer to call them today. But the truth is, although journaling and writing privately about my life have always been practically second nature, I haven’t always been consistent with my journaling practice. I’ve missed months, sometimes even years, throughout my life because of, well, life. But I always, always come back to it, mostly because of how the practice makes me feel, and has helped me through tough spots.

Why journal?

Each time I put pen to paper, I feel like my worries and anxiety flow out of the ink that gives shape to my words. Anyone who journals will tell you that the mental and emotional clarity it brings is staggering.

Darlyn Ty-Nilo, founder of the Belle de Jour Power Planner, who is certified in journaling therapy, calls the entire journaling process “emotional decompression.” She compares journaling to dreaming. “Dreaming,” she explains, “is how our unconscious mind processes all the stimulus throughout the day. For the conscious mind, to process and decompress, the counterpart to dreaming would be talking to family and friends, releasing through art, and journaling, which is a really solid way to decompress the conscious mind, as long as you do it raw, unedited, and unfiltered.”

Ty-Nilo began journaling during a difficult period in her life when, as a fresh graduate out of the University of the Philippines, at the expense of her time, effort, and mental health, she began working full time for a multinational company for up to 14 hours a day while studying for the CPA boards. 

Even after squeezing herself dry to deliver, she ended up only conditionally passing the boards, and was not regularized at her corporate job either. “It triggered a lot of self-reflection about what I did wrong,” Ty-Nilo shares. “I read a lot, and I ended up learning about the [journaling] technique of morning pages.” For Ty-Nilo, journaling is about discovering and releasing your own thoughts and emotions, and, in her opinion, “is one of the best ways to create a safe space for yourself without judgment.”

Artist and mother Nica Cosio has been journaling for 10 years, and has parlayed her journaling experience into workshops on creative journaling, and creating stationary items for journaling and planning. What began as a stay-at-home mom’s avenue for documenting her children’s milestones and special occasions turned into a creative and relaxing ritual for herself, and an outlet for her own self-reflections. “Journaling helps me really take notice of the good things in my life. When things are tough and the world seems to be going up in flames, it’s very difficult to be grateful and still have hope. Journaling has helped me record good experiences and see how life is worth living, worth celebrating,” Cosio shares.

For Cosio, journaling helps her de-stress and quiet her mind—a must in today’s world with its cacophony of literal and figurative noises. “I’ve resolved many internal conflicts through my habit of journaling,” she says, adding that, “by no means am I saying journaling will solve all our problems, but I believe it can help us come to find solutions.”

How do I journal? Let me count the ways.

A quick search online will reveal that there are many, many methods of journaling—too many, in fact, to create a comprehensive list, since not only are the methods always evolving, but each approach requires major personalization to one’s lifestyle and preferences.

“I don’t think one is better than the other, because it is a very personal habit and activity,” says Cosio. “Some people like to write a lot, some like to draw, some like to make collages with memorabilia, some just want photos, some thrive on lists. It’s important to know what works for you and what adds to your life,” she points out.

Cosio and Ty-Nilo list down some popular journaling methods:

• Morning pages is a technique that involves dumping all your thoughts, stream of consciousness-style, traditionally onto three pages of paper, first thing in the morning.
• Dialogue journaling is a continuous written exchange between two people about experiences, ideas, or reflections.
• Prompts is a technique that basically utilizes a question, or prompt, which the writer then has to answer.
• Bullet journaling, or BuJo in journaling communities, is an entirely customizable technique, and requires you to draw out and section your journal yourself. It usually combines a to-do list, weekly or monthly calendar, notes, and health and goal trackers, with the addition of any other sections you can think of.
• Junk journaling uses recycled or found items, or junk, to create a journal.
• Art journaling involves using color, words, and images for the purpose of self-expression.
• Memory keeping focuses on recording memories, experiences, and anything else the writer would want to preserve.
• Nature journaling involves recording observations, thoughts, ideas, questions, and explanations about nature or the natural world.
• Media journaling focuses on the media that is consumed—thoughts and reflections on videos, music, TV shows, music, and the like.
• Scrapbooking documents certain events or periods in time by collecting and compiling photos, memorabilia, décor, and written journal passages.
• Travel journaling involves creating a record of experiences, thoughts, and feelings during a trip.

“There isn’t a single perfect method for everyone,” explains Ty-Nilo. “It’s really what one person makes of it. There are many different ways to bring out emotions or thoughts. It may sound complicated though, but it’s really all about creating a safe space for yourself, and really being open to understanding yourself and facing your truths.”

How to get started

If you’re ready to step into the world of journaling and begin your own practice, but don’t know where to start, our experts have tips for you. 

It may be daunting, but keep in mind that journaling can—and should be—fun and enjoyable, and can be a great outlet for both creative release and self-reflection. “Journal because you want to try it as a tool for you to understand yourself better,” advises Ty-Nilo. “Having a better grasp on who you are will allow you to navigate life better.” Read on for some tips from our experts.

1. Get yourself a journal you like.

It might seem frivolous to some, but working with something you really like just makes you want to keep showing up. “It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but it helps [if you] like the cover. You will want to keep journaling if you like the journal you are using,” shares Cosio.

2. Start with some journaling prompts.

In both Cosio and Ty-Nilo’s experiences, using prompts to kickstart the journaling process is always a good idea. “Based on my personal experience and what I’ve seen with my workshop attendees,” Ty-Nilo shares, “is that adding a question before you start is very effective in helping bring out concerns.” She goes on to say that with prompts, the writer is usually surprised with what comes out. “It’s usually something that a person may unconsciously sweep under the rug, but needs to come out to be handled.”

Cosio suggests starting with easy prompts such as: things I am grateful for today; highlights of the day or week; what’s new (in my life); high point of the day and low point of the day; things I am currently loving, reading, watching, making, etc. 

She shares that she usually tells her workshop participants to fill the first with an introduction, as if you’re meeting yourself for the first time. “You can paste a photo of yourself or an image of an object that somehow represents you. Then write down five things you like about yourself,” she says. 

3. Add fun stuff if you want.

“Part of what makes a habit fun, interesting, and therapeutic is adding stickers, photos, images, or even drawings on your journal pages,” Cosio says. So go ahead, and go wild. There are no rules!

4. Make it easy.

Cosio suggests keeping your journaling supplies, such as your journal, pens, stickers, art materials, in one place, so you spend more time journaling and less time running around trying to locate them. “I suggest having a journaling bag or box or basket—something you already own,” she says. “Use that to store everything you need when you journal, so when it’s time to do it, you simply stay in one spot with your supplies within reach.”

5. Fit it into your daily—or weekly—routine.

“Whether you choose to do it daily, once a week or twice a week, set a day and time when you will sit with your journal,” Cosio advises. ‘If you do it often enough, eventually, your body and mind will look for it.”

It all boils down to you

Like anything that involves self-work and reflection, journaling won’t come easy. Oftentimes, the biggest lessons are learned in the middle of the journey, when things seem scary and unclear. If you’re struggling while journaling, and pushing through pain to keep at it, take heart. That usually means you’re at the brink of a breakthrough. And when you slice through the haziness and agony, with the clouds and darkness clearing, the skies—and your mind—will be clear, and you’ll be able to see the bigger picture—your life—in its entirety.