I’ve been journaling nearly my whole adult life. Consistently for over 30 years. When Julia Cameron published The Artist’s Way in 1992, she introduced the idea of “morning pages” to the world. Three pages of stream of consciousness first thing in the morning, written by hand. I did morning pages religiously every morning for decades, even though I had to wake up before 5am to do it. It’s become such a ritual for me that I can’t imagine NOT journaling in some way first thing in the morning. The few times I miss it, something feels off.
Journaling can help because getting things out of your head and down on paper provides a totally different perspective.
There’s no right or wrong way to journal. In fact, there are many different types of journaling practices that can be fun to try. The morning pages style is great for first thing in the morning. Sometimes I capture dreams I might not remember. Sometimes I’m just complaining about the same thing morning after morning, which ultimately leads me to take some action on it.
But there are other styles of journaling, like answering prompts, loop-journaling, manifestation/visualizing journaling, the mind-mosaic, and more.
Three Ways Journaling Helps Your Mental Health 
- Solve complex challenges. When you write about an issue, the solution for a complex challenge often suddenly becomes obvious. This is because the act of writing can get you in a state of flow, and from that place your higher self can channel ideas through you. It’s like being with a great coach who knows how to hold space for you, knowing that the answers are within you. It’s always surprising to see people state solutions that seem so obvious during a coaching session, even though they’ve been struggling with the issue on their own. Journaling can help you do this on your own, if you develop a regular practice.
- Increase clarity. One of the best times to lean on your journal is when you’re filled with uncertainty about what action to take. Many things become clearer when you can get them down in writing. This was certainly true for me when I was going through the emotional rollercoaster of menopause. Journaling is the first thing I suggest for my clients when they are experiencing the existential angst, hormonal changes, empty-nesting, aging parents, and life purpose/career issues that all seem to hit at the same time.
- Validate your progress. Sometimes we feel like we’re spinning our wheels and not making genuine progress. When you’re feeling this way, go back and review your old journal entries. Or schedule a time once a week to intentionally journal about what you did get done that week. We tend to be our own worst critics and focus on our faults. Journaling can help us see objectively that we are actually making progress, even if they are baby steps. Because baby steps add up to huge strides.
How to Start a Journal
You might envision creating a journal in a one of those blank books you can pick up in the bookstore. While that might have a romantic feel to it, it’s really more important to pick something that you love and that feels good to write in. I can’t tell you how many ‘fancy’ journals I’ve purchased but then I don’t like the way the paper feels to write on, or the book doesn’t lay flat.
The most important thing about getting started journaling by hand is to choose something that inspires you and doesn’t intimidate you. Don’t buy a fancy journal if you don’t want to ruin the first blank page. Start with a cheap spiral notebook. Or use printer paper hole-punched for a binder, which is what I did for years.
While I’m a huge believer in writing by hand, a lot of people prefer journaling by typing. If you can type as fast as you can think, then this can also have the same benefits. You can get started for free with Google Drive by creating a folder and opening a new doc each day. Or a lot of people love using Notion for daily journaling. Even my Momentum home page has a place for daily notes that can be used as a journal.
Make Journaling a Habit to Help Your Mental Health 
Experiment with when to journal until you find the best fit for you. Not everyone likes to journal first thing in the morning. A lot of people like to journal before bed, thinking back over the day and preparing for the next day. That not only has mental health benefits but also improves your sleep quality.
Experiment with where to journal. You might like to create a sacred space with candles, crystals, soft music. You might like to be outside inspired by nature. Or maybe sitting at your desk on the computer. The key is to find a place that you can use every day so that you can create a habit.
Keep a list of journaling prompts or techniques to try with you in the beginning. This will help you when you feel writer’s block staring at a blank page and don’t know what to write about.
Get started with your journal today. It’s an activity that has little to no cost but provides numerous mental health benefits. You’ll see your clarity increase and have a much better sense of just how much progress you really are making in your life.