What is Journaling? 100 Journal Prompts, Ideas, Quotes, Tips & Benefits in 2020

I began keeping a journal in 2018 and it’s one decision that I am forever grateful I made. Journaling is amazing and that’s why today, I’ve decided to teach you all about journaling; What is journaling, how to start journaling, journaling ideas & prompts.

Most people think it’s an onerous task and this thought I believe is borne out of them having little to no idea of what is journaling or where and how to start journaling. Let me show you simple ways to keep a journal.

What is journaling and how do you do it?

Remember I promised to keep this simple and easy to understand right?, so rather than delve into “The many definitions” of journaling, I will tell you what journaling is to me in the simplest terms.

Journaling is basically a documentation of your life actions/activities, ideas, feelings and more. Yes, it’s that simple!

What’s the difference between journaling and keeping a diary?

Most people confuse journaling to be the same thing as keeping a diary. Although both are synonymous, there’s a difference in the purpose each serves. A diary is a personal book where daily thoughts and events you want to remember are written down. A journal, on the other hand, is everything a diary is and much more as it encompasses more than just events and thoughts, A journal is deeper because it can be used to evaluate one’s life, progress in personal growth and even more intimate things like mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression. etc. Simply put, a journal holds more significant experiences.

Types of Journals

Dream Journal

A dream journal is used to keep records of one’s subconsciousness. This type of journal is loved and kept by those who easily forget their dreams and prefer to write in down and evaluate it much later.

Pregnancy Journal

A pregnancy journal is a documented journal of events, things, cravings, challenges and more experience through-out pregnancy. A pregnancy journal can help you understand your pregnancy better and help you prepare for the next.

Prayer Journal

A prayer journal is where you document your prayer ideas, prayer points and requests. You can set a daily, weekly or monthly prayer journal. A prayer journal is pretty cool and I hope to start keeping one soon.

Gratitude Journal

Hands down my favourite type of journaling. I am big on gratitude, it’s one habit I’m grateful I developed. A gratitude journal is an entry of the things you are grateful for. This journal comes in handy on horrible days, as you can easily read through the amazing things that have happened to you and that you are grateful for and feel better.

Related: 5 Ways To Practice Gratitude & Have Happier Days

Reading Journal

For all book lovers, a book journal is where you record the books you’ve read, your thoughts and feelings on the book, emotional connections developed with a character and lessons learnt from them.

Reflective Journal

A reflective journal serves as a “Look-back” tool where you can evaluate your actions and behaviors through the ages. It also serves as a place to express your no-holds-barred feelings and reflect on them

Travel Journal

A travel journal is used to record travel experiences; places, cultures, people, food, etc.

What is a bullet journal?

Popularly known as BuJo (an abbreviated form of bullet journal), Bullet journals have gained widespread popularity as the best way to deal with stress, chaos and anxiety.

The Bullet Journal is an analog system created by Ryder Carroll, a Designer based in New York. In his words, the Bullet Journal is meant “to help you track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.” It’s an amazing system that keeps a record of everything you could ever want to toss at it.

https://www.tinyrayofsunshine.com/blog/bullet-journal-guide

Psychologists opine that a bullet journal helps you to externalize and break down your thoughts, hence reducing the mental stress which in turn improves clarity, concentration and productivity.

Related: 5 Ways to Elevate Your Life in 2020

Are you at lost on what to write in your journal? Don’t fret, it happens to most beginners. There are several journal ideas and prompts you can use when writing a journal.

However, my best advice for begineers is to simply write about your feelings, your experiences, your thoughts, your wants. Write it all out.

“A personal journal is an ideal environment in which to become. It is a perfect place for you to think, feel, discover, expand, remember, and dream.”

Brad Wilcox

Journaling Prompts For Self Discovery

Curious about knowing yourself better, then try journaling with these self discovery prompts.

1. What your name means
2. Your life’s mission statement
3. What purpose do you wish to fulfil?
4. Your best food
5. Your favourite music genre
6. Your favourite movie genre
7. What thrills you?
8. what’s your favourite way to spend your day?
9. Your travel wish-list
10. How do you show yourself love and care?
11. Make a list of people & things that inspire you
12. What do you consider to be your best traits
13. What traits will you like to change about yourself
14. What makes you unhappy
15. What makes you happy
16. Write a letter to your younger self
17. Write a letter to yourself (5 years from today)
18. If you had 10 million dollars, what and who will you spend it on?
19. Write about how you feel about different parts of your body and why you feel so.
20. What’s your most embarrassing moment?
21. Describe yourself in 10 words?
22. What would be your picture-perfect life?
23. What are your strengths & weaknesses?
24. Who do you care about the most and why?
25. Write down a list of things you are proud of
26. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
27. Write what you wish others knew about you.
28. What’s your biggest drive/motivation?
29. Something you are not proud of?
30. What do you look at for in people?

Journal prompts for anxiety

1. What triggers your anxiety?
2. Write down grudges you hold & let them go
3. Music that calms my anxiety.
4. Write a letter to someone who’s bringing negative energy into your space.
5. Are you hurting? Write down the cause.
6. Remember your best birthday and write it down
7. Write down memories from the last 72 hours that made you smile
8. Write down the things you stress about even when you know they are beyond your control.
9. Make a gratitude list and remember the things to be grateful for.
10. Write down some positive affirmations and remember that you are strong & amazing.

Journaling Prompts for Business

1. List 3 ways you want to improve your business
2. Write 5 things you love about your business
3. When you think of your business, write down the first thing to comes to mind.
4. Write about your start-up journey.
5. Write down 3 daily tasks to carry out to make your business better.
6. Write down your business goals
7. What do you want people to remember your business for? i.e your legacy.
8. Write down some milestones reached.
9. write down your best memory since you began your business
10. What makes you feel accomplished?

Journaling Prompts for Stress

1. Write down something you accomplished today that you are proud of.
2. Make a list of the things stressing you out.
3. Write down solutions and ways to minimize stress
4. Write down 5 ways to be more organized
5. What challenges did you face today and how did you overcome them? If you haven’t, then write how you intend to.

Self Isolation Journal Prompts

Related: Millenials & the toxic hustle culture

1. List 5 new things you’ve observed about yourself while in lockdown.
2. How do you feel about social distancing?
3. List 10 things you are glad you no longer do/go through since the lockdown started.
4. What has the lockdown taught you?
5. Things you’ve been taking solace in while stuck at home.
6. write down one thing that has been keeping you entertained
7. What do you miss most about going out & interacting with people?
8. What has been the worst part about being in self-isolation?
9. Write a list of the people you miss right now and what you want to say to them.
10. Just go ahead and rant it down! (do a total brain dump)

Journal Prompts for Self Love

1. Your favourite part of body
2. List out your best physical features
3. What are you proud of?
4. How would you describe your personality?
5. What’s the most amazing thing you’ve done for yourself?
6. List out 3 times you let yourself/needs come first.
7. What does your ideal day look like?
8. What do you consider your greatest asset?
9. List out 5 people that mae you truly happy.
10. List out 5 people that make you unhappy & are toxic. Then write how to eliminate them from your mindspace.
11. What’s your favourite thing to do to treat yourself?
12. List out your best skills & talents.
13. Write down the lyrics to your favourite song
14. What traits do you admire most?
15. List 5 new habits you want to develop & write how you intend to develop them.
16. Compose a poem/song about yourself, using your features, traits and favourite things.
17. What’s the one thing you will never give up?
18. Rate your self-confidence
19. Rate your sense of self-worth & how to build it up if need be.
20. Write down your happiest memories

Journaling Prompts for Gratitude

1. What are you thankful for?
2. List out the best things that happened to you this week.
3. Write down your favourite bible verse & why.
4. What helps you relax?
5. How has God come through for you recently?
6. Write a random thing you are grateful for.
7. What are grateful for about your family & friends?
8. Write the times you’ve felt sad, alone, depressed and what changed those negatives to positives.
9. What habits have you developed within the last year that you are grateful.
10. Write a vote of thanks to yourself because you are amazing.

Journaling Tips & Tricks

if you follow some of the things you see when you search what is journaling, you might never get to start journaling because sometimes it looks like it’s difficult to start journaling.

Truth us it isn’t. Over the years, i have learnt some tips & tricks that have greatly improved my journaling habit.

1. Unfailingly write something in your journal daily
2. Make your journal to taste. You can design & decorate or leave plain. Just do whatever suits you.
3. Personalise the way your journal. You don’t have to limit it to just words, add drawing if you feel so. Print and paste photos as well. Just make it yours in and out.
4. Set a daily journaling alarm. Some days can be overwhelming and journaling may skip your mind. But if you have an alarm, you are sure to remember.
5. I advise people to get moderate-sized journals especially a size that fits into your favourite bag, that way, you can carry your journal along with you.

There’s no set rule on what is journaling and how you should journal. So just do you and if you need some inspiration, check these some journaling quotes below.

Quotes on Journaling

1. “In the journal, I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.” Susan Sontag
2. ” I can shake off everything as I write,
3. “The only thing I have done religiously in my life is keep a journal, I have hundreds of them, filled with feathers, flowers, photographs, and words – without locks, open on my shelves.” Terry Tempest Williams
4. “Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.” Robin Sharma
5. “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” William Wordsworth
6. “I don’t journal to ‘be productive.’ I don’t do it to find great ideas or to put down prose I can later publish. The pages aren’t intended for anyone but me. It’s the most cost-effective therapy I’ve ever found.” Tim Ferriss

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