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If you’re struggling with addiction or experiencing other mental health issues, it can feel like your thoughts are jumbled or that you can’t focus on what you’re really feeling or thinking. You may experience anxiety or racing thoughts or have difficulty recognizing the positive experiences you have. Journaling offers a way to express yourself and get your thoughts and feelings out on paper, where they may seem more manageable. Guided journaling, specifically, can help you see your progress toward your goals and record milestones. Find out how to start journaling for mental health and how guided journals can provide journaling ideas and journaling prompts to help you get started.
What Is Guided Journaling?
Guided journaling is a writing practice that uses structured journaling prompts, questions, and ideas to explore your thoughts, feelings, and motivations. In contrast to other methods — such as free writing, where you just write whatever comes to mind for a set timeframe — guided journaling often centers around a specific theme or goal. For example, you may decide to begin a guided journaling practice to add more gratitude to your life, identify the thoughts behind maladaptive behavior patterns, or connect more with your faith.
Guided journaling, in particular, can be beneficial for those who are new to the practice or who experience “blank page syndrome.” Blank page syndrome is feeling like you can’t start writing because you want it to be perfect or because there are too many possibilities for what to write and you can’t choose. Because guided journaling provides prompts and ideas to get you started, it’s ideal for those who are learning how to journal and want more structure on what to put down.
How to Start Journaling for Mental Health
Starting a journaling practice to improve your mental health is easier than you may think. All you really need is a piece of paper, something to write with, and a few quiet minutes to connect with your thoughts and feelings. If you want to start reaping the benefits of guided journaling, follow the steps below.
- Set an Intention
Guided journaling generally has a specific focus, theme, or goal. It can help to spend some time thinking about — maybe even using the first page of your journal — what you want to get out of the practice. You don’t necessarily need to have a big goal, such as reducing stress or feelings of anxiety. You can start with something as small as “spend five minutes every evening reflecting on my day.” Choosing a specific theme or intention, such as gratitude, can also help you focus your practice and remind you why you started on days when the words aren’t flowing. - Gather Supplies
Many people enjoy picking out a new journal that’s aesthetically pleasing and reflects their goals. You can find guided journals online and at bookstores, but you don’t have to buy anything to start your practice. A spiral notebook you have already lying around or even a few sheets of looseleaf paper are enough to get started. If you want more structure, you could print out a free journaling template online or create your own tailored to your goals.
Similarly, you may want to purchase a new set of pens or pencils that you only use for journaling, or you can use whatever happens to be closest at the moment. Using what you have on hand can make guided journaling more accessible and lower the pressure so you’re free to write down your true thoughts and feelings without needing to make them “perfect” or “worthy.”
If writing isn’t your thing or you find it difficult to put your thoughts on paper, consider using your phone’s camera or voice notes feature to record a video or voice journal. There are also guided journaling apps that can send you reminders to help you stay on track. - Let Go of Any Rules
The most important thing to remember when doing any type of journaling is that there is no “right” way to journal. It’s your practice, and it can be whatever you want it to be as long as it serves you. If you don’t feel like writing on a certain day, try sketching instead. Or you could write down just one word or sentence. Let go of any perfectionist tendencies you may have, and remember that this is for you, and you get to make up — and break — all the rules.
Different Types of Guided Journals
Guided journals are available on nearly every topic you can think of, including:
- Self-care journals. These journals often have a space to record your mood or the highs and lows of each day. They may also have a spot to track how much water you drank or how many hours of sleep you got. Prompts might explore what makes you feel most grounded and refreshed or how to set boundaries.
- Gratitude journals. Guided journals focusing on gratitude have space to record a few things you’re grateful for each day. They may also have journaling prompts to consider how challenges help you grow or what obstacles you’ve overcome lately.
- Sleep/dream journals. Sleep and dream journals go beyond the basics of tracking how much and how well you sleep. They may have a nighttime window checklist or give you space to record and reflect on your dreams upon waking.
- Habit tracking journals. These journals often have space to list and track a few habits you’re working on. They also may include some pages on exploring what habits are working and not working in your life and what your motivation for change is.
- Mindfulness journals. A mindfulness journal can help you learn to be present in the moment and appreciate everything each day brings — good and bad. Prompts often focus on journaling about a small but impactful moment in your day, and these journals may have a place to list distracting thoughts to help you stay focused.
Mental Health Benefits of Journaling
Journaling isn’t just good for helping you set and achieve goals; it can also have a positive effect on your mental health. Journaling can help you decrease depression symptoms and feelings of stress and anxiety. It can also help you encourage more positive thought processes, such as gratitude.
Journaling does this in a couple of ways. First, it lets you get your fears and negative thoughts out on paper. Sometimes, once you have those thoughts written down, it’s easier to see where you’re catastrophizing or stuck in a negative feedback loop. Other times, just getting the thoughts out can give your brain a break and let you move on to thinking about more positive or productive things.
Journaling also gives you a way to record positive feelings and events in your life. The brain is hardwired to remember things that went wrong as a survival mechanism to ensure you don’t repeat actions that lead to unwanted outcomes. However, this means that the positives often get lost in the process. Recording happy moments or things you’re grateful for in your journal provides a way for you to look back and see the good things that happened and the challenges and fears you’ve overcome, helping to shift your mindset and build resilience.
Tips for Staying Consistent
Starting a journaling practice is like any other habit — it takes time and consistency to develop. These tips can help you turn journaling into a lifelong self-care practice:
- Pick a specific time or place. Doing your journaling practice in the same setting can help make it part of your routine. But don’t hold too tightly to this because it can lead to not journaling at all if the conditions aren’t just right. For example, journaling for a few minutes in your car before heading to work is better than nothing and can help you keep the habit.
- Set the mood. You may want to have a specific playlist you listen to while journaling, or you could light a candle to signify to your body and brain that it’s time for some introspection. Even something as small as having a cup of tea can help you settle into your practice.
- Create short goals. When you’re beginning a new habit, you need quick wins. Look for shorter themed journals — many are designed to be used for just one to three months, so you always have something fresh to look forward to.
- Reward yourself. Establishing any new habit can be challenging, and giving yourself rewards along the way can help you stay motivated. Consider small rewards, such as a coffee from your favorite shop or a new set of pens, when you reach certain milestones, such as journaling seven days in a row.
Remember to be kind to yourself throughout the process. You’re learning something new, and you’re taking steps to benefit your long-term mental and emotional health.
