We recently asked some of our top fans about their journaling experience and the impact it has had on their life, and were met with a range of journeys. All were unique and inspiring, yet they shared one thing in common, and that was their absolute love of journaling.

The women we interviewed all had different experiences with how their journaling practice began. One has been journaling from an early age as a child, a few avid journalers started in their youth, and a couple started their journey only recently.

Why you should start journaling

Journaling is a fantastic tool in diving deep to refocus, rediscover and reflect on life’s ‘aha’ moments. By finding a safe place to journal, you can create a little sacred space for whenever you need to carve out time just for yourself.

Journaling is a beautiful way to document, appreciate and learn about yourself, and throughout the process, you will be able to look over these treasured journals to track your growth.

"It has given me a daily source of inner reflection, ways to articulate my feelings, and reduce stress. I definitely notice the difference in how I feel if I miss a few days of journaling!"
Tara Kate

How to start journaling

From chatting with our journaling fans, it's clear to us that you can start your own journaling journey at any point in your life. There's no 'right' time to begin - all you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and a few minutes to write out your thoughts.

One thing these fans do if they're stuck with what to write, is to practise gratitude through journaling. Simply by writing down a few things you're grateful and thankful for that day, can spark you into the flow and before you know it, you'll have written a few pages!

We've collated journaling tips and tricks to inspire your own journey! So if you're keen to dabble in journal writing, whether writing a few lines each day or embarking on a journey of deeper discovery, read on!

5 tips to becoming a journaling extraordinaire:

1. Start… just start - Have you ever put something off for so long, and you end up doing it hours, days, weeks… months later? Just to realise when you began that it was no big deal? Start small with journaling, even sparing one minute of your day to practice gratitude… there’s no right or wrong way!

2. Be kind to yourself - You are only starting out and learning something new, so relieve that pressure from your shoulders and realise that just by beginning, you are achieving so much! The only way is up.

3. Be honest & write freely - Remember this journey is between you and your journal, so write until your heart, mind and soul are content. Overthinking the words can sometimes stunt your thought process, so let the words flow free of judgement from wondering what someone else might think - write just for you!

4. Progress not perfection - This is a key thought to remember with journaling. There is no perfect way of doing it, everyone is unique, so keep persevering with whatever feels right for you, and you will begin to experience and notice the benefits.

5. Give yourself a break - Find a journal that speaks to you, a pretty pen, your fave cuppa and a cosy nook to practice this beautiful ritual of putting pen to paper. But don't stress! If you can't find the 'perfect' journal, any notepad or notebook will do. As we said in tip number 1 - just start!

We want to send a big thank you to Lisa Wells, Caitlin Schaefer, Christie Pabari, Tarie L-C, Melissa Malone and Tara Kate for opening up about their own journaling journeys and inspiring this blog. We hope you've loved their tips and tricks!

Feeling inspired to get into journal writing? Discover our journaling collection or read more tips for starting your journaling journey on the Intrinsic Blog.