5 Types of Journaling

Journaling is a useful way of getting your thoughts down on paper, relieving stress and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Alongside other methods, journalling is a great way to be mindful and become more aware of yourself. You can monitor yourself and the way you are changing and developing, but which type of journaling should you try? 

“Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day.” ― Glen Cook, Sweet Silver Blues

Morning pages

This is a good way to create a habit and stick to it. Although people are encouraged to wake up slightly earlier to write down their thoughts and feelings for the day, it doesn't matter if you forget or don't have time. You can always catch up later, although it's a good idea to make a note of the time for future reference. 

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” – Brene Brown

Gratitude journals

A good idea for people who are trying to become more positive or build positive habits, a gratitude journal allows you to record all the things you are thankful for. These could vary each day, or it could be that you are thankful for similar things each and every day. Even if you never read it back, it's a good exercise to remember your blessings. 

"Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don't mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime." -Rachel Wolchin

Single words

For people who don't feel like they will have enough time to commit each day to keeping a full diary or journal, you can start out using single words. Think about one word that describes how you're feeling that day, and write it down alongside the date. As the weeks go by, you may find that you notice patterns, or you might become curious about your own feelings and start keeping a more detailed journal. 

Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks. - Yo-Yo Ma

Creative journals

As well as writing the facts about you and your life, you can experiment with your creative side when using this journalling style. You can either use creative tools such as paints and pencils to demonstrate with art how you feel, or you can write short pieces of music to describe your emotions. 

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” – Dorothea Lange

Photograph journals

In the age of technology, it's perfectly reasonable to take a photo of yourself every morning or evening and keep a diary. You can either do this by keeping them in an individual folder on your phone or computer with a short description for each one, of you can print them in batches and keep them in a scrapbook with a few sentences to describe how you were feeling that particular day. 

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