How to Engage Your Heart and Sustain Your Journaling Habit
By: Jared R Chaffee
Tags: Mental Health, Self Improvement, Personal Development, Writing, Journal

Here my recommendations, the strategies I implemented to sustain my journaling habit:

Keep Your Heart and Brain Engaged

The goal here is not only to bolster your habit, but to also keep your brain and heart engaged. I want you to feel journaling’s full impact every time you write. If journaling becomes a mindless activity, it will lose its effectiveness and be a waste of time.

Allocate time to get it done

First things first, carve out time in your day to sit down and write. Then follow through and do it. If you have a morning routine, I suggest starting there. If not, think about when you have some quiet time without distraction to get this done.

I’ve found this works best if it’s at the same time every day. This removes any risk of decision fatigue, reducing the chances of skipping or forgetting. Say to yourself, “It’s [blank] o’clock, time to journal. No excuses.”

I’ve also found nighttime works well. It gives you an opportunity to review the day, reflect on how it went, and what you could have done better.

Morning journaling is more about stream of consciousness, exploring deeper feelings and staying present. Evening journaling is more about goal setting and clearing distractions from the day. Try experimenting with different times of day to see what sticks.

Keep your journaling time structured

It’s important to provide structure to your journaling. This ensures you’re not sitting there staring at a blank page or screen without much of an idea on what to do.

Here are some various methods to add structure:

Method 1: Use a journaling template. This looks like a series of questions with the same format every day. Here’s an example I use frequently. I’ll share more templates that work well in a later post in this series.

My daily journaling template.

Method 2: Use journaling prompts. Instead of using a template answering the same questions each day, try prompts instead. Prompts ask one daily question, and your answers will change depending on how you’re feeling and what’s on your mind. Try using the questions below to give it a try.

What did you dream about? What are your values and why? What journey are you on? I feel strong when… What is my fear telling me?

Method 3: Set a time or word count minimum to force you to devote the appropriate effort. Set goals for the amount of time you spend or the number of words you write. This will keep you on track and focused.

As you’re getting started it’s important to keep it simple and easy. Don’t design an overly complicated process while you’re still developing the habit. You will have plenty of time to try new things and accelerate your habit later. Right now just focus on getting the habit going.

Try a journaling app so you can do it on the go

You might have heard people advocating for the old-school use of pen and paper for journaling. It apparently engages the brain in a different way, enabling us to reap more benefits from journaling than typing. But this is where I differ.

I exclusively use the Bear note-taking app on my iPad to journal. I prefer using an app because I’m a slow writer and I have such fast-moving thoughts, I need to type them out before they leave my head. Also, my morning is already time-constrained so this helps me be most efficient. Another benefit is that I can use the app on the go, so I can keep the habit going even if I don’t have a journaling notebook with me.

While journaling with pen and paper may work best, typing it out is still impactful. As the saying goes, “don’t let perfect stand in the way of good.” If you can develop your journaling habit with pen and paper, that’s great. If not, use an app and get typing.

Don’t break the chain

You can develop habits using numerous tips and tricks. James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits is a great resource for developing habits.

I keep my habit by using a concept called “not breaking the chain.” I use a habit tracking app called Way of Life. This app shows your chosen habits over a week and allows you to “check off” each one when you complete it. The habits you completed will show up as green days, or red days if you didn’t complete the habit. The goal is to see an endless green row. It also has a “chains” feature which shows a number next to the habit indicating how many days you’ve completed in a row and your personal record. The goal is to set a new personal record each day, keeping the chain going.

I love to see all green. On the weekends, I sometimes sleep late and get distracted with tasks as soon as I wake up. My journaling time gets away from me. But once I check my Way of Life app, the thought of marking the day red makes me squirm. I force myself to sit down and get it done, and I instantly feel better.

Way of Life iPhone app. Graphic by author.

Journaling may feel uncomfortable at first, but stick with it

If you haven’t written at length before, journaling may feel uncomfortable at first. It’s okay if your writing doesn’t sound like the professional writing you’re used to in books.

Don’t worry how it sounds; it’s for no one but you.

The goal with your journaling should be to clear your head of distractions, getting your thoughts out on a page so they can free up your mental capacity to focus on the present moment. So there really is no need to go back and re-read your entries.

Unless you’re tracking goals or a task list, the sheer act of getting your thoughts onto the page is enough to release their power over you. Looking back and reviewing past entries is unnecessary, at least for now. So carry on writing, regardless of how you think you sound.

Feel the impact journaling has on your life

Another great way to sustain your habit is to reflect on how it’s made a positive impact on your life. This might feel like a circular reference, but you can use your journaling to reflect on your journaling.

Ask yourself the questions below. Think about how you’ve changed since you started. For the first month, check in with yourself weekly. As you notice the positive benefits, use the resulting motivation to help keep it going.