Do it for yourself journal

Guided Journaling: Everything You Need To Know

Published Sep 9th, 2019 & updated on Jan 10th, 2022

*Hint, it’s journaling.*

What if that practice could also help you better understand your emotions, work through your relationship problems and even help you build the life you have always wanted?

Better yet, what if that practice didn’t require anything fancy and could be done with items that you have kicking around your office, house or even in your handbag/backpack at this moment?

Since you actively clicked on this article, you know where I’m heading with this.

Journaling… Journaling is the practice I’m talking about.

Introducing You to…Journaling!

Here at DiveThru, journaling is sort of our whole thing. We’re all about journaling because it changed our founder’s life. She was in a place where her mind felt like a fragile place to exist. Her thoughts were all consuming, and her body was suffering. Yet, on the outside looking in, she was doing all of the things she should and shouldn’t be doing.

After a life-shattering panic attack, she realized she needed to make a change.

Journaling was a large part of that change.

As she began to piece her life back together, journaling became her go to. She experienced the benefits that journaling could have in her life, and she wanted to share that with the world.

Whether you need a life-changing practice or are simply looking to feel better in your day-to-day life, journaling can be an excellent tool that can help you DiveThru what you’re going thru (interested in what we mean by that statement? (Click here to learn more about our mission.)

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about journaling. We explore what journaling is, and identify the benefits that are associated with journaling. We answer the questions people often have when starting a journaling practice and provide you with journaling prompts to help you get started. Lastly, we cover the steps for starting a journaling practice and go over tips to maximize your efforts.

(Want to get started with your journaling practice right away? Download the DiveThru app here!)

Yup, you’ve got some reading ahead.

Let’s DiveThru, shall we?

What Is Journaling?

Merriam Webster says journaling is the act of recording your experiences, ideas or reflections.

While this is a basic description, it does a great job at showing how simple journaling truly is. There are no secret formulas. There’s no trap door or secret magic trick. If you want to start a journaling practice, all you do is… well, write shit down!

Okay, fine, there’s some other stuff you should know.

Firstly, you might ask why we’d bother to record our experiences, ideas or reflections? And, science has some answers.

What Are the Benefits of Journaling?

The. secret. is. out… Journaling is real good for you. By turning to the Google machine, you’ll uncover article upon article that discusses, in depth, the many benefits associated with journaling.

Here are our favourites that Psych Central explored:

1. Clarify Your Thoughts and Feelings

You’ve got thoughts floating around in your mind and feelings running rampant within…or, wherever we feel our feelings. Journaling has been shown to help us make sense of the thoughts we’re thinking and the feelings we’re feeling. We could all do with some of that.

2. Get To Know Yourself Better

You’d think we understand the person we spend every moment with… Ourselves. But, sometimes it feels like we have no idea who we are. Journaling routinely can help you better understand yourself. Naturally, understanding yourself a bit (or a whole lot) better will improve your overall quality of life.

3. Reduce Stress

The kids are stressed. We’re the kids. I’m talking about us. Yup, you and me! When we turn to journaling to explore our emotions, we help release their intensity.

4. Solve Problems More Effectively

As a society, we have created a world where problem-solving is often only done from a left-brained, analytical perspective. However, sometimes we have to engage our right-brained more creative and intuitive self. Journaling unlocks this side of our brain and allows us the opportunity for unexpected solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.

5. Resolve Interpersonal Conflicts

People sometimes, amirite? Journaling can help. When we write about misunderstandings with others rather than stewing in them, we help ourselves understand another’s point of view. Why aren’t they teaching this in school?!

Commonly Asked Questions About Journaling

Now that you’re totally and completely bought into the power of journaling, you might have some questions. When you start something new, it’s natural for there to be things you’re unsure about. We don’t know what we don’t know. So, let’s go through some questions we commonly get asked:

1. When should I journal?

Okay, brace yourself for the answer. It’s complex. It’s customized for you… The best time to journal is whenever you can.

Yup, it’s as easy as that. Whenever you can make time to journal is the best time to journal.

Here at DiveThru, we encourage our team to journal about personal experience in the morning and before bed. During working hours, we recommend one another turn to our journal whenever an obstacle presents itself and at the end of their day.

Yup, we’re into journaling.

2. How long should I journal?

There is research that shows that journaling for as little as 15 to 20 minutes a day three to five times throughout four months was enough to impact one’s physical wellbeing, positively.

But, here at DiveThru, we just want you to journal. Like, please. Please journal. It’s real good for you.

Any time you can take for introspection is time well spent. Whether it be a quick check-in or a meaty journaling session, you’ll pull something from it — and we hope that’s enough to motivate you to journalllllllllllll.

3. What do I need to journal?

To successfully journal, the journal must choose its master. We once knew someone who’s journal was made out of holly with a phoenix tail at its core…

Oh no… Wait… we’re thinking of what Harry Potter needed to overthrow He Who Must Not Be Named.

To journal? You just need a piece of paper and a pen. Super simple!

4. What should I journal about?

We find that this is the question we get asked the most. With that in mind, read on for some journaling prompts that will help you get started:

Get Started With 5 Simple Journaling Prompts

When starting your journey, it’s important to ease yourself in your practice. Here are 5 simple journaling prompts to get you started:

1. How am I doing?

You’d be surprised at what comes up when you answer this simple question honestly. To answer it effectively, take a moment to check in with yourself. Take a breath and notice any thoughts floating around, any feelings you’re experiencing and just how you’re doing at that moment.

2. What am I grateful for?

Taking time to practice gratitude will change your life. Plain and simple. It’s why we include a daily check-in within the DiveThru app for our Divers.

3. I currently feel….

When answering questions isn’t working, another way to start your journaling question is by completing sentences. By exploring how you feel through your journal, you can help yourself make sense of it.

4. What’s stressing you out currently?

We’re all about diving thru what you go thru so we couldn’t share five journaling prompts without a question that requires exploring some more in-depth stuff. By being honest with yourself about what’s currently stressing you out, you take a step towards better managing it.

5. How do I feel about myself?

Journaling about how you feel about yourself can result in some tears. But, we’re all about that. We also find that taking the time to journal about how you feel about yourself opens the doors to other topics you’ll realize you have to DiveThru!

Introducing The DiveThru App

As we said, we’re big fans of journaling – and that’s why we created our very own guided journaling app. When people look to start a journaling practice, they often don’t know what to journal.

That’s where we come in!

We work with mental health professionals to create guided journaling exercises that help you take charge of your mental wellbeing.

Within the DiveThru app, you’ll find over 300 journaling exercises on a range of topics, from everyday stressors to specific ‘I can’t believe this happened to me’ moments.

Best part? The DiveThru app is free to download! You can download it by clicking here and get started today!

Guided Journaling vs Freestylin’

Remember when we said there is no right way to journal? Well, we stand by that! We really just want what’s best for your mental wellbeing and if that means freestylin’ your way through a journaling session, we fully support you. Can you do both though? ABSOLUTELY.

Our focus is on guided journaling because we want to create a mindful journey and a grounded experience from start to finish. S ome of you will know exactly what you need to DiveThru, but if you don’t, we will help you narrow it down. This means finding your journaling purpose by theme, by emotions or by general personal development. What’s available at your fingertips? Dives that focus on specific areas like parenthood or relationships, or dives based simply on how your stressors are making you feel that day.

Here’s the thing though.

Question prompts are not enough in our opinion so we created The DiveThru method. We take Divers through a guided introspection first, followed by handwritten journaling, a reflective exercise, a review of the thoughts on paper and a self-summary. Whoa. Talk about taking charge of your mental wellbeing.

4 Steps To Start a Journaling Practice

Now that you know what journaling is, the benefits, the answers to frequently asked questions as well as journaling prompts to get you started, let’s talk about how to set up your own journaling practice.

1. Pick Out a Beautiful Journal (or not)

Whenever you’re looking to form a new habit, it’s essential to set yourself up for success. Some of us may thrive from journaling in a super cute journal. Unfortunately, it won’t be made of holly and have a phoenix feather at its core, but a beautiful journal that reflects your personality could be what we need to jump-start your practice.

Or, it couldn’t, and scrap paper is all you need. That’s cool, too.

2. Carve Out Time in Your Schedule (and Add It to Your Calendar)

We’re busy. You’re busy. Everyone’s busy.

While it’s essential to recognize that taking time for yourself is a privilege that not all of us can afford, it’s important to be intentional with that privilege. We make time for what we make time for. We’d probably have a lot more time if we didn’t watch hours worth of Brooklyn Nine-Nine reruns, but here we are.

If you can, carve out time in your schedule for journaling. Add it into your calendar. Set up reminders for yourself. Be proactive in trying to make your journaling practice stick.

One thing our Divers love about the DiveThru app is that you can set a notification reminder for when you want to journal (or as we call it, DiveThru). You can download the DiveThru app and get started for free by clicking here.

3. Establish Your Why

There are motivations behind everything that we do. We watch reruns of Brooklyn Nine-Nine because it soothes our soul. We move our bodies because we love them (if your motives for exercise are a bit crueler than this reason, we have a Dive for that).

When it comes to sticking to your journaling practice, it’s crucial to establish your why. So, we’ll ask you… Why do you want to start a journaling practice?

5. Download a Journaling App

There’s an app for everything – including your journaling practice! While a lot of the journaling apps on the market get you to journal into the app, it’s best to find a hybrid.

Best part? It’s free to download and get started!

Still not convinced that journaling by hand is better than inputting it into an app? Let us convince you:

Why You Should Journal With Pen + Paper

As technology advances, a lot of things we once did will radically improve. While we are all for improvements, there are certain things that benefit us to do the ‘old school way’. Here’s why journaling is best done by connecting pen to paper:

1. Writing by Hand Forces You To Slow Down

We talk about how busy we are on this blog, a lot. As our lives get increasingly demanding, it’s important to take time to slow down. Journaling by hand helps us slow down. A psychologist at Yale told the New York Times that taking the time to writing things down forces you to focus on what’s important. And guess what’s important? You and what you’re going thru.

2. Writing by Hand Fully Engages Your Brain

While we may think that writing is a relatively simply act, it requires more of your motor skills, and a collection of links around your brain called the “reading circuit.” When activating these pathways, you’re able to better focus about the topic at hand.

3. Writing by Hand Calms Your Body and Nerves

Science tells us that writing by hand increases activity in the brain’s motor cortex resulting in an effect that’s similar to meditation. Because of this, journaling can help calm your body and nerves as it promotes mindfulness. Who doesn’t need some help with that?

4. Writing Helps You Remember Shit Better

We’ve got a lot of info to recall at all times. Writing by hand is proven to help increase your memory. A study published in Psychological Science had participants talk notes during a TED Talk. Half of the participants took notes via their laptop, and the other half by writing by hand. The researchers then tested them on the information in the lecture. They found that both parties remembered facts (such as dates) but the hand writers better understood the conceptual questions.

What does this mean? Taking the time to write by hand helps you slow down, process and reframe information in your own words which is proven to be more helpful.

Now that we have convinced you of the magic of journaling by hand, you may still be coming up with questions or barriers in your mind that could derail your practice or minimize the benefits. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one, so see below for some tips, tricks and best practices to make it easier to get started and get you in the flow.”

Journaling Best Practices

While there’s really no way you could mess up your journaling practice, there are some best practice tips that will maximize the time you spend journaling.

1. Ignore Spelling Mistakes

We live in a world that is constantly correcting us. We take a wrong way on our commute, and Google Maps is there to remind us of our mistake. Social media is right there with you when you wrongly quote a source or say something you shouldn’t. Spell correct greets us daily with its little red line or forced correction! No, iPhone, I’m not saying duck.

We have ample opportunities in our day-to-day lives to concern ourselves with grammar, punctuation and spelling errors… journaling is not one of them.

Constantly correcting spelling mistakes or getting hung up on the proper placement of commas dramatically takes away from your journaling experience. During a hot, steamy journal sesh we’re often swept up in emotions, memories or ideas. By forcing ourselves to focus on spelling, we’re flow-blocking ⁠— as in, blocking ourselves from getting in a journaling flow.

Lay your perfectionist flag down while journaling and embrace your 5th-grade writing level ⁠— we here at DiveThru certainly do!

2. Keep Your Journal as a Judgement Free Zone

Continually editing your journal entries isn’t the only way you can flow-block yourself. Allowing our judgemental selves to steer the journaling ship also impacts the incredible benefits associated with journaling.

You know that super judgy co-worker? The one who sits back in meetings sneering at everyone and picking apart what everyone shares?

Don’t let yourself transform into that co-worker while journaling.

Allow yourself to write freely. Lay it all out. Write down the shit you have always been afraid of saying. Dish about your most secretive secrets and get real about your deepest insecurities. Get it all out there on the page.

This is easier said than done, yes. But, being aware of your tendency to censor and judge yourself during your journaling sessions will help you break free from the habit.

3. Keep Your Journal Close By

You never know when the mood to journal will strike. By keeping a journal close by, you’ll help yourself get in the habit of turning to your journaling when things come up. Here at DiveThru, whenever we’re facing a creative challenge, our team members turn to their journals. Yup, we truly practice what we preach.

You could go as far as keeping a private at home journal and a work journal. Bring your work journal to work and keep your other one at home stashed away. Whatever you need to feel comfortable about busting it out when the mood moves you.

4. Keep Distractions Minimal

We have all tried to journal while the TV has been on only to get distracted by Tony Stark’s good looks. Wait, is that only our founder’s, Sophie, experience?! Uh… Well… This is awkward.

Regardless of your preference of Avengers, we know what it’s like to slowly look away from our journal and get swept up in whatever’s happening around us. For this reason, it’s vital to ensure you journal in a space or at a time where distractions are limited.

Do whatever you can to keep distractions to a minimum.

5. Prepare Your Mind Beforehand

While the TV can be the thing that is stealing your attention, your busy thoughts may be sabotaging your journaling session. I cannot stress enough the importance of adequately preparing your mind before journaling. It can be challenging to transition from the busyness of life into the introspective place that journaling takes you. By dedicating as little as 3 minutes before your journaling session for introspection, you’re allowing your mind to get thoroughly swept up in whatever topic you’re journaling about. To do so, we recommend taking a few breaths before each journaling session to tune into yourself.

As I mentioned, you really can’t mess journaling up. However, if you remember to let go of spell-checking yourself, leave the judgment at the door, keep a journal close by, keep distractions minimal and prepare your mind beforehand, you’ll get the most out of your journaling practice.

5 Ideas to Organize and Journal Your Thoughts

We bet you’ve got a lot on your mind. Between juggling daily errands, work commitments, family responsibilities and friendships, it can be overwhelming to find time for yourself. But you’re here! That says to us that you’re dedicated to learning a new practice that will help you work through everrryything that’s going on in your life. Here are a few different ways to journal through these thoughts. You can do them all or you can choose just one! Whatever your heart desires and your time allows.

1. Bullet Journal

If you’re craving more efficiency and organization in your life, this type of journal may just be the answer. Ryder Carroll created the bullet journal method to stay focused and productive while living intentionally. What is it exactly? A coded system that breaks down the content you’re entering.

Called Rapid Logging, it’s a system that organizes information into Bullets, Tasks, and Events, which you can then Nest together. That may be too simple an explanation — there is way more to it! If a Bullet Journal interests you, learn about it here and explore the system a bit. Even if it takes you a hot minute to get a good handle on the symbols used, don’t let that scare you away.

2. Gratitude Journal

We can’t recommend this enough. Take the time to recognize allll the good and amazing things you are grateful for (like Tony Starks’ chiseled looks) because it is a fantastic way to lower stress. Start a gratitude journal and notice how it helps you focus on the things that are going really well, even if they’re only tiny achievements unlocked. At the end of the day, just by putting yourself in the gratitude mindset you will feel more self-aware, grounded and connected. Jot down 3 things you’re grateful for and BOOM! Mood improved. Expect to feel lighter and happier and ready to write appreciation posts for your entire crew.

3. Travel Journal

Whether you’re jetting off on a new adventure or reminiscing on an old one, write it down. All the sights you see and the feels you feel are important, now and always. A travel journal will help you process what you are experiencing and in the same breath create a record of the wicked memories that might one day flee.

4. Free-Flowing Ideas & Budding Thoughts

Have you ever been hit by a truly genius idea while you were munching away on your lunch break and told yourself you’d write it down later? But then life happened later and the thought vanished?

My idea journal is a bound notebook the size of a post-it stack. It fits in my back pocket and I can whip it out whenever inspiration strikes. Feeling sluggish or uninspired at work? Take a moment to think freely and creatively and jot it down in your idea journal. It will be a change in stride — and it’s for your eyes only.

5. Guided Self-Care Journal (Or As We Know It, Journaling Therapy)

This is what we’re all about. We help you DiveThru what you’re going thru with a guided journaling sequence that allows you to take charge of your mental wellbeing. We mentioned earlier that DiveThru is rooted in journaling therapy so let’s expand on it a bit.

A psychologist in New York City, Dr. Ira Progoff, was one of the first to introduce the therapy of reflective writing to the public in the 1960s after using the method with his own clients for years. His method included a “psychological notebook” with colour-coded sections for different areas of focus — a method that has been further developed and its benefits scientifically proven by researchers such as James Pennebaker. Kathleen Adams, psychotherapist and one of today’s authorities on journal therapy, lays out the way this reflective writing should be guided in a session.

Working with mental health professionals, we developed over 1000 journaling exercises on a range of topics to guide you through your journaling. What does that actually look like? Quick Dives and Deep Dives in areas of personal development, parenthood, relationships, student life and working life.

All you need to get started on a guided journal is a pen + paper and the DiveThru app — which is free to download!

Misconceptions about Journaling

As much as we love diving into what journaling is — seriously, how much time do you have on your hands? — we should also mention what it isn’t. Let’s reveal some common misconceptions about the practice and take them apart like you do raisins out of an otherwise delicious cookie.

1. Journaling is just keeping a diary.

We don’t agree. Journaling is a thoughtful and purposeful experience that can help you process what’s happening around you by looking internally. Sometimes that means keeping track of important events and activities, sure! As long as you’re reflecting on those experiences from an internal perspective…could be your to-do list that day but it could also be more complex, like self-control issues.

2. You should only journal when you feel sad, stressed, or depressed.

There are a few reasons why this isn’t a good idea. Only turning to your journal in darker times will make it a pit of despair that you won’t want to revisit often or spend much time in. Because processing positive emotions is as important as processing the negative ones, we think you should journal about both. Throw a few lines of gratitude in your journal or dedicate a special entry to someone important in your life. Don’t forget to focus on the good things that make you, well, you.

3. You have to be the next Thoreau.

Or Virginia Woolf. Or Margaret Atwood.

Don’t be intimidated by these great novelists, essayists, poets, and philosophical writers. You’re not trying to be them and even if you are, your journal doesn’t know it. Being true to your thoughts, collecting them gently, and expressing them on paper is the sole goal here.

4. You journal – who needs a therapist?

Despite its countless benefits, journaling does not encompass every single aspect of mental wellbeing. Obvious, we know, but it needs to be said. Journaling should not replace your therapist or your meditation practices or other spiritual elements of the self.

5. Honestly, nothing really happened.

As far as misconceptions go, this one is pretty common. Journaling is not only about the major world-shattering events that go down — although defs take a dive thru those. It’s also about those seemingly mindless days where you find yourself driving home and not really remembering how you got there. A good way to snap out of autopilot? Take 6, 12, or 18 minutes to reflect on how you’re feeling.

Been Journaling for Years? Advanced Techniques to Get the Most Out of Your Dive

Developing a strong journaling practice takes time. If you feel like you’ve already mastered the basics, it may be time to check out these advanced techniques to continue your growth. Here are 5 new approaches you can take to expand on your dives:

1. Set Goals

Think as far as 3 months down the road and picture the outcome you’d like for the different sections you’re diving thru. Make a note of that goal and then check in every day to see how it’s coming along. The goals themselves are important, but not as important as the journey to get there. This technique will help you stay motivated and focused but remember to be flexible in this approach to your mental wellbeing.

2. Write Daily Affirmations

It almost sounds like a dirty word — affirmations — because self-help materials and social media alike have been saturated with the notion of positive daily affirmations. But take a look at Catherine Moore’s article for Positive Psychology that highlights the neuroscientific research behind the theory and you’ll be convinced with the technique.

Positive daily affirmations have a plethora of proven benefits! They can help you cope with depression, work through anxiety, and help you manage stress in different situations.

Moore emphasizes a key point confirmed by psychotherapist Ronald Alexander: writing these affirmations in a journal makes them that much more powerful. If you’re curious about how to write a good one, check out these positive affirmations!

3. Track Moods & Habits

This technique is all about patterns. It can be relatively simple to start off with but there is always the option to develop a more complex system later on. First, pick a symbol to represent a habit (or a mood depending on what you’re tracking). Second, jot it down on the days it took place and fill it in if you’re happy with how it went.

Tracking moods and habits over a month-long period will give you some insight into your behaviour. Are there any persistent feelings with certain events that happen? Are there any changes you’d like to make or habits you’d like to adjust? Reflect on what was outside of your control as well as within.

4. Review Your Self-Summaries Once a Month

The last stage in all of our Dives involves a Self-Summary that lets you reflect on your learnings. We encourage this practice in our Dives because we know it’s important on two fronts: to articulate concisely what you dove thru and to record your summary for the future. Reviewing your Self-Summaries once a month is similar to tracking moods and habits.

5. Celebrate

Just a reminder for those who sometimes stay so focused on the end goals they forget to celebrate the wins along the way: you’ve done an amazing job! Take the time to celebrate properly, whatever that looks like to you. Personally — a glass of red wine and a handful of mini eggs usually does the trick.

What Psychologists Say About Journaling

It’s time to step off our soapbox and pass the mic over to mental health professionals who have been endorsing journaling since long before we came around. More than three decades of research exists in support of “affect labeling” (putting your feelings into words) and expressive writing. To help navigate that daunting amount, we’ll guide you to a few of the biggest names in social cognitive neuropsychology.

Expressive Writing

Stress Release

We turn to F. Diane Barth next, a psychotherapist in New York City and author of “I Know How You Feel: The Joy and Heartbreak of Friendship in Women’s Lives.” Barth writes that journaling “helps you pay attention and put structure and organization to your thoughts, feelings and ideas that might otherwise be causing anxiety or other stress” (2020). But that’s not all it does — in the same article, Barth highlights that “daily writing about emotionally significant experiences can improve our immune system, probably in a way not totally different from exercise, which is by reducing the chemicals that stress releases in our bodies.” Whoa. Incredible.

Regulated Emotion

Environment For Introspection

Our very own in-house mental health professional, psychotherapist Natalie Asayag (LCSW) located in Pennsylvania, drives the point home. “Journaling is a powerful method to regulate emotions. Putting pen to paper allows us to get in touch with our inner feelings and narratives, as it creates a neutral environment for introspection. This space encourages us to process emotions and experiences we may not have even realized we were carrying.”

Well, there you have it!

*Gets back up on the soapbox.*

Struggling to Journal: Still Staring at That Blank Page Before You

Natasha Bedingfield gets it. Sometimes the hardest part is releasing your inhibitions so that you can make it to your journal and DiveThru what you’re going thru. Need a hype man? We dedicate our Instagram account to you. Want to share your journaling experience with a community? We’ve got a rad and supportive Facebook group for you to join.

If you find yourself blanking as you start the handwritten journaling part, just pause your Dive and take another 5 minutes of introspection. Take a few deep breaths and focus on what’s causing the overwhelming sensation of blanking. Sometimes the fix is as easy as changing into your comfiest pair of sweats or standing up and doing a couple of arm circles. You won’t know until you ask yourself what you need in that moment.

You Made It!

Okay, there you have it, friend! That is everything you need to know about journaling. You know what journaling is and the benefits associated with starting a journaling practice. You know the answers to commonly asked questions about journaling and different prompts to get you started. Plus, you also know how to start (and stick to) a journaling practice and how to get the most from your practice!

110 Things To Do With Empty Journals | Read If You Have a Pile of Empty Notebooks

Share this! Thanks!

I’m Obsessed With Buying Journals! What Can I Do With My Unused Journals?

Oh, no! If you thought I wrote that sentence on the top for you, you’re wrong. I meant that I TRULY have so many journals that it looks like an obsession, and I don’t know what to do with them.

And if you’re like me and have tons of cute empty notebooks and journals, then this post will satisfy your thirst for things to do with an empty journal.

What can you do with empty journals?

What CAN’T you do with them?

The other day I let my imagination flow around for half an hour, and I managed to come up with 110 journal ideas (yes, you read that number correctly). The 111th is my own journal I just recently crafted. Click here to get a peek inside of it.

If you ever wondered what are the countless ways to use up your stack of notebooks and journals, look no further. You can’t keep them all 110 (right?), but you could surely find some impressive ideas to try here.

110 Things To Do With Empty Journals

I’ve separated the ideas into 9 categories. You have the table of contents below that will help you navigate through this useful, but (I admit) long post.

Let’s get to the juicy part – the 110 ways to fill an empty notebook or things with your stack of empty journals.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you sign up or make a purchase I might get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my business. See full disclosure.

16 Journals to Organize Your Life

1. Budget/Money Journal

If you don’t have a budget journal, you need one asap. I know it’s not the best creative and fun way to fill your empty journal, but it’s a functional option to keep track of your money, plan for the future, and actually know your money habits.

2. Recipe Journal

Imagine yourself 50 years from now, giving your daughter a recipe journal you kept for half a century.

I recently got my grandmother’s cookbook, and even though it’s not a journal, the feelings I have when I hold it are often overwhelming. It’s such a beautiful way to keep a string of connections with the ones who were here before us and the ones who will stay here after we’re gone.

3. 2-Minute Tasks

This one is on my list of journals to keep, and I think a simple empty notebook is going to do the job too.

Do you know how we often complain we don’t have time to do things around the house? Well, it turns out that many, and I mean maaaaany of the tasks around the house take two minutes only.

And I can’t say I’m so busy that I don’t have even two minutes. Recently I made a tiny list of 2-minute tasks I could do in the kitchen, and it turned out to be a beneficial way to skip the decision-taking and the wondering of “what to do very quickly”. I look at that list and I pick one of them.

How about having a 2-minute journal for all of the areas in your house that might require only two minutes of your attention but will make an overall contribution to a happier life?

4. Grocery Price List

A brilliant way to trick the big shops when they try to sell you overpriced products.

A grocery price list (or book) is that place you keep track of the prices of all products you regularly buy in different supermarkets. You also write down the promotions (dated), so after a while, you get to see the patterns every shop has. Then, all you need to do is buy that product where the price, the quantity, and the quality of the product suit you best.

I have a full post written on the subject, plus a freebie you could start with. Check them here.

5. Lists

Are you a lists-lover? I feel you!

I have lists of everything. Actually, everything has a list attached to it. I even have a list of the journals I keep because I keep over 10 different journals and planners right now.

If you recognized yourself somewhere here, consider using one of your empty journals for keeping lists. Here are some ideas of lists to keeps:

6. Brain Dumb

If you don’t have a brain dump journal or a notebook, you’re missing a lot.

Why would you need such? Does any of the following words sound like something you’ve felt lately?

Yep, a brain dump journal is that messy, not-so-pretty place where you jot down every single piece of random information or idea that pops into your mind and might need your attention later.

Once you write it down, you keep it there until it makes its way to your planner, projects list, shopping list, or wherever it needs to go.

7. Project Journal

Are you working on many projects but keep them all in your head? Why?

No, seriously! Why cluttering your already overwhelmed mind with information that could be easily systemized on a page of an empty journal that already stays somewhere on your desk?

8. Classes/Courses You Take

I recently signed up for taking classes on Skillshare (here are 5 classes I recommend), and it kind of calls for the need for a journal on its own.

Every class gives me different ideas, sparks questions, and comes with tasks and exercises.

If you like taking classes and courses on any online platform, why not have a journal track your progress?

9. Shopping Lists

No, I wouldn’t recommend using the simple Lists journal for writing your shopping lists.

I have a tiny journal with a pen loop that stays in my purse. It’s a great way never to forget your shopping lists (yep, I did that too many times in the past, and then trying to recall the list in my head, not fun at all).

Pro tip: I bought that tiny journal over three years ago. After I filled every single page on it with lists, I came back to the beginning and start gluing scrap paper on the used pages so that I could use it again this year. I think that’s planet-friendly, don’t you?

10. Expenses

Often your expenses lists might not fit in the budget planner. In this case, you could always use one of your empty journals to track them there.

11. Meal Planning

If you love meal planning and keeping track of things you have in your pantry, try to dedicate a full journal to that task.

12. Passwords

Don’t tell anyone, but I keep all of my passwords written down because I’m tired of “wrong password” messages on the tens (or hundreds) of sites I have registrations with.

If you have a tiny journal rolling around – give it a job.

13. Phone/Address Book

Sounds like an old-school suggestion?

Let me ask you a question: Can you remember your husband’s phone number? What about your mom’s or your dad’s? What about the local taxi company’s number?

Imagine you go to the shop, and for some unpleasant reason, you don’t have your phone with you (battery died, it got stolen or fell and broke).

Honestly, I hope you never face such a situation, but what if you did. How would you contact your closest person to let them know they can’t reach you because of…

It’s old-fashioned. But some part of me still trusts paper more than digital tools. If you’re like me – have a tiny notebook with all the important addresses and phone numbers.

14. Last time I did…

That’s a great idea to fill an empty notebook.

When was the last time you cleaned the washing machine? What about the last time you washed the rugs in the living room?

When was the last time you took the kids to the dentist? When was the last time you went on a routine health check?

You see? You have so many things stored in your head. Dedicate a special spot for all of them – a more reliable spot than your stressed mind.

15. Just in case

I saw this Just in case binder on Etsy a while ago, and I was stunned by the cleverness of the idea.

It’s basically a binder with all the information someone would need if anything happened to you.

It’s a smart way to keep a list of all banks you have accounts in, all loans and cards you have, insurances, properties, passwords for essential online accounts, and so on.

If you love the idea, I would suggest going and get the real thing from Etsy. It’s in my shopping cart too.

16. What is where

This morning I had to find a USB in our house… any USB. I know we have at least 5-6 of them, but I have no clue where I put them.

That’s when it hit me. What if I had a place (a notebook?) where I write where I’ve put things I don’t need regularly, and there’s a chance I’ll forget where I decided to store them.

(I still don’t know where our USBs are)

Hey, if you enjoy this post and are a journal lover, check this Happiness Journal I just created for you!

12 Creative Ideas of How To Use an Empty Journal

1. Art Journal

Not such a big surprise, but I wanted to put on this list everything you could do with an empty journal or an empty notebook.

An art journal is where you leave your imagination to create art of any kind – paint, collage, draw…

2. Decision Journal

That’s a great way to explore your decision-taking process.

A decision journal is a notebook you reach for when you struggle with making an important decision. You could write the pros and cons, the final decision, and any random thoughts and plans you have regarding that decision.

If one day you ask yourself, “Why did I do that?” you have a spot to go to and realize that at that point, that decision was the best option for you. Yes, a decision journal can end your self-blame process because now you have the result’s thought process.

3. Ideas to Explore

You are taking a shower, and an idea strikes at you. What will you do about it? Write it down… hm, maybe after you go out of the shower.

Ideas to Explore is a creative journal idea that will keep all of your curiosities in one place.