Today, I want to offer a fresh perspective on journaling for those who may feel hesitant about it. While we often understand intellectually that journaling can be a valuable tool for working through our frustrations and struggles, putting it into practice can feel overwhelming. You may wonder where to even start! So I’ve collected a handful of my favorite methods to hopefully inspire you to reflect and make a journaling habit for yourself that does not suck.
If you’re someone who enjoys setting new targets, like creating habits at the start of the year, consider journaling as one that could serve you in powerful ways. Over the last few decades, the rise of the internet has given us a variety of platforms for both long-form and short-form journaling. Those who grew up in the early days of online platforms will remember Open Diary, LiveJournal, Blogger, and Xanga—places where people could share their thoughts long before today’s short-form, social media-driven outlets became popular.
Make no mistake: posting on social media or writing a blog is, in itself, a form of journaling. These platforms allowed us to move beyond private reflection to a shared, communal processing of our experiences. Millions have found solace in online journaling during pivotal moments, such as the aftermath of 9/11 or the COVID-19 pandemic. Publicly sharing our thoughts and connecting with others who are going through the same challenges has helped many process through trauma, advocate for mental health, and foster self-compassion by realizing we are not alone.
But for those with the heaviest burdens, expressing yourself online may feel too vulnerable or uncomfortable. It’s common to find yourself in a place where you’re not ready to share your story with others—and that’s perfectly okay. This is where personal journaling can become a powerful outlet. Even if we aren’t ready to speak publicly, we can bear witness to our own stories in a private, safe space.
Carrying unspoken pain is taxing on our nervous system. We often pretend everything is fine while silently suffering, which only deepens our stress. But journaling offers an alternative. Putting your story on paper, regardless of the format, transfers that emotional weight onto the page, giving you some distance from your pain. Whether you revisit those pages later or not, the act of writing offers immediate relief.
There’s a form of journaling for everyone—whether you love to write or find the idea daunting. Let’s explore different types of journaling that can help you process your emotions in ways that feel right for you. Even if you’ve never liked writing, there’s likely a method that fits your needs and can support your healing journey. Remember, the entire point of journaling is to keep a record of what you’ve experienced and to sort through what might be there to learn from, just beneath the surface.
First, there’s expressive journaling, which is similar to the reflective style of blogging. It’s a free-writing approach where you pour out your emotions without worrying about grammar or structure. This is probably the most common style of journaling, and with its emotionally forward focus, it can help us process complex feelings and reduce anxiety about our circumstances. However, it’s often the hardest place to start because many times, we don’t even know how to name what we’re feeling.
If that describes your hesitation with journaling, take heart—expressive journaling is just one of many ways to explore what you’re going through.
Stream-of-consciousness journaling is related to expressive journaling but with even less structure. Instead of trying to name your emotions, you simply start writing whatever comes to mind. I love this style when I feel foggy or overwhelmed because it can begin with something as simple as scribbling a swear word. For many people, anger often becomes the starting point in this style of journaling. As we know, anger is a secondary emotion—it’s bold, protective, and keeps us activated in our sympathetic nervous system, allowing us to avoid the more vulnerable feelings underneath. By dumping those initial angry or chaotic thoughts onto the page, you may find that deeper, more unknown emotions start to surface.
If you sense something deeper but don’t want to dive headfirst into unstructured writing, try mindfulness journaling. Instead of reflecting on the past, this style focuses on the present moment. You jot down any sensations, thoughts, impressions, or feelings that come up without judgment or analysis. You’re simply observing. This approach pairs beautifully with somatic practices because it grounds you in the present while promoting self-compassion—crucial elements for grief work.
For those ready to go deeper into their inner world, shadow work journaling is a powerful next step. This is where I often introduce Enneagram work with my clients, as grief and shadow work frequently intertwine. Shadow work focuses on exploring the younger parts of ourselves that hold trauma, fears, and unmet needs. This type of journaling can be heavier and is often best done with guidance. It encourages emotional integration, fosters openness to grief, and deepens self-acceptance.
It’s important to note that there’s no set amount of time you need to journal each day. Just starting is progress, and that alone can lead to significant growth.
However, if you’re short on time or feel overwhelmed by the thought of journaling for 10 minutes or more, there are quicker methods that can still offer a lot of support.
One-liner journaling is a low-pressure option that promotes consistency. As the name suggests, you write a single sentence about your day, your feelings, or a memorable moment. You can stop there, or if you feel inclined, expand into more writing—but the simplicity of a one-liner makes it easy to stay committed without feeling burdened.
Another option is prompt journaling, which takes the pressure off by having someone else (or a guidebook) pose a question for you to answer. It’s an effective way to access emotions you may otherwise avoid, giving you structure while also building self-awareness.
And if those methods don’t resonate, bullet journaling might be for you. Typically used as a planner, bullet journaling allows you to track your day or emotional state in brief, organized lists or single words. It helps reduce visual overwhelm and brings clarity, while allowing you to spot patterns in your emotional experiences. A simple tip: try jotting down a single word or emotion before each meal. It might surprise you what surfaces, and over time, this practice can help you pinpoint the root of those feelings.
No matter which method you choose, journaling offers valuable relief, helping you process emotions and offering a witness to your own experience.
Other forms of journaling that aren’t necessarily writing are video journaling, recording a short audio memo to yourself when you’re feeling a certain way, or keeping an art or doodle journal. A friend of mine once created a joy journal. Similar to a gratitude journal, he would make time to write down small moments of joy throughout his day and then review it daily as a soothing activity before bed. Perhaps you’re a spiritual person, and would benefit from a bullet or one-liner style spiritual journal, where you make a note of the scripture or sentence you find inspiring each day. Or maybe you’ve heard about the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and want to spend whatever time it takes to write three morning pages of stream-of-consciousness journaling to open up to what ails you.
The theme and methodology of your journaling is up to you, of course, but what you must do is pick one and begin. You are entering into a stage of life where the decisions are no longer made for you. If you’re listening to this show, you’re listening because you want to live with intention and openness. You are ready to experience healing and transformation.
Personally, I switch around. On any given week, I’ve used bullet journaling, one-liner, expressive, shadow work, stream-of-consciousness, mindfulness, doodling. I love collecting an inspirational quote each day, so sometimes I’ll keep a journal of those separate from the daily expressions. When I miss a day, I don’t beat myself up and start over, and I certainly don’t try to backfill the details I missed. This practice is meant to be fluid and flexible, inviting reflection or freedom from a habit when needed.
There’s one last area I want to address. In a previous episode of the podcast, we discussed future-self journaling. This is different from manifestation journaling, in which you would write about your desires as if they’ve already happened. While vision boards and manifestation journals can feel hopeful and optimistic, future-self journaling goes deeper.
Neuroscience confirms the importance of a writing habit. As we connect the dots between our experiences and new ideas, we shift the neural pathways in our brains to anticipate better outcomes in the future. Future-self journaling is a practice for the morning, when our brains are at their most peaceful and less distracted with the concerns of the day. Through the practice of self-awareness, we use future-self journaling to create a compassionate statement around who we want to become in one specific area of our lives, then write a present-tense statement about our future-self.
We need to be careful with this practice, as with all new practices, that we do not lean into self-condemnation and wishful thinking. Our trauma-awareness reminds us to consider that we are not moving forward on willpower alone. We are aware of the resistance within from our histories, and we are gentle with ourselves as we set new targets to heal. If that does not resonate with you, go back and listen to episode 164 on how to navigate resistance.
So, when we write our compassionate statement about our “future-self” in the present tense, we are going to look for one action in our daily lives that supports the statement. What would make this true? What shift is reasonable, achievable, interesting, and accessible to you? Sometimes our future-self journals get out of hand and we become discouraged.
Whatever you choose to do, choose. And remember, ignoring this challenge to start a new journaling habit is also a choice. Every decision we make moves us closer to or further from the person we are becoming. Rather than watch time pass, join the flow with intention and enjoy the ride with the rest of us.
Thank you for listening to episode 166 of Restorative Grief. I gave you so many different ideas about journaling and there are many more you can find with a simple online search. Pick one and start. The longer you hesitate or think about it, or try to find the perfect journal, the less likely you are to begin.
This month’s workbook has a page out of my future-self workbook for grievers, but if you’re not yet a Patron, I wanted to offer the future-self journal as a free gift for listeners. If you’re interested, reach out on social media to tell me what type of journaling style you want to try, and I’ll send you the link for the future-self journal worksheet, too.
If this is your first time listening to the show, thank you for being here. I hope this is the start of a life-giving new habit for you. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave a review, and tell a friend about your new favorite encouragement podcast. Patrons, thank you for your continued support of the podcast – you’re the best! And as always, before we go, one last thing. Please remember, the only solution for grief is to do the work of grieving. Thank you for listening. I’ll see you next week.
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