Starting a Journal: Tips and Tricks

I will usually start by putting the date at the top of the page, then just start writing! Typically, I’ll start with “today I ________” or something like that. There’s no “right” way to journal! Sometimes I’ll journal about my day, or write a poem, or draw, or just word vomit all over the page. The more you practice, the easier it will be to just write. You got this!

I borrowed the trick I do for my creative writing. I just start writing words. Whatever words pop to mind. Doesn’t have to be sentences or anything that makes sense—usually isn’t, if I’m being honest—but then the words start to flow and suddenly I’m writing sentences with emotions I felt, things that happened, and so on.

When I used to journal I'd start out by saying the date. Things seemed to start to come naturally after that. For example "Today on 4/8/23 I went to/did (blank)".

I feel the same way. I never kept one as a kid, either. I felt silly and self-conscious about writing to "diary" about my day/feelings so I wouldn't do it. I guess I still feel that way. LOL I tried doing it about 20 yrs ago. I was doing good and had a spiral notebook about 3/4 full. I usually started by "Today was/is a ________ day."

I start my journal with my overall feeling of the day. Usually it's "this sucks" or some such. I am way too old for a Dear Diary.

I'm exactly same