10 Types of Journaling for Mental Health and Self-Care

Remember how as little kids we loved to scribble and write down our favorite quotes on the back of our notebooks? From keeping diaries as a child to our favorite Notes app, journaling has never been a new concept. Journals help us express our emotions, as well as record our daily experiences, learn about the workings of our minds, and even plan for the future. It can be used as an effective tool to get our feelings out on the page without any filter, and it can feel like a weight off your chest. There are many types of journaling you can practice to express yourself.

What is journaling?

Journaling in layman’s terms means writing in a diary or journal. What makes this practice peaceful and beautiful is that your way of journaling is completely up to you. You can write down your feelings, use affirmations, write a paragraph about your day, 10 pages or whatever suits you.

The purpose of journaling is to unleash your true self, which may be hidden under many emotional layers. It simply means having an honest conversation with yourself. The important thing is that you don’t have to be conscious of your writing, because that will cause you to censor yourself and that will defeat the purpose of journaling.

Depending on the type of journaling practice you prefer, you’ll need to stick to a certain routine. For example, if you keep gratitude journals, you’ll need to write down things you’re grateful for every night before bed or as soon as you wake up. But if you’re a free-writing type, you can take creative liberties whenever you want!

What types of journaling are most common?

Journaling is an easy practice that can provide many long-term mental health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, greater clarity about our emotions, and improved ability to cope with life. Here are some common types of journaling you might want to try, as explained by psychologist Priyanka Kapoor.

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1. Daily diary or free form diary

Freeform journaling is the most basic form of journaling. It is that kind of diary-style writing that we usually think of when we think of journaling. This type gives us deep insight into ourselves and is good for our mental health and personal growth. This is just like writing our personal diary, recording our experiences and putting our thoughts into words.

2. Mindfulness diary

Mindfulness journaling, as the name suggests, is a fusion of mindfulness and journaling. We can gain greater awareness of our current environment or emotional experiences by writing them down directly. You can write about events around you, things you can feel, touch or smell with your senses. This style of journaling is a great way to escape your inner chatter and become more aware of the present moment. This practice can enhance your mindfulness practice, calm you down and can help regulate your emotions.

3. Gratitude Journal

Gratitude journaling, as the name suggests, involves writing down things you are grateful for every day. It doesn’t have to be anything big. It can be something as simple as being alive or being able to breathe and wake up for a new day. A study published in the Frontiers in Psychology Journal found that feelings related to gratitude are associated with the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex — brain regions that influence our decision-making skills, motivation, willpower, and mood. Reminding yourself daily of the things you’re grateful for can help you feel more content and peaceful throughout the day.

4. Bullet journaling

If you are less inclined to write down your feelings and experiences, but still like to have a daily planner, bullet journaling might be just the thing for you. This method helps you keep track of your to-do list, goals and milestones, and helps you organize personal aspects of your life. This is very useful if you are a busy professional who always has their hands full. This journal helps you remember the essential details and helps you keep track of your long-term or short-term goals. You can find ready-made bullet journals with formats, and you can also choose to create your own style.

5. Morning Pages

This type of journaling is similar to freeform journaling. The only difference is that this type requires a routine where you write down at least a few pages of thoughts in the morning. The method is meant to clear out all the clutter in your mind to unleash your creativity first thing in the morning.

6. Manifestation Diary

We all have goals or dreams that have not yet been achieved. This is where the manifestation journal comes in. It is essentially a journal that is kept for the purpose of manifestation. Manifestation works on the principle of the law of attraction to attract things by putting all your energy into believing that it has come true for you. The idea behind keeping a manifestation journal is to have an intention to achieve something. You write about goals and then work towards the actions needed to achieve those goals. The idea behind the manifestation journal is to lower your resistance and dismantle those fences in your mind that are holding you back from taking the right action.

7. Keep a dream journal

If you are someone who gets the strangest and wildest dreams, dream journaling might be the right choice for you. Our dreams are an inner reflection of our inner subconscious. Dream journaling helps us keep a record of our dreams and can help us understand our true selves. The key to dream journaling is to keep a journal next to you while you sleep so that you can write down your dreams as soon as you wake up.

Also read: How Journaling Changed My Life: A Life Strategist Shares Her Journey

8. Food diary

Foodies, this journal is for you! If you are someone who loves trying new foods or even cooking new recipes, then food journaling is the right choice for you. By documenting your experience at a restaurant or reminiscing about trying a recipe, this journal is a combination of writing therapy that helps you relive those memorable food experiences at a new cafe or restaurant. You can also take a food journal with you when you travel, as you are more likely to tantalize your taste buds by trying new dishes or local cuisines that you may want to document.

9. Keep a travel diary

Travel enthusiasts have just found the perfect journal for themselves! If you love to travel, this journal can be a practical tool to document your experiences while you are on the road. Traveling helps to open your mind, develop respect for new cultures, and reveal unique environments and experiences. We all love taking pictures of every detail on a trip, but try this type of journal to document those little details as you feel them. You can even keep track of details like things to pack. With a travel journal in hand, you can relive your travel experiences. You can also add an aesthetic touch to your journal by plane tickets, bbrochures, stickers, postcards, invoices, photos and entrance tickets.

10. Keep a nature diary

Nature journaling helps you capture discoveries you make outdoors through writing. This type of practice will deepen your connection with nature and you will come to respect nature’s bounty more, as nature journaling involves writing about landscapes, textures, greenery, and creatures. You can also add a touch of creativity by combining it with art journaling, as using illustrations to document exciting discoveries can be helpful. This journal will be even more useful if you are on a hike or if you live in a remote area.

How do you start keeping a journal?

Here are a few tips that can help you get started with journaling:

1. Choose your style

The most important thing to know before starting a journaling habit is to figure out what type of journaling you’re most interested in. If you choose freeform, you can transfer your thoughts from your head to paper. If that’s not your choice, ask yourself what gap you’re trying to fill. If you struggle with gratitude, then gratitude journaling is the way to go. And if you want to feel calmer and more centered, then mindfulness journaling is your style. Also, there are no limitations when it comes to journaling. If you feel like having three journals for three different purposes, that’s totally fine!

2. Make it a daily habit

Forming a new habit requires consistency. Choose a journal that you enjoy, but make sure you set aside a specific time each day for it. If you do it at the same time every day, you’re more likely to form a habit. But you can be flexible. Just make sure you’re consistent.

3. Start small

Thinking about forming a new good habit is sure to tempt you to get overzealous. Influenced by those feelings, you force yourself to write a few pages a day for a long period of time. In reality, that will only build up frustration, causing you to give up too soon. To avoid that, start small. Maybe start with a few minutes and then gradually build up. That way, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and will be able to keep it up for a long time.

4. Give up all expectations or judgments

The idea behind journaling is to enjoy it as a pastime and to discover ways to connect deeply with yourself. But if you go into a journaling practice holding on to judgments or expectations for yourself, you won’t be able to enjoy it.

5. Press pause if you need it

It can be hard to write about a bad day, a breakup, or a childhood trauma. When you’re journaling with the goal of working through these difficult emotions, it’s okay to take a break before continuing. Also, every hobby needs some time and space in between to get going again.