You know journaling is good for your mind. But with so many ways to do it, it’s hard to know where to start.
What should you write about? Your goals? Your feelings? Your daily routine? Should your journal be neat and structured or free-flowing?
We explore the popular types of journals to keep and why you might want to try them.
1. Gratitude Journaling
As the name suggests, gratitude journaling is where you write the things you are grateful for. I highly recommend doing this as part of your evening bedtime routine.
Take a few minutes to list what you are grateful for. Anything. It could be the warm cup of cocoa you had in the morning or a kind message you received from a friend. It could even be a difficult work task you overcame.
Gratitude journaling is important because on the hard days, it reminds you that even when things are off, there is still a glimmer of good worth holding on to.
2. Morning Pages
Morning pages are all about starting your day with a clear head.
Adopted from Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, the concept behind this idea is simple: Every morning, before the day takes over, sit down and write three pages of whatever comes to mind. No filter. No edits. Just you and your thoughts.
It’s okay if you are not yet ready for three full pages. Begin with one.
Write whatever comes to mind. It could be your dreams, your plans, your worries, or a stream of random thoughts. It’s not what you write, but that you write.
Once you get the noise out, your mind feels lighter and more focused to take on the day.
3. Work Journal
Since work takes up a huge chunk of your life, why not have a space to process it? Use your journal to make sense of it.
Note down tasks you need to complete, work decisions you want to remember, or ideas to revisit later.
For the longest time, I have been keeping a work journal. Nothing fancy, just somewhere to organize and reflect. I use it to jot down feedback I want to remember, challenges I encounter, and how to address them.
I now use these patterns to recognize when I’m most productive and how to handle work that drains me. Do this for your career, and your future self will thank you.
4. Productivity Journal
A productivity journal is your headquarters for accomplishing tasks. You’ll find it most useful if your to-do lists are ever out of control or you feel like you are always behind.
For me, it’s where I track what I’m working on, why it matters, and how well I’m using my time.
I use it to:
- Jot down all tasks in order of priority.
- I break big tasks into smaller, doable steps.
- How long I spend on each task.
- At the end of the day, I reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
One thing you’ll learn about productivity is that it’s not about hustling harder, but working smarter and with more purpose.
5. Travel Journal
Traveling the world is among the things you should do at least once in your life. And what better way to capture the memories than to write them down?
Your travel journal should go beyond a list of places you’ve been. It should have all the wild tours you had, the unexpected encounters, and the little joys that won’t show up on your Instagram.
Write down what you did (even if it was just “ate gelato for the third time today”), who you met, the cultural surprises, and the little details like smells and tastes that bring life to a place.
You can add stickers, photos, and ticket stubs to make it more interesting. Those fleeting moments will become memories that you’ll laugh about for years to come.
6. Wellness Journal
Just like you need to focus fully on work, you also need to pay attention to what your body is telling you: how do you feel? And what little things affect your mood and energy?
A wellness journal is for spotting the patterns you might miss in the rush of daily life. You may want to note down what you ate and how it made you feel, or record the type of movement you did (such as yoga or gym) and how it affected your mood.
With time, as you review your journal, you are reminded to take better care of yourself, not because you should, but because it’s what you need to be at your best.
7. Reading Journal
As an avid reader, I highly recommend keeping a reading journal. Use it to jot down all the books you’ve read and memorable quotes from them.
You can also rate them and write a mini-review. List your favorite characters and an honest critic. What did you like about the book? What stuck with you? What would you change?
You can also set reading goals and create a ‘to-read’ list.
8. Dream Journal
Ever woken up from a wild or vivid dream and thought, “What was that all about?” Dreams can be strange and plain weird, but they are rarely random.
A dream journal helps you hold on to these dreams and explore what they might be trying to tell you. Some of the things you can include in your dream journal include:
- A detailed description of the dream. Write down everything you remember as soon as you wake up. The longer you wait, the fuzzier it gets.
- Your emotions during the dream and after waking up.
- Possible interpretations and where they may have any connections to your life.
You can explore dream symbolism on your own, or, if certain dreams really stick with you, bring them up with a therapist or counselor.
9. Art/ Creativity Journal
You don’t need to be a professional artist to keep a creativity journal. Every one of us doodles, sketches, and at times, writes poetry. When creativity kicks in, an art journal helps transfer what’s in our minds onto paper. The point is to create without judgment.
Use this journal as a timeline of your growth. Flip back and see how your skill has evolved. It’s incredibly rewarding.
An art journal is for your eyes only until, of course, it sparks something worth sharing with the world.
10. Financial Planner
If you are tight on budget (we are all), a financial planner might be of incredible help. Use it for everything money-related: to track expenses, set saving goals, record income streams, and plan for big purchases. You can even record when you skipped on that impulse purchase.
Use this journal to track patterns. Maybe you always overspend on weekends. You can then try to figure out fun weekend activities that require little to no money.
Your Journal, Your Journey
Ultimately, journaling isn’t about having the perfect notebook or writing every single day. It’s about choosing the kind of journal that meets you where you are and helps you get to where you want to be.
So don’t overthink it. Pick one, try it out, and let the pages catch up with your life.
