Journaling is a very broad term, and in this post, we’re breaking down the different types of journaling out there to help you find which one is right for you.

Journaling has so many incredible benefits, just check out these 6 Reasons Why You Should Start Journaling Right Now. But the TL:DR version is that it can help you in various aspects of your life.

So we’ve divided them up in 3 different fields: productivity, creativity, and health and wellness.

PRODUCTIVITY

Our brains are amazing idea-generating machines, but they’re not so great at remembering those ideas. When you have too many things to remember, you’re likely to miss something if you don’t write it down.

Journaling is a great way to organize your thoughts and what needs to be done. If you’re looking to up your productivity game, then you should really consider starting a productivity journal. It’s a place where you can have your to-do lists, write out your goals, and track your progress. It’s a planner, but extra.

One of the most popular examples is the Bullet Journal, or BuJo for hardcore believers. There’s a huge culture surrounding this method, and it’s really taken off, not just as a productivity tool, but as a tool for mindfulness as well. You can learn more about the Bullet Journal in their home page, but here’s the short version:

Developed by Ryder Carrol, Bullet Journaling is a system that organizes scheduling, reminders, to-do lists, brainstorming ideas, and other organizational tasks into a single notebook. It’s your planner, diary, and written meditation all rolled into one. It uses bullets (obviously), dashes, and symbols that let you identify different categories right away.

It’s easy to learn, simple to do, and proven effective. Plus, it’s fully customizable so you can really make it work for you.

CREATIVITY

Creative people have always looked to journaling to put down their thoughts and ideas. You never know when inspiration might strike! It’s a handy way to keep a record of ideas you can always refer to when starting a new project.

Freewriting/Doodling

This type of journaling can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be. On one end is freewriting, or doodling for artists. This is a basic exercise writers and artists often use just to get the creative juices flowing and an effective method of filtering your thoughts. Just write down or draw whatever comes to mind—there are no wrong answers and no bad ideas.

You can also add a little structure to these exercises, either by timing it or setting a number of pages you need to fill. Start with five minutes or two pages a day and slowly build up from there.

Structured Journaling and Mind Mapping

If you want to take your journaling a step further, you can start with a specific goal, topic, or theme. You can use these prompts to get things started and just to give yourself some direction or starting point.

Similarly, mind mapping starts with a central idea, and then exploring other ideas related to it. This helps you organize thought patterns, create new prompts you can use later, and even help build your critical thinking skills.

These are great for inspiring creativity and encouraging new ways of approaching old problems.

Art or Sketch Journal

Just as the name suggests, this is the artist’s equivalent of a written journal. This should be a safe space where you can freely express your thoughts, emotions, and even memories through sketches, illustrations, or painting. You can also use it to practice different techniques to improve your artwork. What’s more, you can also apply the principles for structured journaling and mind mapping here.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

What’s measured gets done. That means just having nutrition and fitness goals won’t be enough if you don’t track your progress. Getting into the habit of writing down what you eat and the kind of exercises you did during your workout has incredible benefits.

Food

By simply taking note of what you eat every day, you make yourself more mindful of the food you choose to consume. Many people struggle with diet and nutrition, but the simple act of documenting what you eat can help you understand where you may need to change your eating habits. You can also make a note to eat more fruits and veggies, avoid processed foods, or drink less soda.

Fitness

A key advantage of keeping a fitness journal is that you’re able to map out and track the progress you’ve made over time. It can be as simple as tracking your steps every day and working your way up to a specific, attainable goal; say 10,000 steps. On the other hand, you can go as deep as writing down the type of exercise, how many reps and sets you perform, and at what weight. This lets you see how you progress over time, and seeing how far you’ve come is a huge motivator to keep going.

Mental Health

Mental health is an often neglected part of our overall wellbeing. And studies have shown that journaling can have huge benefits in dealing with stress and anxiety.

Writing down your emotions helps you process why you’re feeling a certain way and allows you to learn more about yourself. It’s also a great way of venting your worries and triggers, particularly the things you don’t feel comfortable sharing with others. This gives you an outlet to get things off your chest so they don’t build up and lead to bigger issues like anger or depression. On the flip side, journaling about positive experiences lets you become more aware of them when they happen and be more present in the moment.

For example, a gratitude journal gives you the opportunity to take stock of what’s good in your life—whether it’s as simple as eating your favorite food that day, or connecting with a friend you haven’t seen a while. Research has found that writing down three things you’re grateful for at the end of the day can have huge positive effects on your mental wellbeing.

HOW TO GET STARTED

When it comes to journaling, there are no set rules except one: just start. It’s never too late pick up journaling. Try to set aside five minutes a day and just put your pen or pencil to paper. It’s meant to be a safe space where you can just be yourself, uncensored and unedited. No one has to see it. Don’t be too hard on yourself, because it will get easier over time if you just keep at it.

Happy journaling!