Journaling can help you move forward and deepen self-discovery, among other benefits. Trying to journal for just a few minutes every day can help turn it into a stress-relieving, sustainable habit.

One of your best wellness tools may be a journal. Journaling offers an array of benefits — from easing stress to sparking self-discovery.

“Journaling is mindfulness in motion,” says Lisann Valentin, a Shamanic life coach. It shines a spotlight on the invaluable things in your life that you might not always recognize.

“Journaling can be a great pressure-releasing valve when we feel overwhelmed or simply have a lot going on internally,” says Amy Hoyt, PhD, founder of Mending Trauma.

A 2019 study of patients, families, and healthcare practitioners from a children’s hospital reported a reduction in stress levels after completing this journaling exercise:

  • write three things you’re grateful for
  • write the story of your life in six words
  • write three wishes you have

In a follow-up study 12 to 18 months later, 85% of the participants reported that the writing exercise was helpful. 59% continued using writing to cope with stress.

A 2018 research review suggests that writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings may contribute to:

A 2018 study of 70 adults with medical conditions and anxiety found that writing about positive experiences, like gratitude, for 12 weeks was linked to reduced distress and increased well-being.

After a month, participants reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. After the second month, participants reported greater resilience.

When negative or worried thoughts arise, it’s easy to get caught up in them.

Jotting down your thoughts, however, “creates space and distance to consider them in a more objective way,” says Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York City.

This distance is called cognitive defusion, a helpful concept from acceptance and commitment therapy. “The idea is that you are not your thoughts, emotions, or physical symptoms; instead, you are the context in which they occur,” says Romanoff.

If your thoughts aren’t serving you, you don’t have to believe them. You can use journaling to see your thoughts as separate from you.

To further underscore this separation as you journal, try adding this phrase: “I’m having the thought that…”

Emotions have a way of popping up and affecting actions — with or without awareness.

Journaling allows you to process your emotions in a safe, contained space. Naming and accepting the specific emotions you’re experiencing may have a positive effect. Difficult emotions become less overwhelming and easier to manage.

Writing down your thoughts and feelings about a situation is the first step in understanding how best to proceed. Once you’ve journaled, you might find that your emotions are trying to tell you something.

Seeing your concerns, questions, and emotions in ink may give you a clearer picture of your needs. Even a list of pros and cons can provide deeper insight into your desires.

Think of yourself as a puzzle: You get to discover a different piece or pattern every single day.

Journaling provides a pause to help us reconnect and rediscover who we are. When we write, we learn our:

  • preferences
  • pain points
  • fears
  • favorites
  • dreams

We are constantly evolving. Journaling helps us:

  • listen
  • bear witness to these changes
  • get to know ourselves better

Whether new to journaling or returning, try these tips for building a sustainable habit:

1. Take a micro-step

At the start, try not to bite off more than you can chew. Hoyt explains, “Micro-steps are less likely to be rejected by the brain, whereas large sweeping changes can feel unsafe, and we may give up.”

She suggests setting a timer for just 1 or 2 minutes for your journaling session.

2. Pick simple tools

Start with whatever method is easiest to incorporate into your routine, says Romanoff, like:

  • writing in a blank doc on your laptop
  • using a note-taking app on your phone
  • putting pen to paper

3. Try free writing

Start by taking several deep breaths, noticing your immediate surroundings, and writing whatever comes to mind, says Lori L. Cangilla, PhD, a Pittsburg-based psychologist, avid journal writer, and member of the International Association for Journal Writing.

If you’ve drawn a blank, Cangilla notes, “describe that experience until something else comes forward in your journaling.”

4. Let it all out

Write whatever thoughts and feelings arise without censoring yourself. “It’s your journal, so you can be as petty, blunt, and honest as you wish,” says Cangilla.

To resist the temptation to edit, try writing as fast as possible, she adds.

5. Anchor your journaling

Try journaling at the same time every day. Valentin says to write your thoughts when you wake up or process the day before bedtime.

You can also anchor your journaling to other well-established habits to increase your likelihood of sticking with it.

6. Connect the dots

To sharpen your self-awareness, jot down your feelings around a specific situation daily. You might write:

  • This is what happened today.
  • I’m experiencing these feelings about it.
  • I’m thinking these thoughts.

7. Avoid re-reading painful entries

Cangilla advises against revisiting the raw details of difficult situations. If you feel you aren’t done with a situation, she says, you can refocus on:

  • what you’re grateful for in the situation
  • how you’ll apply what you’ve learned from it

8. Explore a prompt

Prompts are a powerful way to get to know yourself better. They’re also great when you aren’t sure what to journal about.

Try these ideas from Lori Ryland, PhD, LP, a psychologist and chief clinical officer at Pinnacle Treatment Centers:

  • Write your favorite memories from childhood.
  • Go out into nature, and write about it.
  • Describe something you fear or love doing and why.
  • Describe yourself, including your personality and roles at work and home. Then describe yourself from the perspective of a close friend or family member.
  • If you wake up tomorrow having everything you want, what does this look like? Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing with your time?

9. Switch shoes

If you’re journaling about a disagreement, try writing with empathy. Consider the other person’s perspective and motives behind some of their actions, says Romanoff.

Putting yourself in their shoes may help you:

  • understand the situation
  • reduce resentment
  • find a solution

Journaling a few minutes a day may:

  • reduce stress
  • boost your well-being
  • better understand your needs

To make it a habit, start with a few minutes or more, depending on your preference. You can explore what’s bothering you, write about the present moment, or use a prompt — it’s totally, completely up to you.

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, has been writing for Psych Central and other websites for more than a decade on a wide range of topics. She’s the author of the mental health journal “Vibe Check: Be Your Best You” (Sterling Teen). She’s especially passionate about helping readers feel less alone and overwhelmed and more empowered. You can connect with Margarita on LinkedIn, or check out her writing at her website.