Journaling for Mental Health: How to Start (Even If You’ve Never Tried Before)

If you've ever stared at a blank page, unsure what to write but knowing you need to get something out, you're not alone. I’ve been there, too, everyone telling you it's great for mental health and super easy, but journaling can feel overwhelming when you don’t know where or how to begin. That’s why I want to share what I’ve learned about how to start journaling for mental health in a way that feels approachable, forgiving, and even a little freeing.

Why Journaling for Mental Health Is Worth Trying

Journaling is not about fixing yourself. It’s about giving your thoughts a safe landing space. When you write, you externalise emotions and thoughts that might otherwise spiral. That shift, from inside your head to the page, can offer just enough distance to breathe. That’s what journaling for mental health really is: breathing room and understanding.

Benefits of Journaling (Backed by Research):

• 🧠 Studies show that expressive writing can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by helping regulate emotions (Journal of Affective Disorders, 2018).

• 💭 Regular journaling has been linked to lower rumination, improving clarity of thought and problem-solving skills (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

• 😌 Journaling for just 15–20 minutes a day, 3–4 times per week has been shown to reduce stress and boost wellbeing (APA, Pennebaker’s expressive writing studies).

• 🛌 Writing before bed can help improve sleep quality by decreasing racing thoughts and nighttime anxiety (Behavioural Sleep Medicine, 2018).

• ❤️ Gratitude journaling, specifically, has been found to increase happiness by 10% and improve life satisfaction (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003).

Start With Low-Pressure Prompts

Bullet journaling is especially useful for beginners because it gives you a clear aim each time you sit down to write. You can make quick lists, track moods or habits, and set intentions without feeling pressured to fill pages with long entries. It adapts easily to your lifestyle, whether you have two minutes or twenty, and gives a satisfying sense of progress as you tick off tasks or look back at patterns over time.

The Discovery Journal

Discovery Journal - Purple

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Journal prompts, on the other hand, remove the pressure of finding the “right” topic by giving you a ready-made starting point. This makes it much easier to focus your thoughts and get into the flow of writing, building the confidence and consistency that lead to journaling becoming a lasting habit.

Unblocker Journal Prompts

Unblocker Journal Prompts

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Don’t Worry About the Right Way

There’s no correct format. You can journal with bullet points, sentences, doodles, or disconnected thoughts. You don’t have to start at the beginning of the book. You don’t need to journal every day. So let's debunk some of those myths right now!

• ❌ Myth: Journaling has to be neat and perfectly written. ✅ Truth: Messy scribbles, doodles, or shorthand are just as valid.

• ❌ Myth: You must only write about positive things. ✅ Truth: Journaling is most powerful when you’re honest, even about difficult emotions.

• ❌ Myth: There’s only one “right” way to journal. ✅ Truth: You can mix bullet points, sketches, reflections, or prompts; it’s completely flexible.

• ❌ Myth: You need lots of time to do it properly. ✅ Truth: Just five minutes can help reduce stress and bring clarity.

• ❌ Myth: You need to write pages every day for it to count. ✅ Truth: Even a few lines once or twice a week can be impactful.

Journaling with ADHD or Anxiety

If you're neurodivergent, living with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or any combo of the above, journaling might help regulate your thoughts. It can help pattern-spot and release emotional tension.

Our ADHD/Autism-friendly journal options are designed with minimal text, wide spacing, and a structure that feels calming rather than rigid. It’s a tool for mental health awareness, not perfection.

This version can work for all neurodiverse individuals and makes journaling far more accessible. There is no reason a single person should feel they can't access the help and tools they need when it comes to mental health journaling.

Shop Discovery Journal Neurodiverse

What You Might Notice Over Time

Even after just a few entries, you might begin to see:

• Repeated thought patterns

• Common emotional triggers

• Times of day or environments that influence mood

You don’t have to analyse it all. Just seeing it is powerful.

If You’re Still Unsure

I get it. Starting something new, especially something so personal, can feel intimidating. But you deserve space to listen to your own thoughts and find out what's going on. The human brain can only process so much information, and the rest just gets lost and trapped. Journaling is the way to clean it up, even if it's occasionally, then it’s doing its job.

And if you’d like a soft place to start, take a look at the Discovery Journal. It’s designed to support you through the early days of journaling and beyond—no pressure, just pages.