The new notebook is in front of you and you open to that very first page. There’s so much space. Where to start?

Journaling can be good for the mind and help to process what’s going on in life. How do you even journal? What do you even say or write?

It can be daunting looking at a fresh blank page. Here are a few starting points that will help get moving with that pen and get the words flowing onto the page.

Please note, sometimes writing down emotions can bring up old hurts or memories and if you’re struggling with something, we’d recommend talking to a friend or counsellor.

Pick up a pen and…

Describe how do you feel right now? List all or any of the emotions you might feel…

Sitting right now, at this moment. What can you see or hear?

Describe a moment that made you smile…

Describe a moment in your day that challenged your thinking…

Describe a moment where you did something for someone else. How did that make you feel?

List 3 things you are grateful for…

Go for a walk, no headphones or distractions. What did you see or hear? The moon rising between the clouds? The sun setting/rising? The birds chirping in the trees?

Describe a wild or audacious goal you’d love to achieve sometime in your life…

Describe 5 places you’d love to travel to and why… Have you been there before? Or what draws you to that place?

What books or magazines have you read lately… Is there a story or message that stands out?

What’s your favourite podcast and why?

Describe your morning or evening routine. Is there something you’d like to change or improve?

Describe a moment that made you laugh…

Describe a moment that made you cry…

When or where is your next vacation? Or where would you love to travel to?

Describe a moment or time when you felt at one with nature…

What’s your earliest childhood memory…

Describe a memory with your grandparents or an elderly family member…

Write down your dreams—is it a one-off dream or a recurring dream?

What’s something you’d love to do in the future but haven’t told anyone else?

The page should be flowing with ideas by now!

Get started journaling today, and pick up the pencil often to keep building the new habit in your life.

Need a new journal? Shop the range of Artist or Essentials Collections of notebooks or journals.