1. Keep it Simple

If you feel yourself getting mired in whether or not you’re doing it right, which journal to use, or when when you “should” write, or if the color of your pen will affect the outcome, take a breath and get back to basics.

2. Keep it Private

Your journal is a safe place for you to explore whatever is on your mind without worrying about how it will affect anyone else. If you fear it will be read, you’ll censor yourself and the benefits of journaling will be lost.

3. Do it Frequently

The beauty of frequent journaling is that it helps you grow as a person, helps you recognize patterns in your life, and helps you gain perspective and control over your environment.

4. Banish the Grammar Police

One of the top reasons people cite for not journaling is that they can’t spell or their grammar ain’t perfect. Journaling is not grade school and nobody’s going to hit your knuckles with a ruler. I PROMISE.

5. Write What You Know

Start by describing your surroundings if you need to get warmed up. Think of your journal like an old friend you’re sitting down to coffee with. Just answer, “What’s up? What’s new? What’s going on?”

6. Find the Best Time and Place

Look for a natural lull in your day that you can finagle into journaling time. Experiment with morning journaling vs. writing just before bed and see which works best for you.

7. Write for quantity, not quality

Don’t get caught up in how “good” your journal writing is – just get it done! Set goals based on effort — say, 3 pages or 20 minutes of journaling. This puts success within reach.

8. Try writing by hand

Before you argue that you can write faster on the computer, journaling is not about speed, efficiency, or volume. It’s about slowing down and dedicating time to honor yourself, your thoughts and your feelings.

9. Keep the stakes low

Just get a $1 composition book at the drug store and write 3 pages, as many days this week as you have time for. The higher we make the stakes, the more intimidating the process becomes.

10. Enjoy yourself!

If you take the task too seriously or put too much pressure on yourself, journaling will become a burden. You’ll likely feel awkward and self-conscious when you first start journaling. That’s totally fine — you’re allowed.