Recently, a friend reached out to me in search of some advice. And before we launched into the topic at hand, she prefaced our conversation with, “Amelia, I know you always recommend journaling to help heal through hard times. But journaling just doesn’t work for me.” She continued to request alternative solutions to her struggles and reiterated that journaling never actually helped her achieve anything or conquer any limiting beliefs.
So, I thought I’d share my two cents on why journaling isn’t working for you and what you can do about it.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post may include affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
I shared these thoughts in a YouTube video on my journaling channel, but since YouTube videos aren’t for everyone, I also chose to create this blog post.
Why journaling isn’t working for you
Okay, so maybe you’ve tried journaling. You’ve purchased a cute journal, a lovely pin, and maybe some scrapbook supplies to help you get into the habit of journaling. You’ve written a few entries. You’ve tried the journal prompts. You’ve even tried stream-of-conscious writing. But for whatever reason, journaling just HASN’T worked for you.
Below are some of the common reasons I’ve found that people struggle with when trying to get into journaling.
You’re not being consistent
The most prominent reason people can’t get into journaling is simply that they aren’t being very consistent. Consistency is KEY to creating a habit of journaling.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a teacher who told us every day that “repetition is key.” If you’re going to do anything, create any habit, remember any material, you have to be repetitive about it. The same, of course, applies to journaling.
If you’re struggling to journal, you need to maintain some sort of consistency. Set a specific time each day or once a week to journal. You can journal for 20 minutes every Sunday at 9 pm or opt for 5 minutes a day every morning at 8 am. Be specific! Set a certain time every day/ every other day / or every week to journal. Be sure to set a timeframe as well. Do you want to journal for five minutes or twenty minutes?
No matter what you choose, ensure that you remain consistent. Set alarms and try not to skip too many sessions. Do this for an entire month before you give up on journaling. Sometimes, we only need a little self-discipline to make something a habit.
You’re overthinking it
Another reason you struggle to journal is that you’re overthinking it. It’s easy to walk into journaling expecting it’s going to be a profound and life-changing experience. After all, many people online share their stories on how journaling changed their lives and mindsets. Hearing about all of the benefits of journaling and all of the miraculous stories of people who’ve become enlightened or tapped into their higher selves through this process can warp our own views of the activity.
The thing about journaling is that, while it can be life-changing, it’s not an overnight fix. You don’t just become the best version of yourself or get your life together after a few journaling sessions. Heck, one month of journaling might not even meet the expectations some of us have on how the activity will benefit us.
I’m pretty sure I journaled for two years before I reached a state where I felt better than I’d ever been. TWO YEARS! That’s a lot of journaling sessions!
If you’re expecting journaling to completely transform your life or if you think that it will be an overnight solution, you need to reframe your expectations. Overthinking how journaling will impact your life could be the reason you struggle to enjoy it.
You don’t find it enjoyable
Okay, but what if you can’t be consistent with journaling because you simply don’t enjoy it? The thing is, journaling the traditional way isn’t for everybody. Some people lack the patience to put pen to paper. Others can’t seem to enjoy the process at all. And that’s OKAY!
Not everybody is a reading or writing learner. In fact, there are several other learning styles. Like:
- visual/ spatial learners
- Kinesthetic learners
- Auditory learners
- Verbal learners
- Mathematical learners
- Interpersonal learners
- And solitary learners
If you learn better in a social situation or if you process your thoughts verbally or in a more mathematical way, journaling might not work for you.
I have a Youtube video detailing more about different types of learners as well as a few videos on my YouTube channel discussing this topic.
If you don’t find enjoyment in traditional journaling, that’s totally fine. You just need to find a better way to use the core “idea” behind journaling in a way that suits your learning and mental processing style.
I’ll list more solutions below, but I want you to take away the idea that journaling might not work for you if you simply don’t enjoy it.
You have a hard time concentrating on writing
Another reason journaling doesn’t work for you could be that you have a hard time focusing or concentrating on the writing. Feeling spacey, having jumbled thoughts, or being in a rush could prohibit you from having a solid journaling experience. People with attention disorders, too much stress, a chaotic environment, or several other factors could inhibit a person’s ability to focus on journaling.
Additionally, focusing too much on creating the perfect journal could hurt your journaling experience. Putting too much attention to how the sentences flow on the page, how your handwriting looks, or how aesthetic your journal pages are can all contribute to the lack of focus on the ACTUAL journaling process
What to do if journaling doesn’t work for you
So, I’ve mentioned a few solutions above for some of the reasons journaling isn’t working for you, and for others, I left the solutions below. The reason for this is that some solutions needed a lengthier discussion! Plus, some solutions can take care of a few different problems that you might come across when journaling.
Create mini mood boards or scrapbook spreads
If you’re struggling to get into journaling due to overthinking, not knowing what to write about, or because you’re not enjoying the journaling process as is, why not try creating mini mood boards or scrapbook spreads.
One way you can enhance your journaling experience is by taking pictures throughout your day or week and printing them to put in a scrapbook journal. This helps create a cute aesthetic in your journal but also allows for a more visual experience. In addition, this helps you come up with topics to discuss in your journal or categorize how you felt each day as a whole. It becomes a fantastic diary of your lived experiences and helps you document your life.
You can also use images online or stickers to help adorn your pages, and use prompts to further explore your inner world and sense of self.
Travel journals are some of my favorite ways to do this and I love including tickets and wrappers in my spreads to help me document my life. You can find my Route 66 journal and Costa Rica travel journal on YouTube!
Make journaling a visual activity
One way you can enhance your journaling experience is by making it a visual activity. Art journaling and scrapbooking are my personal go-to’s for this. For visual learners, this can be a great way to journal for your mental well-being without following the traditional path. You’ll still retain all of the benefits of journaling, but without the boring and bleak look of what we often consider “normal” journaling.
If you want more tips on visual or interactive journaling, I have a few YouTube videos you can check out!
Create a video or audio diary
Visual journaling can also be done through a docu-series. Filming pieces of your day, recording your thoughts through video, or having a YouTube or TikTok account can create a more visual journaling experience. You’ll have to figure out how these methods could best work for you and whether or not you want to keep the recordings to yourself or make them public.
Personally, I record a moment a day every day to create a video that documents a year of my life. This has replaced my need to journal about my day each day. Instead, I use journaling for self-discovery or my faith. I don’t journal about my day anymore because I have a video that documents it for me.
Talk to yourself or others
For verbal learners, talking to yourself can help you find the benefits of journaling without writing. Talk to yourself about topics you want to discuss or answer journal prompts out loud to yourself. You can take it a step further by including a close friend or family member in the conversation. Have them ask you questions, and then try to answer them honestly. Having feedback can also help those who struggle to journal, as you’ll have an outside opinion and someone to offer advice.
Of course, you can take a solitary approach as well. Record an audio diary (as mentioned above) or simply talk to yourself without worrying about jotting anything down.
For me, I do a lot of verbal journaling when I work with Tarot. I pull cards and associate certain positions with journal prompts. Then I talk through the reading out loud and answer the prompts verbally to myself.
It might feel unnatural or crazy at first, but this is a great activity for those who don’t find enjoyment in traditional pen and paper journaling.
Conquer your mindset
Lastly, it’s important to conquer your mindset. If you tell yourself over and over that journaling won’t or doesn’t work for you or if you get caught up in high expectations, you’ll start to believe that journaling—no matter how you go about it—is unachievable.
Conquer your mindset by lowering expectations, taking a deep breath, and focusing on the present moment. Don’t stress over what journaling should bring to your life or over future sessions or results. Instead, be present and practice mindfulness.
You don’t have to journal twenty pages of conversation to find happiness. Just be consistent and remember that repetition is key. What we tell ourselves daily becomes reality. What we reaffirm soon becomes a belief. Take the time to be gentle and think about journaling as a simple activity that can bring joy.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post may include affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.