Want to learn how to get started journaling? You’re in the right place. This post will teach you how to use journaling to awaken your divine feminine energy.
One of the most commonly asked questions I get is “I’m having trouble with journaling, can you share your tips?”. Which always surprises me because I sort of thought that everyone was on the journaling bandwagon. Ever since I was a little girl, I was obsessed with journaling. In fact, I recently came across a small diary I had as a child. It has a cute little lock and key. I’ve always loved a fabulous little pen and chic little private book to write down all my thoughts. So, it has always been my assumption that every girl just loves to write in her diary.
What you may not know, is that as much of a journaling addict I am, it isn’t always that easy for me. There have been periods where I felt absolutely allergic to journaling. I would sit there with my beautiful journal, a brand new blank page, a full coffee mug in the morning and absolutely nothing would come out. I often felt that I just had nothing to say. So, I would close my journal and just go about my day.
Then, several days later, I would find myself in a funk, overwhelmed, frustrated or in a confused state of mind. I’d go through phases like this every so often. I eventually realized, when I am not journaling, I am not doing the inner work. I’m not doing the inner healing that is available and necessary for my inner peace.
I found that most often, when I would avoid journaling, it was because I was avoiding facing the truth about something going on in my life. Instead of looking at it, it became easier to just distract myself and move on from the situation. Eventually, the issue would come up in a more frustrating, stressful way. When you commit to journal, you are commiting to choosing yourself first, instead of abandoning your inner health.
The secret to my inner calm is doing the inner work in my journal.
What Is Journaling?
At its core, journaling is simply the practice of writing down your thoughts, feelings, observations, or ideas in a dedicated notebook or digital space.
But journaling can take many forms.
Some people use journaling to process emotions. Others use it to organize their thoughts, track goals, or explore their creativity. Some journals are structured with prompts and reflections, while others are completely free-form.
The beauty of journaling is that there are no rules.
Your journal can become:
a place to release emotions
a creative outlet
a tool for personal growth
a daily reflection ritual
a space to dream and imagine your future
Over time, journaling becomes more than just writing — it becomes a way to deepen your relationship with yourself.
Why Journaling Is So Powerful
Many people underestimate how transformative a simple journaling habit can be.
Writing allows us to slow down, step back from our thoughts, and observe our inner world with more clarity.
Research on expressive writing has shown that journaling can help improve emotional wellbeing, reduce stress, and increase self-awareness.
Here are some of the most powerful benefits of journaling.
It Clears Mental Clutter
When thoughts stay trapped in your mind, they often become overwhelming or repetitive.
Writing them down helps release mental pressure and create clarity.
It Improves Emotional Awareness
Journaling helps you recognize patterns in your emotions and behaviors. Over time, this awareness allows you to respond more intentionally rather than reacting automatically.
It Helps You Process Life Experiences
Whether you're navigating a major life change or simply reflecting on your day, journaling creates space to process your experiences.
It Strengthens Self-Trust
One of the most beautiful things about journaling is that it strengthens your connection with your own intuition.
When you regularly write and reflect, you begin to understand yourself on a deeper level.
It Encourages Personal Growth
Many people find that journaling helps them set goals, reflect on progress, and intentionally design the next chapter of their lives.
Over time, your journal becomes a record of your evolution.
How to Start Journaling (Step-by-Step)
If you’re new to journaling, the most important thing to remember is that it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here are a few simple steps to begin your journaling practice.
1. Choose a Journal You Love
This might sound small, but having a journal that feels beautiful or inspiring can make a big difference.
Choose a notebook that feels special to you — something you’ll actually enjoy opening.
Some people prefer simple notebooks, while others love guided journals with prompts.
There’s no right or wrong choice.
A FEW TIPS TO HELP YOU:
Use a guided journal. I have published 2 guided journals that support you by giving you journal prompts to work with. Using a guided journal makes it so much easier for you to come up with what to write.
Blissful Living Journal: A glamorous guidebook to enhance your life, connect to your inner light and bring you back to bliss.
The Daily Bliss: 111 personal reflections to inspire self-love, nourish your soul and realize your worth
. Start Small
You don’t need to write pages every day.
Even five minutes of writing can be incredibly powerful.
Starting small removes pressure and makes journaling easier to sustain.
3. Write Freely Without Judging Yourself
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is overthinking their writing.
Your journal is not meant to be perfect. It doesn’t need grammar, structure, or polished thoughts.
Write whatever comes to mind.
Let the words flow naturally.
4. Create a Simple Journaling Ritual
Journaling becomes easier when it’s attached to a routine.
You might journal:
in the morning with coffee
before bed
after meditation
during quiet moments in the afternoon
Consistency is more important than length.
5. Use Prompts When You Feel Stuck
If you're unsure what to write, journal prompts can be incredibly helpful.
Prompts give your mind a starting point and often lead to deeper reflections.
Below you’ll find some prompts you can start using today.
Different Types of Journaling
One of the reasons journaling is so powerful is that it can take many different forms.
If traditional journaling feels intimidating, experimenting with different styles can help you find what resonates with you.
Stream-of-Consciousness Journaling
This is one of the simplest and most popular forms of journaling.
You simply write whatever thoughts come into your mind without editing or structuring them.
This style is perfect for clearing mental clutter and processing emotions.
Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling focuses on identifying things you appreciate in your life.
Writing down three to five things you’re grateful for each day can significantly shift your mindset toward positivity.
Reflective Journaling
Reflective journaling involves writing about experiences and what you’ve learned from them.
Many people use this style to review their day, process challenges, or celebrate personal growth.
Creative or Junk Journaling
Creative journaling blends writing with artistic expression.
You might include:
photos
magazine clippings
stickers
sketches
quotes
This style is often called junk journaling, and it’s a fun way to make your journal visually expressive.
Guided Journaling
Guided journals provide prompts or exercises designed to help you reflect on specific topics.
These can be especially helpful for beginners who want more structure.
Ways to use your journal:
💕 Use it as your bestie. The place where you can vent even your most private thoughts, fears or situations you just need to get out.
💕 Use it as a place to write down your goals, your dreams, the things you really want to manifest.
💕 As you free write in your journal, your subconscious mind and higher self are always going to speak through your writing. It happens as we just allow whatever to come up, come up. So this is a perfect space to allow your higher self speak to you. A connecting with the divine always occurs through journaling.
So, if you find yourself feeling frustrated at things going on in life. Go work it out inside your journal. Don’t avoid what is going on for you. Inside my online community, The House of Bliss: Manifest Bliss membership, you will receive PLENTY of journal prompts that will help you get specific in every area of your life that may need a bit of inner work and healing if you need support in that area. You can also grab the guided journals I have created, the Blissful Living Journal or The Daily Bliss.
6 BENEFITS OF DAILY JOURNALING
Enhances communication skills. I found that the more I journaled, the better I got a communicating my thoughts clearly. When you write things out, it helps you process things through the writing, so that when you actually go speak to someone, you are more clear. If you ever find yourself fearful of asking for a raise or speaking your truth to someone, write it out first and it will help you feel more confident and assured.
Improves your sleep. One of my favorite things to do is journal right before bed. When you do this, you declutter your mind of all the things going on competing for your attention. When your mind isn’t working overtime trying to keep all the things together, it can relax and will allow your body to sleep better. Your posture will also relax, your body will become more loose and so you will find it easier to sleep deeply.
Helps you with weight loss. This might surprise you but when you are releasing all of your pent up emotions and thoughts onto paper, you lower your cortisol (the stress hormone). Long story short, cortisol holds onto fat for comfort. So when you are releasing your emotions in a safe and healthy way, your body feels safe to burn fat. (This alone would have me journal, too).
Builds your intuition muscle. One of my favorite things to do is activating my intuition through journaling. The best thing to do is using guided journal prompts that have you really stumped. When you have a hard time answering something, you stop the overthinking and take a few deep breaths. Write out the first words that come to your mind and that is usually your gut speaking to you. The slow, soft answer is usually your intuition coming forth. Keep journaling those thoughts and things out and it helps to amplify the volume level of your intuition.
Improves your problem solving skills. Many times I use my journal as a way to work out decisions. I will make a list of pros and cons of a situation to map it all out in my mind. If I am finding myself confused on a work thing, I will map out my entire plan or strategy and see what makes the most sense and feels like it would go the most smoothly. The journal becomes a total support system for your most pressing situations.
It activates your inner goddess. When you activate your chakra system, your spiritual energy centers, you activate your shakti energy. Shakti is your goddess energy. When your goddess energy is flowing, you feel alive, vibrant and full of healthy, happy energy. You can use your journal as a place to let out anything blocking your chakras & work through your emotional energetic set points. (Podcast episode on this coming soon). When you release inner beliefs and thoughts blocking your chakras, you open up your ability to flow into your goddess consciousness and you will be awakened into this state if done correctly.
🌹 Start by just practicing writing down your thoughts in your journal. I teach a lot about feminine energy and how important it is to be able to articulate how you feel. Practice writing down how you feel, what your body is telling you and what you may be needing in the current moment.
Try to do this for at least 5 minutes a day for a week. Pay attention to any shifts you may begin to experience .
How to Turn Journaling Into a Cozy Daily Ritual
One of the easiest ways to make journaling a consistent habit is to turn it into a ritual rather than a task.
Instead of thinking of journaling as something you have to do, think of it as a small pocket of time where you get to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and enjoy a quiet moment in your day.
Creating a cozy journaling ritual can transform the entire experience. When journaling feels relaxing and enjoyable, you’re far more likely to return to it again and again.
Over time, this simple practice can become one of the most grounding and nourishing parts of your routine.
Here are a few ways to create a journaling ritual that feels peaceful, cozy, and inspiring.
Create a Comfortable Journaling Space
Your environment plays a big role in helping you feel relaxed and focused.
Choose a spot in your home that feels calm and inviting. This could be a quiet corner of your living room, a cozy chair by a window, your bedroom nightstand, or even your kitchen table in the early morning before the day begins.
You don’t need a perfectly styled space — just somewhere that feels comfortable and peaceful.
Many people enjoy journaling near natural light, like sitting beside a window or on a porch with a cup of coffee. Others prefer a softer evening atmosphere with dim lighting and a blanket.
The goal is simply to create a small space where you can pause and be present with your thoughts.
Light a Candle or Add Soft Lighting
Small sensory details can make journaling feel more like a ritual.
Lighting a candle before you begin journaling can signal to your mind that this is a moment of reflection and calm. The soft glow of candlelight instantly creates a slower, more peaceful atmosphere.
If candles aren’t your thing, you could also use a small lamp, string lights, or warm lighting to create a cozy environment.
Over time, these little cues become associated with journaling and help your brain shift into a more reflective state.
Make Tea or Coffee Before You Begin
Another simple way to make journaling feel more intentional is to pair it with a warm drink.
A cup of tea or coffee can turn journaling into a gentle ritual rather than something rushed or forced.
Many people love starting their day with a warm drink and a few minutes of writing. Others prefer journaling in the evening while winding down with herbal tea.
Some cozy options you might enjoy while journaling include:
chamomile tea
peppermint tea
green tea
coffee or latte
warm lemon water
Taking a few slow sips while you write encourages you to relax and settle into the moment.
Allow Yourself to Write Imperfectly
Perhaps the most important part of creating a journaling ritual is letting go of the idea that your writing needs to be perfect.
Your journal isn’t meant to be polished or impressive. It’s simply a space for honesty, reflection, and exploration.
Some days you may write several pages. Other days you might only write a few sentences.
Both are equally valuable.
The goal of journaling isn’t to produce beautiful writing — it’s to give yourself space to think, feel, and reconnect with your inner voice.
Love Letters to self
Journaling is one of the simplest ways to reconnect with yourself, process life’s experiences, and create space for personal growth.
You don’t need special skills, perfect writing, or profound insights.
All you need is a blank page and a willingness to begin.
Over time, your journal will become a powerful record of your thoughts, dreams, and evolution.
And one day, when you flip back through those pages, you may realize just how much you’ve grown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should beginners write in a journal?
Beginners can start by writing about their thoughts, emotions, daily experiences, or goals. Journaling prompts can also help guide your writing when you’re unsure where to start.
How long should you journal each day?
Even five minutes of journaling can be beneficial. The key is consistency rather than length.
Is journaling good for mental health?
Many studies show that expressive writing can help reduce stress, process emotions, and improve overall wellbeing.
What is the best time of day to journal?
Some people prefer journaling in the morning to set intentions for the day, while others enjoy journaling at night to reflect on their experiences.
Do you need prompts to journal?
Prompts are helpful for beginners but not required. Many people naturally move into free-writing as their journaling practice evolves.
You may also like:
🌸 Girls Guide to morning pages
🌸 The self care journaling ritual
🌸 How to start a gratitude journal
🌸 Why you should start a bullet journal
Please feel free to email me at ashlina@thedecorista.com if you have any questions! I’m always happy to help with decorating, life advice or even picking out a specific perfume! Have an amazing day!!
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