How to Get Into the Habit of Long-form Journaling

I am a pen and paper junkie. I try to look for different ways to use my notebooks just so I have an excuse to write but I have never used a traditional journal up until 2019. Prior to that, I never felt that I had the need to air out my thoughts by writing nor did I even make time to try it.

I only started journaling after I stumbled upon a video about writing streams of consciousness on Lavendaire’s channel. I was intrigued with the idea and decided to give it a shot. I was not expecting to write every day because I was already using a bullet journal and did not want to do something seemingly redundant.

I started long-form journaling in March 2019. I have been writing 3 pages every single day and I have not missed a day of journaling since.

Like I said, I did not expect to get into the habit (that I was a bit skeptical of) so fast – so what did I to do succeed?

1. Make time

Journaling is an intentional habit. There is no way to “hack” this. You either do or you don’t. In order to succeed at long-form journaling, you must be able to make some time to reflect and write.

Morning or evening?

It is important to understand what time of the day works best for you. Not everyone can journal as soon as the sun rises, although this is highly recommended. I have tried to journal in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night. I find that writing in the morning works best for me because I want to get the journaling out of my way ASAP. When I delay writing, I usually almost forget and sometimes my brain is too fried to write anything else.

Some prefer writing in the evening, right before bed. They find it relaxing and therapeutic because they get to offload thoughts and emotions that they have been harboring the entire day. That’s good too.

Try experimenting with times, just like I did, and then adjust accordingly.

Set a time limit

Block off a few minutes in a day and dedicate it to journaling. This will ensure that you don’t lose track of time when you’re journaling (because trust me, that happens). Setting some time aside is also a great way to get accustomed to the habit. You can set 30 minutes a day – that’s equivalent to watching one episode or listening to 10-ish songs. Within 30 minutes, you would be able to write at least 2 pages of A5 sized paper.

2. Start small

You don’t have to start with 3 pages off the bat. If you’re not accustomed to journaling yet, try writing short paragraphs each day. This would help you ease into the habit of journaling. Try increasing your word count every day or every week and soon you will get the hang of it.

John of Fountain Pen Love sometimes writes individual words when writing in stream of consciousness style.

3. Set a page limit

Writing on a blank page can be a little bit intimidating – you don’t know where to start or stop sometimes. I found that the three page recommendation provided me with some structure. Not only did it do that, it was also a goal for me to accomplish each day. Sometimes my brain dump would end as I come close to the end of the third page but I would still try to fill the page even if it meant writing random words like “blah blah blah words words words”.

4. Use your favorite supplies

Journaling is a commitment and if you’re going to write every single day, then you need to use something that you like. You don’t have to use a $20 notebook and a fancy fountain pen to keep you motivated because it won’t. If you prefer a ballpoint pen and a notebook from the dollar store, then have at it. The only question you need to ask yourself is: will you enjoy writing every day with these?

I use fountain pens for mostly everything and that’s because I truly enjoy writing with them. I switch between fountain pens every day and the excitement of using a different pen each day is enough motivation for me to journal. I also use a Tomoe River notebook because Tomoe River paper is thin and handles fountain pen ink well.

• Read: Fountain Pens for Beginners

Find more of these on my Instagram @rediscoveranalog.

5. Write while you’re drinking coffee or tea

Okay maybe you’re not a coffee or tea person but my point here is to try incorporating journaling with an existing habit or routine. For me, drinking coffee in the morning is my “me time”. Sometimes I just stay at a coffee shop and listen to music while drinking or maybe read a book so I figured why not use this time to journal. Journaling while doing something that is already part of your routine can make it a more enjoyable experience.

6. Avoid distractions

If you want to take journaling seriously, try to focus on it. Don’t pick up your phone while you write because we know how much of a rabbit hole social media can get. Or try not to watch anything in the background. I’ve tried journaling while watching and I ended up writing the character’s dialogue and not my own thoughts.

Whenever I journal in long-form, I stay away from my phone, my laptop, and my bullet journal. The only thing that is within my view is pen, my notebook, and my coffee.

Journaling in silence can help you focus on offloading your thoughts quickly. Personally, I prefer playing some music most of the time because can focus better. With music, I try to listen to songs that don’t have much lyrics so usually songs that you would hear at a coffee shop.

Long form journaling is a process. If you’re not accustomed to it, you will need to make adjustments especially with your time. Sometimes it can get frustrating especially when you don’t seem to know what you write. There will be days when you don’t feel motivated to write at all and that’s okay. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you really want journaling to become part of your life, then you will find ways to keep yourself going.