If you’ve even read only one post on this blog, it’s probably at least mentioned journaling! That’s because I’m a firm believer in its wide array of positive effects. If you’ve been wanting to get into journaling but don’t know what type, this blog post is for you. Today we’re breaking down different types of journals, along with why they’re valuable and tips for each one. So, let’s dive in!
1- Daily reporting journal
I’ve kept this type of journal consistently since I was in 8th grade (I’m now 26)! Basically, I just write whatever details of each day I’d want to remember. Being the foodie that I am, I always include what I ate for dinner (lol). Some days’ entries are super short because they were uneventful. Other days’ entries are 3-5 pages long because so much happened! I tend not to get into analysis or emotions in these journals, as I find that those things deserve their own space.
The purpose of a daily reporting journal is simply to have a resource to look back on for any day of your past that you wish! The level of detail you include is up to you. For me, personally, it’s such a gift to be able to refer to my journal for any particulars (within reason) I want to know. No one can argue with you about a timeline or location when your journal says otherwise (unless you were an inaccurate reporter haha)! Of course, though, it’s about much bigger things than keeping receipts to argue with others. It’s about having years of memories and nostalgia right at your fingertips!
2- Dream journal
This is another type of journal I’ve kept consistently for a long time—since I was in 7th grade! It’s fairly self-explanatory; I just describe each dream I can remember as I recall it. Similarly to my daily reporting entry, my entries range from a few sentences to several pages long. I even like to add my own commentary as an additional fun element! If there’s a glaringly obvious reason why I had a certain dream that I can identify as I write it, I’ll usually explain it in that entry. A lot of times, though, the reasoning behind my dreams is more subtle. Sometimes it takes me months or years to identify that reasoning. Other times, my dreams are so outrageous and strange that I’ll never know why I had them!
Regardless, writing all my dreams down and reflecting on them at a later date always serves one purpose or another. At the very least, rereading them almost always makes me laugh or smile. In the most gratifying case scenario, I have an aha moment of “wow, this makes complete sense now”. In a crazy/cool case scenario, I realize that my dream had psychic abilities and predicted something that ended up happening in real life! In any event, it’s a fun journal to keep that holds endless possibilities!
3- Miscellaneous brain dump journal
This is one of the main journals that are conducive to expressing and analyzing your thoughts, feelings, etc. I typically only write in this journal when I have something specific to reflect on. For example, a significant event just happened or I had an epiphany about something. While you certainly can choose to write in it on a consistent basis (once a day, once a week, etc.), I personally find that it’s more effective to only write in it when I feel compelled and inspired to do so. That’s when I know it’s going to be a good entry!
4- Prompted journal
This type of journal is another great outlet for expression and analysis. If you have a knack for writing your own journal prompts, you absolutely can! However, sometimes it’s helpful to use prompts written by others, so that your journaling is guided by an outside perspective rather than your own potential bias. If you’re in the market for some customizable prompts, head to my post General Journal Prompts for When You Need Direction. The items on this list are broad ideas that you can take in any number of directions. This means you can reuse them for different purposes time and time again!
As for frequency, you can choose to answer daily or weekly prompts, or you can seek out prompts for specific categories for when you feel you need them. For instance, after a breakup, you may seek out prompts on relationships, breakups, healing, self-love, etc.
The bottom line…
Hopefully these 4 types of journals gave you a broader scope of the endless possibilities of journaling! They each serve their own purposes, and you can keep as many of them at a time as you’d like at any given time. Ultimately, every journal you keep has the potential to provide you with a world of insight about yourself. On that note, happy journaling!