How to use your journal consistently

“Every habit and capability is confirmed and grows in its corresponding actions, walking by walking, and running by running . . . therefore, if you want to do something make a habit of it, if you don’t want to do that, don’t, but make a habit of something else instead." — EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.18.1–5

Are you struggling to journal consistently? Have you been derailed from journaling due to some unforseen fork in the road? Want to get back on the horse? We’ve got some simple tips to keep your journaling game strong – all year long.

1. Keep it visible

Put your journal in a highly visible location, where you’ll typically see and use it. This might be your desk, bed or the kitchen bench.

2. Acknowledge the benefits

How does using a journal benefit you?

What are the short-term and long-term benefits of tracking your symptoms, medications, healthy habits?

3. Set an intention

Do you prefer to write in the morning or evening? Setting an intention clarifies the “when” and “where” of using your journal. By defining a specific time and place, you increase the chances of making “health tracking” a daily habit.

4. Reward your habit

For every day you follow through with your journal habit, reward yourself. This could be as simple as ticking it off on your habit tracker or having your morning coffee after using your journal. We need an immediate (and satisfying) reward to sustain our motivation in the short term, while the long-term benefits of tracking our health stack up in the background.

5. Reflect and lighten up

Has journaling become a chore? Have you outgrown the need to journal? Are you tracking too many things? Have a good think about where you’re at and what you can change or slightly modify to get the most out of journaling.

What will you change to make journaling a more consistent habit?