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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Waterloo chapter.

There must be at least 5 different journals lying around my family home filled with maybe 10 pages tops of writing from different stages in my childhood when I decided that I wanted to keep a journal. Each time, I’d get really excited about the idea of having a place to write down my ideas, thoughts and feelings, and then I would always lose interest after a short while. 

 

 

So when I wanted to give it another go this past April, I came up with some strategies to keep myself motivated to write every day. And it’s worked! I’ve written nearly every day since then, so I now feel semi-qualified to be writing this article and dropping a couple tips and tricks for anyone who might need some help to keep up their journalling:

Pick a Part of Your Day That You Can Regularly Set Aside to Wrie

By having a certain chunk of time that you consistently reserve for writing, it helps establish it as a habit. It becomes just like any other part of your daily routine, as normal as brushing your teeth.

Set a Reminder on Your Phone

Having a reminder on my phone was really helpful particularly for your first couple of months journalling. It’s easy to forget to write before you’re used to doing it every day.

Switch Up Your Journal Entries Regularly

Writing big, long paragraphs about your day can get a little repetitive, so it’s good to throw in some doodles or to jot down some goals for the month to mix things up a bit. 

Use Some Fun Pens and Decorations

Who wants a perfect, cohesive journal anyway? Throw in stickers and pops of colour whenever you feel like it!

Read Back Through Old Entries

Once you’ve been writing for a while, it’s really cool to go back and read what you wrote months and months ago. It’s nice to read about a really great day that you had forgotten about or to see how things have changed over time.

I hope some of these tips and tricks will motivate you to give journalling another shot, because, for me, it’s become a really valuable part of my day, as a sort of reflective meditation. But everyone has a different reason for doing it, and I encourage you to explore whichever style fits you best. Good luck! :)

Rachel Kehl

Waterloo '22

I'm in my third year of Global Business and Digital Arts at UW and this term I'm Senior Editor for HC Waterloo. I love discussing movies (don't get me started on Parasite or anything made by Taika Waititi) and eating peanut butter cups, preferably at the same time.
Hi there! My name is Caitlyn Gellatly and I am the Campus Correspondent and President for the Waterloo Chapter of Her Campus! I am a Digital Arts Communication and International Studies student in my 4th year. I love to read, write, cook and spend time with friends, family, and sorority sisters!