Books on Journaling - A Review
Journaling is often a useful tool for personal development, finding solutions and improving well-being. I have been passionate about journal writing for over ten years, since personally discovering its many benefits.
At first, I didn’t know how to start writing a journal, and it soon became pretty stale. It felt like a chore, and I wasn’t gaining much from it. I frequently didn't know what to write about and would sit there with a blank page.
I went on a search for information and came across a number of books on journaling.
Not only did these books inspire me to conquer the blank page, but they continued to be a useful source of information. They have helped me keep my writing fresh, interesting and insightful.
I am writing this blog to share with you the books I have found useful over the years. If you feel your journaling has become stuck, I hope that you also find inspiration from these books.
This blog may be useful if you:
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Want to start journaling, but are not sure where to start.
- Have been journaling for a long time, but you are looking for new ideas.
- Used to journal and need inspiration to establish a new journaling routine.
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Journaling book reviews
1. The New Diary by Tristine Rainer
This is the first book I ever read on reflective journaling. It remains one of my favourites today.
The New Diary begins by discussing the benefits of writing a journal before moving on to the basics. For example, whether to keep your journal private and to encourage you to let go of the usual writing rules of spelling, grammar, and structure.
The New Diary contains different techniques for journaling. For example:
- Writing unsent letters.
- Writing a self-portrait.
- Using lists.
Tristine Rainer includes diary excerpts to demonstrate the ideas she is explaining. This helped me to understand how I could apply these techniques in my own journal. These journal excerpts brought the book to life and made it enjoyable for me to read.
The New Diary includes ideas for working with dreams. Many of the other books I’ve read either do not cover dreamwork or just skim the surface. I believe that dreams can be a powerful resource for tapping into the deeper layers of our psyche.
The New Diary also includes a section on overcoming writing blocks. Again, this is an area that a lot of other books seem to have overlooked. I found this to be an invaluable section when I was just getting started.
The one thing I would have liked to see in this book is some journal prompts. Journal prompts can be helpful for reflecting on subjects or ideas that you might not have considered before. Journal prompts are also useful for getting started if you’re not sure what to write about. I feel this would have been a great addition to the book.
The New Diary is written in a beautifully reflective style. It provided me with a useful model of how some styles of reflective writing can look. I love this book, and it has provided me with a lot of inspiration and guidance with my journaling.
2. The Ultimate Guide to Journaling by Hannah Braime
This is a thin book, but it's packed full of journaling ideas. Some of these include:
- Keeping a daily gratitude diary.
- Drawing your mood.
- Using free association.
Unlike the ‘New Diary’, this book contains journal prompts for you to reflect on. Some of the prompt examples include: ‘When I think of the future, I think about...’ and ‘A dialogue with my body about my self-image’.
This book doesn’t contain journal excerpts, like the ‘New Diary.' and has a very different feel to it. It's more direct and to the point. It's the type of book I can have a quick flick through until something grabs my attention.
This book could be used by someone new to journal writing. However, due to the lack of example journal excerpts, I prefer ‘The New Diary.’ for getting started. Then follow up with this book to gain some additional ideas.
However, if you are eager to get journaling and you don’t want to spend a lot of time reading about it, this might be the book for you.
This book comes in physical, ebook, or audiobook format.
3. Journal to the Self by Kathleen Adams
‘Journal to the Self’ is broken into 22 short chapters. These chapters include information on:
- How to get started.
- Methods for self-reflective journaling.
- Suggestions on what to write about.
Some of the ideas in this book are similar to those in ‘The New Diary’. However, ‘Journal to the Self’ contains some additional techniques, such as:
- Using cluster diagrams.
- Inner wisdom dialogues.
- Meditation.
‘The New Diary’ and ‘Journal to the Self’ have some overlapping concepts, but they contain enough different ideas to make it worthwhile reading them both.
I personally find ‘The New Diary’ easier to read from cover to cover. Tristine spends time talking about the concepts of journal writing, journal extracts and reflections on these. Which I found made for a more interesting read. Whereas ‘Journal to the Self’ is packed with ideas and is the type of book I will dip in and out of. ‘ It feels more like you're being instructed on how to journal as it provides you with more specific advice and writing prompts.
4. Start Where You Are by Meera Lee Patel
The books I’ve covered so far are more instructional in nature than this one. ‘Start where you are’ is more of a workbook. It gives you a prompt on what to write or draw. Then leaves a blank space for your response.
I personally don’t like writing in books, so my first few entries felt a little uncomfortable. However, once I’d started, I was able to let go of that. I could have written my entries in a notebook, but I believe it is sometimes good to push past a little discomfort. It also gave me something to journal about later on.
Some of the questions require factual replies, whereas others are more reflective. The prompts often involve reflections on:
- Thoughts.
- Feelings.
- Physical sensations.
- Experiences.
Here are some examples from the book:
- Go outside and focus on the clouds, trees or breeze. Close your eyes and lift yourself out of your own feet. Let your thoughts wander on their own. How do you feel?;
- Write down ten big dreams that haven't come true yet;
- There is always strength in the deepest of places. Draw the source of your strength.
At times, I’ve had fun answering some of the questions. On other occasions, I have been surprised by the depth and insights I have gained.
This book would never replace my own journal because I can be more spontaneous with that. However, ‘Start where you are.’ makes for some interesting writing, and it has prompted me to explore various aspects of myself that I wouldn’t have done otherwise.
I found it fun to open the book at random and tackle whatever was on that page. Although this only worked when it wasn’t so full.
There are many hours' worth of writing ideas in this book. So, I felt it was good value for money.
'Start Where You Are' not only contains prompts but is filled with colourful and inspirational quotes. For example:
- We become what we think about - Earl Nightingale.
- There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind - C.S. Lewis.
- Only in the darkness can you see the stars - Martin Luther King Jr.
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Journaling Caution
Whilst journaling can often be a useful tool for increasing self-awareness and improving well-being, it can also bring up strong emotions. If you start to feel overwhelmed, stop and come back to it later, or seek support from a friend, family member, or a professional.
If you have any questions about counselling or you'd like to book an initial appointment, please get in contact.
