Journal addict looking for ideas for your new journal? Or new to journaling and don’t know what to write? Wherever you are on your journaling journey, I’ve got you covered! In this post, you’ll find 39 types of journals to start and keep. Get ready to never run out of ideas of what to put in your journal ever again!
Deciding what type of journal to start…
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of starting a new notebook. All those crisp, clean pages waiting to be filled with words is pretty exciting, am I right?!
But what if you don’t know what to use your brand-new journal for? What are you going to put in it?
I’ve kept numerous different types of journals over the years and I’m always after a good excuse for starting a new one (and to buy another pretty notebook!). And so, I thought it’d be fun to make a list of all the different types of journals to create that I could think of and share it with you!
If you’ve ever wondered what to put in an empty notebook, or how to create a personal journal, you’ll find plenty of ideas below! The difficult part is deciding which one to start first!
The difference between a journal and a diary…
Now I know you can’t wait to get to the list, but before we dive in, I think it’s important to explain the difference between a journal and a diary.
Why? Because it’s a common misconception to think they’re one and the same when in actual fact they’re two very different things.
A diary is used to record the activities and events that happened on a particular day and how you felt about them. Laid out calendar-style, pre-dated and often with a day to a page, a diary is structured and specific.
Journals on the other hand can be about anything you like. With a journal you’re not tied to the usual Jan-Dec layout. You have much more freedom to explore new ideas, make lists, draw pictures and write about whatever you want.
So why choose a journal over a diary? Because the different ways to use them are endless. When it comes to coming up with ideas for the different types of journals to create, you’re limited only by your imagination! They come with a huge number of benefits too.
(This post might contain affiliate links which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I make a small commission. Read my disclosure policy here.)
The benefits of journaling…
As well as it being a tool for personal growth, journaling can be beneficial to your mental health, general wellbeing and overall happiness too. Want to know some of the benefits of journaling I’ve discovered since making journaling a habit?
Journaling has helped me to:
- Get to know myself better.
- Process my thoughts and feelings.
- Become more in touch with my emotions.
- Manage stress and difficult times more effectively.
- Let go of past events that have hurt or upset me.
- Be more self-disciplined.
- Become more creative.
- Map out my goals and track my progress.
- Be more intentional about the way I live my life.
Journaling is also a great way to record all of your precious memories and the special events that have happened in your life. Scroll down to see the types of journals I’ve kept in the past to mark special occasions. Why not start one too?!
Selecting the best journal for you…
So how do you decide which is the best type of journal for you? Scroll through the list of the different types of journals below and ask yourself which one gets you the most excited.
Ask yourself what you’re passionate about and the kind of memories/events you want to record. Decide whether you want to write longer entries or your prefer making lists and you’re good to go.
That’s really all there is to it. The hardest part is deciding which type of journal to choose to start first!
39 different types of journals to create…
Types of journals to create: Personal growth and self improvement
#1: MORNING PAGES JOURNAL
Want to start journaling but struggle with knowing what to write? I know how you feel! When I first started out journaling, I never knew what to write and would spend what felt like hours staring at a blank page. But then I gave morning pages a try and now I absolutely LOVE journaling. In fact, it’s probably my most favourite morning routine of all!
If you’re just starting out with journaling, morning pages is one of the best types of journals to go for. Simply arm yourself with a notebook and pen, and just allow yourself to write whatever comes to mind. Even if it’s “I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write!” After a couple of days, you’ll soon find the words start to flow.
#2: SELF REFLECTION JOURNAL
A self reflection journal is another one of my favourite types of journals to keep. Great for getting to know yourself better, a self reflection journal can help you to discover who you are, what you want and how you feel about the different areas of your life.
Never tried self reflection questions before? THIS list of 100+ questions are a great place to start.
rounds, you’ll start to find the words flow pretty naturally. To get you started, here are 12 tips for writing morning pages from masterclass.com.
#3: READING JOURNAL
Stay on track with your reading goals with a reading journal. Record books you want to read, give books you’ve read a score out of ten, write about what you liked and didn’t like about the book you’ve just finished. Use it to make a note of new authors and genres you want to try too. THIS Digital Reading Planner from MuoMuoStudio is super cute!
#4: SELF IMPROVEMENT JOURNAL
Working to become a better version of yourself? Track your personal growth and self improvement by starting a self improvement journal. Have a section for each area of your life you want to focus on (health, wellness, confidence, self-esteem, career, finances etc.) and the things you want to do to improve that area. Add a habit tracker so that you can track and review your progress.
Need a little inspiration for which self improvement ideas to try?
You’ll find 365 self improvement tips that will change your life in THIS post. Whether you want to focus on mindset, increase your self-esteem, feel more confident, take a course, or improve your health, diet or relationships, it’s got you covered!
#5: HEALTH JOURNAL
A health journal can be a great way to maintain an overview of your general health and wellbeing and spot any areas that need your attention. You could track your mood, the amount of sleep you get each night, how much exercise you have each week, things that trigger your allergies or medication that you’re taking.
You could also focus on just one area such as your mental health. If you suffer from depression or anxiety a mental health journal might help you to manage your emotions and free yourself from emotional suffering. Use it to track what triggers your anxiety, to record any post-therapy notes, to get rants off of your chest and adopt positive self-talk.
Want to give a health journal a try? I really like THIS Therapy Journal for Mental Health from TherapyJournals because it’s incredibly thorough and has lots of add-ons including managing eating disorders and grief therapy, making it fully customisable to your own mental health needs.
#6: MOOD JOURNAL
Track your moods with a mood journal. Keep track of anxiety and stress levels and monitor your mental health by recording how you’re feeling each day. Become more aware of your moods and learn to spot what triggers your moods – good and bad.
One of my favourite mood journals is THIS Mood Journal from PrintableForPlanners. Not only is it really pretty, but you can track your mood on a monthly and annual basis giving you a really good overview of how your mood changes throughout the year.
#7: GRATITUDE JOURNAL
A gratitude journal is one of my favourite types of journals to keep. Not only does writing in a gratitude journal help you be more content with what you already have, but it also helps you want for less too. Record 3 things you’re thankful for each day, what made you happy, what made you smile or how you’ve shown your appreciation of others.
One of my favourite gratitude journals is THIS Gratitude Journal Printable from PaperPlanning Goodies. Not only is it pretty in pink but it’s super girly, making it perfect for your planner!
#8: FAMILY GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Take your gratitude journal to the next level by keeping a family gratitude journal. Have every member of your family write down one thing they’re thankful for each day. At the end of each week, sit together and read through everything you’ve written. A family gratitude journal makes a great family keepsake or gift to your child on their 19th birthday too!
#9: DREAM JOURNAL
Writing down your dreams can help you to understand yourself better. Especially if you’re having recurring dreams. Make a note of what happened, who you were with and how you felt. I really like THIS Sleep and Dream Journal from SweetPaperPlanner on Etsy because you can track your sleep habits and the quality of your sleep as well as your dreams.
#10: VISION JOURNAL
You’ve heard of vision boards, so why not do something a little different and create a vision journal? I think this would be a fun type of journal to create! Use it to record all of your values, your visions and your dreams. Add pictures of the things that you want to come into your life and the things that you would like to happen and get manifesting!
#11: FOOD JOURNAL
Track your eating habits, count your calories and plan out your meals with the help of a food journal. Use it to record what you eat each day so that you can spot any bad habits. Give your meals variety by spotting when things get samey.
I like THIS food Diary from PlatePlannerShop because as well as tracking what you eat each day, you can track your exercise and water intake too.
#12: WEIGHT LOSS JOURNAL
It’s a well-known fact that when tracking our progress, we’re likely to see better results. And so, if you’re looking to lose weight, why not start a weight loss journal. Probably one of the most useful types of journals to create, you can use it to record your starting weight and starting measurements and track your progress.
Keep track of the foods you’re eating, the calories you’re consuming each day, your weekly weigh-ins, your measurements each week and the pounds you’ve lost. It would be super motivating! THIS Fitness Planner from PineberryPlanner has everything you could possibly need to track your weight-loss journey!
#13: QUOTES JOURNAL
We all have our favourite quotes that motivate and inspire us. so, why not start a quotes journal and keep all of your favourite quotes in one place? I have a notebook that I keep on my bookshelf and whenever I find a new quote I like, I add it to it.
Not sure what quotes to include in your quotes journal? My Inspirational Quotes board on Pinterest is a great place to start!
#14: POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS JOURNAL
Positive affirmations can help you to modify your thought patterns, counteract negative statements, increase your confidence and develop more of a positive outlook. And when used the right way, they can be pretty powerful. Why not start a positive affirmations journal. Add your favourite affirmations to it and then use your affirmations – and your journal – during your morning routine.
New to positive affirmations?
Here are some of my favourite…why not add a few of these to your positive affirmations journal to get you started?!
- Positive affirmations for self love
- Affirmations for health and wellness
- Positive affirmations for stress and anxiety
#15: YOGA JOURNAL
Keep track of your yoga sessions with the help of a yoga journal. Write down when you have your sessions and what you do in each. Record how you feel before and after each session. Make a note of your favourite postures and ones you want to work on next time.
#16: PRAYER JOURNAL
Use a prayer journal or bible planner as a place to track your favourite scriptures and sermon notes. Keep a log of your progress as you work your way through both the New Testament and Old Testament. Record all of your chapter study notes.
THIS Bible Study Planner and Prayer Journal from PhenixPrintable even comes with weekly and monthly planning pages so that you can plan out your study!
#17: STRESS JOURNAL
Feeling stressed? Start a stress journal. Use it to record whenever you’re feeling stressed out or you can feel those stress levels rising. Write down what was happening at the time and how it made you feel so that you can identify your stress triggers. Then, when you know what increases your stress levels, you can do something about it.
#18: WORRY JOURNAL
Find yourself laying there in the middle of the night worrying about things you can’t control? Sleep more peacefully by offloading your thoughts into a worry journal before you go to bed. Putting your worries down on paper helps put things into perspective. It takes away some of the power those worries have over you too because they’re no longer taking up space in your thoughts.
Have a child who’s a worrier too? Why not have them start a worry journal too? THIS Worry Journal Notebook from TopazTigerCraft is super cute!
#19: BUCKET LIST JOURNAL
Do you have a bucket list? How about a bucket list journal?! This is a type of journal that I plan on starting very soon – I think it would be a lot of fun! My hubby and I have so many things that we’d like to do together and I think my youngest, Harrison’s, list is even longer than ours!
I’m thinking of creating a bucket list journal for the whole family and adding all the things we want to do to it. I’m even thinking of creating sections for places to go, activities to try, holidays to take etc. etc. Why not do the same?! If you do, be sure to tag me on Instagram…I’d LOVE to see your bucket list journal!
Types of journals to create: Goals and productivity
#20: GOALS JOURNAL
Want somewhere to record all of your goals and map out the steps you need to take to accomplish each one? Start a goals journal! Use it to break your goals down into the different areas of your life. Write down all the goals you want to achieve in each area and what you need to do to make them a reality. Don’t forget to make sure that your goals are SMART goals and track your progress too!
Want a goals journal to help you get started? THIS Slay Your Goals Planner for It’s All You BOO has everything you need to set achievable goals and crush your to-dos!
#21: PRODUCTIVITY JOURNAL
Wish you were more productive? Why not track how you spend your time with a productivity journal. Use it to record what you’re working on each day, how long it takes you to get things done and the progress you’re making with your goals. Then, at the end of each week, month and year, check back over what you’ve been doing and use your findings to help you become more productive.
If you want to work smarter not harder and stop spending time on meaningless tasks that suck your time, a productivity journal might just be the answer. Want to know more about how a productivity journal works? My friend Nicole over at Tailoring the Good Life has a great article all about how to energise your day by using a productivity journal.
#22: LISTS JOURNAL
Who doesn’t like to keep lists, right?! And no matter how many lists you have, there’s always another one to start! Keep all your lists in one handy place by starting a lists journal. What lists to keep? That’s totally up to you! Think movies to watch, playlists to create, important dates, gift ideas your buck list…the list could go on and on! Need a few ideas to get you started? Check out THIS list from Reflections of a Readhead.
#23: BULLET JOURNAL
Feeling creative? Start a bullet journal! Bullet journals can help you to stay organised and be more productive. Find out how to get started in this bullet journaling 101 post. My go-to person for all things bullet journals? Kalyn Brooke of course! Her BrainBook Starter Package has everything you need to get your bullet journaling system going.
#24: MIND MAP JOURNAL
Mind maps are one of the best ways to offload your thoughts on paper. Especially if you’re trying to map out a project or connect all the ideas that are whizzing around your brain. Remember the spider diagrams you used at school? Well, mind maps are like that but on speed! My hubby introduced me to them years ago and now I use them all the time.
If like me your thoughts have a scatter-brain approach, give mind maps a try by starting your very own mind map journal. Use a page per mind map, give the map a theme and then start offloading your thoughts onto paper. Discover the basics of mind mapping in THIS article.
Types of journals to create: Special milestones or events
Another great journal type to keep is one that relates to specific milestones or events. Use them to record all the special things you did and memorable events relating to that milestone that you want to remember. Journals for milestones and events not only make great keepsakes, but they make great gifts too.
You could even take your milestone journals one stage further and turn them into a photobook so that you can combine all of your precious memories with your favourite photos too!
Milestone and special event journal ideas…
- #25: Birthdays journal – Record what you did on each of your birthdays, who you spent it with and the gifts you received.
- #26: Wedding journal – Keep all of your wedding planning details in one place. Use it to plan your guest list, wedding breakfast, table plan and gift list ideas.
- #27: Anniversary journal – Like the birthday journal, use an anniversary journal to record how you celebrated each of your wedding anniversaries.
- #28: Pregnancy journal – Keep track of the progress of your pregnancy, your cravings, details of the baby shower and the photos of your scans.
- #29: Baby journal – Use a baby journal as a place to record all the details of your baby’s birth, their weight and all those important ‘firsts’.
- #30: Kids journal – What about all those years after your baby’s first year? Start a journal that records every year and give it to them as a gift when they turn 18.
- #31: Summer journal – Start a summer journal and have somewhere to record what you get up to every year. Better still, use it to record all of the school summer holidays!
- #32: Holiday journal – Record all of your trips away short or long in a holiday journal. Make a note of where you went, where you stayed, what you did, the weather etc.
- #33: Christmas journal – How much fun would a Christmas journal to create? Record all of the gifts Santa brought everyone, the yummy foods you ate and the things you did.
Types of journals to create: Hobbies and interests
Want a place to track your hobby? Or somewhere to record everything you need to know when starting a new hobby? Why not keep a hobbies or interests journal? Whether it’s gardening, fishing, brush lettering, model making or something else entirely, use your hobbies journal to make a note of what projects you want to work on next.
Keep a note of things you want to try, your favourite suppliers, tips and tricks you’ve learned and sites you want to check out.
Different types of hobbies and interest journals you could create…
- #34: Cinema journal – Love going to the movies? Start a cinema journal and write what you saw, what you thought of it and new movies you want to see.
- #35: Wine journal – Use a wine journal to record all of your favourite wines, wines you want to try and your favourite food and wine pairings.
- #36: Photography journal – Budding photographer? Store your best snaps in a photography journal and make a note of any new techniques you’ve learned.
- #37: Gardening journal – Greenfingered? Start a gardening journal and use it to record your favourite plants, what you’ve planted and all of your gardening tips and tricks.
- #38: Project journal – Renovating your house? Upcycling furniture? Writing a novel? Start a project journal to map out all of your ideas and track your progress.
- #39: Travel journal – Love to travel? Start a travel journal! Record all of your favourite places, what you did when you were there and places you want to visit next.
And of course, there’s also the good ol’ traditional diary. If those ‘dear diary’ moments really are your thing, then go for it! It’s your journal remember, you can write in it whatever you like!
39 of the best types of journals to start…
There you have it! Thirty-nine dear diary alternatives for your new notebook or journal! Which type of journal will you create first?!
That’s it for this post! Did you like this list of the different types of journals to create? Which one are you going to try first? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time…
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