Not a journal person? How to start one anyway

Perhaps you have a stack of lovely notebooks with three pages filled in each. Perhaps the word journal brings to mind long, poetic entries you would never have time for. Perhaps you think journalling is for a certain kind of person, and you are not her. Good news: a journal can be anything you want it to be, and it can take two minutes a day.

Why bother?

Writing things down does a few helpful things:

• It slows racing thoughts. Worries look smaller on paper than they feel in your head.
• It helps you remember. These seasons pass quickly, and the details blur. A journal keeps them.
• It gives you useful information. Notes about your cycle, symptoms, baby's feeds or your mood can help when you talk to your doctor, midwife or health visitor.
• It can become prayer. Many women find writing to God easier than praying aloud.

The psalmist encourages exactly this kind of honest outpouring:

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62:8)

A journal is one place to pour.

Four rules for non-journal people

1. Make it small. Aim for three lines, not three pages. You can always write more.
2. Make it easy. Use whatever is nearest: a cheap notebook, the notes on your phone, voice memos if writing feels like a chore.
3. Make it messy. Spelling, handwriting and grammar do not matter. Nobody is marking it.
4. Make it guilt-free. Missed a week? Write today's date and carry on. No catching up required.

Three simple formats to try

The three-line day

Write one line each for: What happened. How I felt. One thing I am thankful for. Done in under two minutes.

The letter

Write a short letter, to God, to your future child, to your baby, to your future self. Letters often unlock feelings that lists do not.

The question

Pick one prompt and answer it in a few sentences. Here are some for different seasons.

Prompts for your season

If you are trying to conceive

• What am I carrying this month that I need to give to God?
• What helps me feel like more than my cycle?
• Where have I seen kindness this week?

If you are pregnant

• What do I want to remember about this week?
• What am I worried about, and what question can I take to my midwife?
• What would I like to tell my baby one day about this time?

If you are a new mum

• What small thing went well today?
• What did my baby do that made me smile?
• What help do I need, and who can I ask?

If you are grieving

• What do I want to say to the baby I lost?
• What has been hardest today, and what has helped even a little?
• What would I like others to understand?

Using your journal with your care team

Your journal can be a quiet ally at appointments. Jot down symptoms, questions and how you have been feeling, and take it with you. If you notice a pattern of low mood, anxiety or poor sleep over two weeks or more, show your doctor, midwife or health visitor. It is often easier to point to a page than to find the words in the room.

Do not use a journal in place of urgent help, though. If something feels medically wrong, such as heavy bleeding, severe pain, a high fever or, in pregnancy, reduced baby movements, contact your doctor, midwife or maternity unit straight away. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out for help today.

Keeping it private and safe

Your journal is yours. If privacy matters, use a notebook you can keep somewhere safe, or a password-protected app. You never have to share what you write.

A year from now

Imagine opening your journal in a year and reading three lines from today. You might smile, or cry, or simply be amazed at how far you have come. That future moment is worth two minutes now.

A prayer as I begin to write

Lord, I want to pour out my heart before you. Meet me in these small pages and these simple words. Help me to notice your faithfulness and to remember it, day by day. Amen.