Morning and Night Journaling Routines

Everyone has daily routines, even when they don’t realize it. This might mean going to 
bed around the same time, always having coffee with breakfast, eating a snack when 
you get home from work, or reading your kids a bedtime story after their bath. These 
routines are what make up your day. They allow you to build habits, things you want or 
need to do every day.

With journaling, the same can be true. When you create a journaling routine, it reminds 
you that it is time to write in your journal at a certain time of the day. The two popular 
options are to have a morning or nighttime routine with your journal, but in some cases, 
you can do both.


Should You Journal Twice a Day?

The first thing to think about is whether you want to journal only in the morning or at 
night, or if you want to try both. Just because you have a daily routine with your journal, 
doesn’t mean you are restricted to using it only once a day. You can write in it as many 
times as you want, whether you are stressed and just need to vent, or you want to try a 
routine both in the morning and evening. 

Take a look at how you can benefit a little differently between morning and nighttime 
journal routines. The way you journal and what you usually write about is often quite 
different.


Benefits of Morning Journaling

Writing in your journal in the morning is a relatively new concept. When people think of 
journaling, they often think about using it at night when they reflect on their day. But 
there are so many amazing benefits to using it in the morning. Here are a few ways to 
use it during your morning routine:

Set intentions for the day – One of the best ways to use your journal during a morning 
routine is to set intentions. This allows you to get into the right mindset where you know 
what you have planned for the day. Not just in terms of a to-do list, but really getting into 
a positive mindset, telling yourself you are going to have a good, productive day, and 
honing in on a certain area of focus that is important to you.

Write about goals and tasks – You can also use it more for productivity purposes. You 
get into the right focus for the day when you write out your goals and what tasks need to 
be completed. This is similar to using a daily planner in the morning.

Get it out of the way – Journaling in the morning can also help you get through the 
routine first thing, so you don’t have to worry about it the rest of the day. Do something 
as simple as writing how you’re feeling, what you are grateful for, and an inspirational 
quote or an affirmation, and you’re good to go.


Benefits of Nighttime Journaling

The other option you have is to have a nighttime journaling routine. This is a very 
popular option, and allows for some slightly different benefits than if you were to use it in 
the morning.

Reflect on your day – In the evening, use your journal to reflect on your day. Write a 
summary of how you spent your day, then write about how you feel about your choices, 
if it was a good or bad day, and how you could have done things differently.

Express feelings and emotions – Vent all you want in your journal! It is like talking to 
a therapist, where you can express all your feelings, good and bad, and get them out of 
your head.

Have a healthy routine – In general, both nighttime and morning journal routines also 
help you to think about how else you might want to adjust these daily habits. Maybe you 
use your journal at the same time as your planner in the morning, or in the evening you 
meditate a little before writing in your journal. 

