How to Journal in Just 5 Minutes a Day

Journaling is a wonderful practice that provides endless benefits, improving nearly every 
part of your life. But if you find it tedious or that you just don’t have the time, why not 
dedicate just 5 minutes a day to it? Everyone has at least 5-10 minutes they can find in 
a day to write a few things down, then move on to the next task.


Start by Expressing Gratitude

A super quick exercise for your journal is to express gratitude. It only takes a couple 
minutes, though this can be your entire 5-minute journaling routine if you prefer. 
However, if you want to add other thoughts as well to the 5-minute journaling session,  
just add a quick list of 3 things or people you are grateful for each day. It gets your 
thoughts going and puts you into a positive headspace.


Try 5 Minutes of Stream of Consciousness

Another way for a quick 5-minute journaling session is to write in the stream of 
consciousness style. What does this mean? With this style of writing, you are not 
choosing any single topic specifically. You write the first thing that comes to your mind, 
then write continuously for 5 minutes. Your thoughts might bounce around to 10 
different things before you’re done, and it might not make a lot of sense, but it is a great 
way to dump all those feelings and thoughts out of your head and onto paper.


List 3 Good Things and 3 Bad Things

For more of a quick list method, write down 3 good things on your mind, and 3 of the 
more negative or stressful things on your mind. This can be any 3 things, from 3 things 
recently you accomplished, to 3 things you are grateful for today. Then, you can write 3 
of the more negative thoughts, like 3 issues, 3 people who have been stressing you out, 
or 3 things you have been slacking on a little in your personal or professional life.


Use Prompts

When you feel stuck, don’t waste time just trying to think of something to write about. 
Journaling prompts provide statements or questions that can get your mind thinking 
about a specific topic. Instead of wasting time thinking about what to write, just choose a 
simple journal prompt, and write about what it is asking. There are thousands and 
thousands of them, which you can find on Pinterest, blogs, and just about anywhere on 
the internet.







