First, know that staring at a blank page is a universal experience. It’s not a sign you’re “bad” at journaling; it’s just a momentary lack of inspiration. The best thing you can do is be gentle with yourself and try a simple entry point.

Instead of waiting for a big idea, try one of these small starting points:

• The “Brain Dump”: Write down every single thought in your head, no matter how random or jumbled. Don’t try to organize it—just let it flow.
• Gratitude: Think of three small things that brought you a moment of comfort or joy today. It could be the warmth of your coffee, a song you heard, or a nice message from a friend.
• A Simple Observation: Describe something you saw today in detail—the way the clouds looked, a pattern on the floor, or the expression on someone’s face.
• Ask Yourself a Question: Start with a simple question like, “What do I need right now?” or “What am I looking forward to this week?” and see where the answer takes you.

The most important rule of journaling is that there are no rules. Some days will be deep and reflective, and others will just be a list of what you had for lunch. Both are perfectly valid.

And when you want a little extra inspiration, our journaling prompts page is filled with ideas to get you started