6 New Journaling Ideas to Clear Away Your Writer's Block

1. Try some new prompts

Is your journaling dry spell simply due to feeling like you have nothing left to say? Let's put an end to that. New prompts, anyone?

What do you want to do less and more of?
When and where do you feel the most like yourself?
When you let your mind wander, where does it go?
Are you holding tension anywhere? Why?
What is your personal definition of success? Now re-evaluate it.

2. Start a bullet journal

Maybe your journaling beef is that your pages are just too stiff and don't reflect the vibe you're trying to put out into the world. Well, then it's time to switch to a bullet journal. With way less structure and more room for spontaneity, let your brain spill its most unfiltered thoughts, with no rhyme or reason required.

3. Or a book journal!

I've been infatuated with book journals since I first heard about them on, of course, TikTok and while it requires a bit more effort than traditional journaling, maybe it's exactly the kind of investment you're looking for to shake up your quiet time this year. Documenting all your reading habits and keeping logs of your 5-star books will force you to slow down and step away from screens -- and that's what a good journal habit is all about.

4. Simplify to one question per day

Or simply one line every day, where you jot down one highlight from the last 24 hours. Trying a "Q&A a Day" journal is the answer if your journaling qualm is that you don't have a whole lot of time anymore. Before you snuggle down too deep into your bed at night, flip to a new page and write a quick answer to whatever inquiry is waiting for you. Quick and easy, yet thought-provoking.

5. Journal in a coloring book

Did you bring some stress into 2023 that you'd rather do without? The coloring book game has lost a little steam over the last few years, but it hasn't gotten less relaxing! Writing about your stress is helpful in easing your mind, but coloring about it? That's something new.

6. Focus your goals

If you're more of a stream-of-consciousness journaler, switch things up by investing in a more direct journal! 52 Lists for Happiness, for example, gives you one list every week to think deeply about: little things that bring you joy, the gifts you want to give others or your values and beliefs. Journals that direct your ruminating give you more time to reflect on specific moments of your life -- something you may not be used to!