Whether you have one child or five, I know, it’s next to impossible and critically important to carve out personal time. Journaling can help ease your stress when it gets really crazy, but of course, when it’s crazy, you don’t have time for the let-it-all-hang-out you may need. 

Don’t lose heart, sister! Just because you can’t hide away for an hour with your journal and a cup of tea doesn’t mean you have to do without the therapy. Sometimes just expressing a few ideas or feelings is enough to take the edge off.

Here is a list of ways you can still document a bit of your life without needing huge chunks of time. 

With limits

Creative constraints can free you from the tyranny of a whole blank page, yet still satisfy a daily habit. 

• Just set an alarm. You’d be surprised what you can write in five or ten minutes. Don’t worry about proper sentences or spelling. 

• Find a journal that has just a few lines allotted for each day. Maybe you can limit yourself to a single sentence per day.

• Fill one 3” x 3” sticky note or one index card every day. 

• Record a few thoughts in your planner if it has the space for a daily note. 

Potentially undiscovered times 

• While you’re waiting. Doctor’s office, motor vehicle bureau, in line to pick up the kids at school? This might be tricky if your hands are full with older children, but if it’s just Baby in a carrier, tuck that notebook into the diaper bag.

• At bedtime, record the major things that happened.

• Upon getting up, record your hopes or an intention for the day.

• You know your own schedule—what span of minutes could you dedicate to processing and recording?

Themes and prompts

• There are lots of daily writing prompts available online: motivational, memories, short-short stories, lists, questions, you name it. Have a series ready beforehand so you can select the next one and not lose time deciding.

• Set your own theme for a week or a month. People who helped me today, the hardest thing I did, a prayer for safety and peace. If it’s all you can muster, it’s OK to record the weather and an event or two.

• Record your major feeling for the day, and a few sentences about why you feel that way. 

• Write a short poem. Limericks and haikus are useful and easy forms to follow. 

• Free write—whatever comes to mind!

Not writing

• What about drawing a picture every day? A stick figure can express the most important feeling or accomplishment for the day. It doesn’t have to look like anything to anyone other than you.

• Dance your feeling for the day? Sing it? Record it or not. The goal is to process and express.

• Take a photo—or several—throughout the day. 

Be intentional. It is easier to get into a habit if you set aside the same time every day. There will always be exceptions or interruptions, but planning it helps make it happen. Write it in your schedule or try setting an alert to remind you.

Give yourself permission to try different things. If you get bored with a series of prompts—no need to force yourself to stay with it. Maybe you want more space than your three lines per day. Use more lines! Even things that work well may get stale after a year or so.

It’s OK to skip a day, or week or a year. The thing is, journaling should be a good thing for you, not another task you have to cross off your list in order to feel like you’re doing the right stuff. Do what works for you and do it for the personal benefit.

Look over the list, pick one that seems the most promising, and set yourself to journal for a week. See? It’s that easy to include journaling in your daily routine!

Meet Lana Wildman

Lana is a business ghostwriter and writing coach in Kansas City. While writing books or helping other write their books, she's all about creativity, self care and encouraging others along the glorious, messy journey of life.