How to Start a Spiritual Journal (5 Simple Steps)

Spiritual journaling can help transform your life. And your spiritual journey.

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If you’re just starting your spiritual journey, check out Spirituality: A Guide for Beginners for some great tips and to read about my personal experience.

A spiritual journal is a sacred journal created by you to connect with your higher self and enhance your spiritual awareness. It’s one of the best ways to document your day-to-day spiritual experiences.

But what does spiritual journaling entail? We’ll discuss everything you need to know.

But first, let’s talk about the benefits.

Spiritual Benefits of Journaling

The benefits of spiritual journaling are infinite, but here are a few great ones.

• Peace and serenity within yourself
• Spiritual clarity and spiritual growth
• Identification of your natural spiritual gifts
• Deeper connection with your inner self

As you can see, journaling will advance your spiritual development. Here’s how.

First, you’ll become your own source of guidance and wisdom. You’ll no longer seek answers from the outside world. 

Instead, you’ll look inward.

Second, your spiritual path will become clearer as you self-reflect and gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what your spirituality means to you. Your beliefs and practices will start to align with your soul.

Any doubts or questions you had during your spiritual awakening will now be easier to process and understand.

What Goes in A Spiritual Journal

So, what should you put in a spiritual journal? But here are my personal recommendations of things you can include in your spiritual journal. 

But honestly, you can add whatever you want. It’s up to you.

1. Spiritual Goals

Write down a list of spiritual goals you want to accomplish. Clearly define each goal, then set an intention to achieve each goal.

2. Journaling Prompts

Answer some journal prompts to get clarity on where you are right now in your spiritual journey. 

Here are 5 spiritual journal prompts to get you started.

• Why are you on a spiritual journey?
• What does being spiritual mean to you?
• What do you believe is the purpose of your existence?

If journal prompts aren’t your thing, just freewrite whatever you’re feeling. Your journal serves as an outlet for all of your emotions. 

So if you’re feeling confused, angry, happy, or curious – write that down.

3. Spiritual Practices

No two people practice their spirituality the same. So include your favorite practices. What are some things you like to do? This could be meditating, performing rituals, or spending time at an altar.

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Interested in setting up an altar for self-love? Check out Self-Love Altar: On a Mission to Love Yourself More

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4. Spiritual Basics

Here you want to include just some basics about your spirituality. So you could have some journal pages dedicated to 

• The elements (water, fire, earth, and air)
• The laws of the universe
• Moon phases
• Your current spiritual beliefs
• Meditation and mindfulness techniques

5. Anything Spiritually Fascinating

Basically, add anything that helps you connect with your spirituality. It can be images, artwork, thoughts, chants, affirmations, or prayers. Go wild.

How to Start Your Spiritual Journal

Here’s how to start your spiritual journal in 5 simple steps.

1. Decide on a Journaling Space

Your journaling space is a designated space for you to go and journal. Make it comfortable because you’ll probably spend a lot of time here.

Create a comfortable atmosphere by choosing a place that’s free of clutter and is somewhere where you feel absolutely relaxed.

2. Choose Your Journal

Find the perfect journal. Go for something that’s attractive and catches your eye. Think about what you like in a journal. Do you like lined journals? Or do you prefer journals with blank pages?

Maybe you want a sketchbook because you plan to glue in pictures or use other arts and crafts.

Or maybe you want to create your own.

3. Decide What You want to Include

Take some time to figure out how you plan to use this journal. What do you want to include?

I’ve shared some good ideas of what to include already. Now it’s just time to decide on what you want.

You can even take it as far as to plan out your journal – like a sample layout. What do you want on the inside cover? Will you have an index or table of contents?

4. Create a Journaling Routine

Decide how often you want to journal and stick to it. What activities can you incorporate to make the activity enjoyable? Maybe a cup of coffee and a banana nut muffin is all you need to kick off your routine. You can start with just 5 minutes a day and you can still reap the benefits of journaling. Just remember that journaling regularly will help you grow spiritually.

5. Regularly Review Your Spiritual Journal

What good is keeping a journal if you never review what’s inside? Review, review, and repeat. From time to time, go back and look at the things you’ve added and written in your journal.

Then reflect. How have you changed? Do you still find those things to be interesting?

What to Expect When Starting Your Spiritual Journal

When you’re starting anything new, you’re bound to run into some obstacles. As you journal, there may be moments of confusion and frustration.

Lean into those feelings instead of pushing them away. Your journal is a safe place to express every thought, question, or frustration. It is also a safe place to seek answers.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a spiritual journal, the time is now. It’s one of the easiest ways to facilitate your spiritual growth. 

And while It does require self-reflection and consistency, it shouldn’t feel overwhelming. Don’t overthink it. Remember to make it personable and spend time with your journal every day.

Your spiritual journal is your method of connecting with yourself and your spiritual side. You don’t have to follow anyone’s rules. Fill your journal with items you consider spiritually important. 

If you’ve already started your spiritual journal, share what you put in your in the comments below.