I’m Not a Writer: How to Journal When Words Feel Hard
I never pictured myself as one of those people.
You know the image — sitting calmly with a cup of herbal tea, gazing out of a window onto rolling fields, a beautiful journal open on the table, pen poised and ready to write a masterpiece. Pages filled with flowing sentences, rich descriptions, every emotion captured perfectly. Maybe a title at the top. A date neatly underlined. Possibly even written with a calligraphy pen.
That was never my life.
Even in recovery, life was chaotic and unstructured. My mind certainly wasn’t ordered, neat, or tidy before — and afterwards it felt more like a scrambled mess. Less elegant journalling moment with birds chirping, more toddler having a bad day inside my head.
The truth is, I’m dyslexic. Anything handwritten will likely be spelt wrong, written in the wrong order, drifting between what might resemble sentences and bullet points — and often losing its train of thought halfway through. There’s probably a bit of ADHD in there too, or maybe it’s just what happens when your mind is overloaded and exhausted.
Maybe that’s why I’d never really tried journalling before.
I think I was scared of failing before I’d even started.
But here’s the thing — how can you get something wrong when it’s about you?
And that’s exactly what changed.
When I started unintentionally, it became clear very quickly that this wasn’t about doing it properly. It was about doing it honestly. This was for me. My journal. My words. My way.
It didn’t need a template.
It didn’t need a structure.
And it certainly didn’t need to look nice.
I could change it whenever I wanted — or not at all. There was no right or wrong way of doing it.
The Myth That Stops People Before They Start
One of the biggest myths around journalling is that it has to be pretty, clever, or well written.
It doesn’t.
It doesn’t need full sentences.
It doesn’t need paragraphs.
It doesn’t even need words.
If you’ve ever thought “I can’t do this”, you’re not alone — and you’re not failing. Most people stop before they start because they think journalling belongs to a certain type of person.
It doesn’t.
What Journalling Can Look Like (When Writing Feels Hard)
Journalling doesn’t have to look the same every day. Some days, writing properly just isn’t possible — and that’s okay.
Here are some of the ways journalling has shown up for me (and for many others):
Bullet points
Lists of single words
One sentence — and stopping there
Voice notes (that you might write down later… or not at all)
Mind maps or spider diagrams
Mood trackers or simple scales
Doodles, lines, shapes, or scribbles
None of this is “less than”.
It’s not cheating.
It’s not doing it wrong.
It’s meeting yourself where you are.
Journalling When Reading & Writing Are Hard
This matters to me, because it’s so often overlooked.
If reading and writing are hard for you — whether that’s dyslexia, brain fog, trauma, exhaustion, or overwhelm — journalling can still work. It just needs to be gentler.
Things that help:
Wider spacing on the page
Headings instead of long paragraphs
Coloured paper or overlays
Short bursts (two to five minutes is enough)
Writing without rereading or correcting
This isn’t about labels.
It’s about care.
You’re allowed to make this easier for yourself.
Gentle Ways In
If prompts feel overwhelming, try something simple. You don’t have to go deep every time.
Today feels…
Right now, I’m noticing…
One thing on my mind is…
What I need less of today is…
Something that helped a little was…
You can stop after one line. That still counts.
In Case You Need to Hear It
Some days you’ll want lists.
Some days you’ll want words.
Some days you’ll want nothing at all.
All of it counts.
Journalling isn’t about being a writer.
It’s about giving your thoughts somewhere to go.
A Gentle Place to Start
If you’d like a little guidance without pressure, you can download my free First 7 Days of Journalling Prompts. They’re simple, human, and designed for real life — not perfection.
And if journalling feels helpful but you’d like more support — choosing your style, finding what works for you, and letting go of what doesn’t — the journalling course is there when you’re ready.
No rules.
No expectations.
Just space.