Happiness Expert Gretchen Rubin on How to Journal Mindfully

There isn't one “right” way to create a habit, so your habit of journal writing should suit you. So, when deciding when to write in a journal, ask yourself, “When do I feel my most energetic and creative? What time of my day tends to be the most predictable and uninterrupted? Do I like to write long or short?” 

Choose a time of day when you are uninterrupted and feel focused (for me, that’s first thing in the morning; for a friend, it’s midnight). It often helps to “pair” two activities, so that when one activity happens, the other happens, too: You write in your journal while you drink your first cup of coffee, or just before you get ready for bed. 

I know someone who travels often for work. When the plane is in the air, he works on his laptop, so he writes in his journal whenever he’s on a plane that’s sitting on the runway. He says it’s surprising how much he can write, and it also transforms a time of impatient waiting into a time of meaningful reflection.