The 7 Best Mindfulness Journals to Live in the Present Moment

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Looking for the best mindfulness journals you can use to begin your journey of writing and journaling?

Mindfulness means being in the present moment, savoring the taste of what is real and what is currently happening. It means being aware of what have you have, and how it affects your life.

In this article, we share with you seven mindfulness journals that you can use to start your mindfulness journaling routine. These journals were carefully selected to help you bring out the best, most mindful version of yourself.

But before we get to our top products, let’s discuss some of the benefits of using a mindfulness journal.

(Side note: Want a simple way to reduce your stress and anxiety? Then try writing these 35 mindfulness journaling prompts to live more in the present moment).

Benefits of Using a Mindfulness Journal

1. Improves intelligence quotient and brain development.

Mindfulness meditation is known to be one of the best ways to rewire your brain. As described by Buddhist monk Nyanaponika Thera, mindfulness is a “clear and single-minded awareness way to know exactly what is happening to us and in us, at the successive moments of perception.” Since we are fully aware of the present situation, we are able to adjust our mindsets and attitudes quickly.

Mindfulness journaling is no different. Writing and other forms of art can bring you to a meditative state that can help you rewire your brain and revamp your thoughts. Thinking with a more relaxed state of mind can increase your brain capacity and heighten your sense of perception, which leads to a healthier and happier life.

Journaling involves creative writing, and can help expand your vocabulary. As a form of expressive writing, it can keep your memory sharp and boost your focus and concentration. It generally supports brain development, helping to prevent the early onset of age-related cognitive diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

2. Boosts creativity and productivity.

In addition to boosting your intelligence, mindfulness journaling supports your artistic and creative side. As previously mentioned, journaling is a form of creative and expressive writing that automatically heightens your mind’s creativity. Knowing that you are capable of accomplishing important things gives you a sense of satisfaction, and an adrenaline rush that motivates you to do more and produce more.

In a study conducted by Reza Falahati of the University of Victoria, it was found that writing and language learning has a positive significant correlation with intelligence quotient (IQ) and productivity. Moreover, creative writing has been proven to boost intelligence and creativity.

Keeping a mindfulness journal allows you to view your life in the most organized way possible. When you know that everything in your life is under control, you become more excited about doing things in the most efficient, creative, and productive way.

3. Strengthens emotional stability and self-awareness.

Just like meditation, mindfulness journaling allows you to release your emotions. It gives you an outlet to process and evaluate your feelings, strengthening your sense of self-awareness. In addition, it increases your emotional intelligence, which allows you to perceive and manage your emotions and those of other people.

Establishing your emotional intelligence helps you create better, stronger relationships with other people. Because you understand your emotions and those of others, you tend to form much deeper connections.

4. Develops self-discipline and self-confidence.

The main goal of mindfulness journaling is to keep your life together in one place. In this way, you can keep track of the things you need to maintain, change, and remove. It just makes everything more organized and easier to handle. You develop good organization skills, which is an indication of self-discipline.

In addition to organizational skills, journaling improves other characteristics you need in life, such as self-confidence. Since you are practicing how to write in the most creative way possible, you tend to develop the skills necessary to communicate with other people.

5. Increases happiness and life satisfaction.

Mindfulness journaling is an art of healing—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Writing helps release your unwanted emotions, reducing anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues. When your mind is at peace, your physical and emotional health improves.

Keeping a mindfulness journal teaches one to be grateful for the things in their life. Especially for people with hectic schedules, it can be difficult to actually appreciate and celebrate life and all that it provides. There are so many things to be grateful for every day, but some people do not have the time to truly acknowledge them.

The Seven Best Mindfulness Journals

1. The Mindfulness Journal: Daily Practices, Writing Prompts, and Reflections for Living in the Present Moment by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport

The Mindfulness Journal: Daily Practices, Writing Prompts,
and Reflections for Living in the Present Moment
by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport

I personally created this journal with my co-author, Barrie Davenport, to help people get started with mindfulness journaling. I recommend it to both beginner and expert writers who want to start and continue their journeys to self-discovery.

Our main goal in this journal is to aid you in reducing your anxiety so you can live in the present moment. People tend to worry a lot when they are surrounded by negativity and bad news, but with this journal, you will be able to create a stress-reducing habit that can teach you how to appreciate life.

The Mindfulness Journal consists of 365 unique, actionable, daily writing prompts. Moreover, it has plenty of writing space where you can write down all your thoughts and reflect on them at the end of the day. You can also write at your own pace (although we recommend journaling once a day), so you don’t have to feel pressured about completing a prompt per day.

This journal is available on Amazon and other online retail stores. If you want to know more about it, you can check the customer reviews and see for yourself if it will fit your needs.

2. The 90-Day Mindfulness Journal: 10 Minutes a Day to Live in the Present Moment by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport

The 90-Day Mindfulness Journal:
10 Minutes a Day to Live in the Present Moment
by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport

This is another journal I created with Barrie to help people discover the power of mindfulness in just 10 minutes each day. Our goal in this journal is to teach people how they can reduce their stress by developing the powerful habit of mindfulness.

Every day, we encounter different kinds of stress in different areas of our lives. These include long working hours, frantic commutes on our way home, and a lengthy list of responsibilities we have to worry about.

With the practice of mindfulness journaling, you can achieve an inner calm, despite the stresses in your life. You only need 10 minutes per day to get rid of all that anxiety, fear, and stress you are feeling.

Each day you will respond to three prompts that won’t take more than 10 minutes to complete. Two of these prompts are the same every day, and the third is a unique daily mindfulness meditation topic.

This journal is recommended to people with busy and hectic lives. It is available on Amazon.

3. The Five-Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day by Alex Ikom and UJ Ramdas

The Five-Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
by Alex Ikom and UJ Ramdas

The Five-Minute Journal is both a mindfulness and gratitude journal. Its main goal is to make you realize the things you need to be thankful for in the present moment. Through it, the creators aim to boost your productivity and increase your happiness.

This journal has a structured format that you can accomplish in just five minutes each day. It is divided into two sections: morning routines and night routines. Its contents include gratitude, priorities for the day, amazing things, inspiring quotes, daily affirmations, and a reflection at the end of the day.

This journal is based on leading psychology research. With it, you will be able to learn how to complain less and appreciate more. It will teach you how to start your day with a happy mood and feel less isolated.

4. Zen as F*ck: A Journal for Practicing the Mindful Art of Not Giving a Sh*t by Monica Sweeney

Zen as F*ck: A Journal for Practicing the Mindful Art of Not Giving a Sh*t
by Monica Sweeney

Unique and interesting, Zen as F*ck is the journal to pick if you think that quiet and peace is just not enough to satisfy your thirst for mindfulness writing. This journal will help you brighten up your day by teaching you how to cut through the BS.

Many book reviews agree that this journal is an effective way to practice mindfulness. Some compare it a light on a dark road, and note that it is most effective for those who want a bit of sense of humor in their journaling practice.

Zen as F*ck consists of positive affirmations and cathartic activities that will kick-start your journey toward happiness and complete life satisfaction. If you want a lighter approach to mindfulness journaling, this could be the book for you.

5. Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration by Meera Lee Patel

Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
by Meera Lee Patel

Start Where You Are aims to nurture three things in each reader: creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. It is based on the belief that people will become more appreciative of the things around them if they start by knowing themselves and what their dreams are.

Patel emphasizes inspirational quotes from writers, artists, and other visionaries that people can use to inspire and motivate themselves to do better. It has vibrant lettering and images that make it more attractive, and also has open-ended questions and supportive prompts to help you reflect and evaluate yourself. Most important, it has plenty of space where you can write your day-to-day musings and realizations.

This mindfulness journal is not just great for personal use. If you are looking for something you can buy as a gift for a friend or loved one, share the practice of mindfulness through this journal.

6. Present, Not Perfect: A Journal for Slowing Down, Letting Go, and Loving Who You Are by Aimee Chase

Present, Not Perfect: A Journal for Slowing Down, Letting Go,
and Loving Who You Are
by Aimee Chase

Present, Not Perfect is specifically dedicated to women with frantic, busy lives and schedules. In this digital era, life has become increasingly busy, and career women often feel pressure to be perfect as they attempt to balance their professional and home lives.

This journal is all about striving for mindfulness rather than perfection. It teaches women how to slow down a little, let go of the things that are not important, and start loving themselves more.

More importantly, this journal helps women to reconnect with their inner selves through introspection, solitude, and deep contemplation of what really matters to them as people and family members.

If you are a woman looking for a more feminine-focused mindfulness journal, this book is worth a try.

7. I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide and Journal by Alexandra Frey and Autumn Totton

I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide and Journal
by Alexandra Frey and Autumn Totton

As with most products of its type, this mindfulness journal’s main goal is to help people learn the skill of mindfulness and start practicing it through writing. I Am Here Now concentrates on the present moment, and it keeps you from getting lost in your worries about the future and the past.

This journal is composed of mindfulness exercises, meditation techniques, coloring pages, and habit-breakers. It challenges your observation, cultivation, and investigation skills, making you more aware of what is happening around you, what you are feeling, and what you are thinking.

Frey and Totton, the authors of this journal, are the founders of the Mindfulness Project, which is an online platform that teaches the art of mindfulness.

Final Words

In this hectic world, we can all afford to be a bit more mindful. Mindfulness doesn’t just help you live a happier life—it also gives you a chance to start living a healthier one.

With the mindfulness journals we shared above, we hope that we were able to motivate and inspire you to pursue and continue a life lived with mindfulness through journaling.

If you have already tried one or a few of them, we’d love to know your thoughts! You may share a comment below and let us know how these journals have improved or affected your mindfulness journaling practice!

Finally, if you want a simple way to reduce your stress and anxiety, then try writing these 35 mindfulness journaling prompts to live more in the present moment.