Struggle to keep up with journaling when your ADHD brain won’t slow down?
This post explores why journaling feels overwhelming for those with ADHD—and shares gentle, practical tips to make it feel doable, joyful, and truly yours. Whether you’re a seasoned journaler or just starting, you’ll find encouragement and ideas that actually work for ADHD minds.
Journaling can be a beautiful ritual—one that helps you process emotions, track progress, or simply slow down. But if you have ADHD, that blank page can feel more like a wall than a window.
You sit down to write… and suddenly remember ten other things. Or you can’t decide which notebook to use. Or the pressure to make it “look right” makes you shut it before you begin.
You’re not alone. Let’s talk about why journaling with ADHD is hard—and how to make it easier.
Why ADHD Makes Journaling Difficult
Out of sight, out of mind
If your notebook isn’t in your direct line of vision, you might genuinely forget it exists.
Perfectionism and pressure
You want it to be beautiful, organized, meaningful. And that pressure stops you from starting at all.
Boredom and restlessness
Writing long entries can feel slow or pointless when your brain is jumping to the next thing.
Decision fatigue
Which notebook? Which pen? Which prompt? The options can feel endless and overwhelming.
How to Make Journaling ADHD-Friendly
Let go of the rules
Journaling doesn’t have to be daily, deep, or even full sentences. Doodle. List. Scribble. Brain dump. All of it counts.
Make it visible
Keep your journal somewhere obvious—your desk, nightstand, or kitchen counter. Visibility = memory. I have notebooks in every room. Nobody said that you have to have only one.
Use anchors
Tie journaling to a habit you already have. After morning coffee. Before brushing your teeth. While your tea steeps.
Make it fun and visual
Use washi tape, color coding, stickers, or highlighters. ADHD brains love dopamine—so make it a sensory treat.
Prompt yourself
Stuck on what to write? Try:
– What felt good today?
– What do I need right now?
– What’s taking up brain space?
Be kind to your process
Some days, you’ll fill three pages. Other days, you’ll write one word—or nothing at all. That’s still journaling. That’s still you showing up.
Journaling with ADHD isn’t about doing it perfectly. It’s about creating a space where your thoughts can land safely, even if just for a moment.
Your journal doesn’t need to be pretty. It just needs to be yours.
