10 best mindfulness journals for learning to live in the moment

Journalling has long been recognised for its mindful qualities and it's a great practice to make part of your daily routine. Studies have shown that mindful journalling can benefit your mental health, reduce anxiety and lower your stress levels.

It can also boost your mood by helping you to organise your thoughts, recognise your fears and concerns, give you the opportunity to practice some positive self-talk and organise your lifestyle to develop healthier habits. Writing a journal can help to calm anxious thoughts and change your outlook on life over time.

Journalling can become a regular part of your routine, whether you choose to do it as a relaxing morning ritual or use it as a way to de-stress after a hectic day. Journalling at bedtime can be a great way to clear your mind before you settle down for sleep. You could also journal after work to help you create a boundary between your home life and your working day, which is particularly important when you work from home.

A lot of us start the new year bursting with journalling enthusiasm, only to drop the habit after a few short weeks (we've all been there). Choosing a more structured mindfulness journal can really help you to sustain your journalling practice beyond January, with prompts and ideas to inspire you every day – which is perfect for those days when you feel unmotivated or lacking in creativity.

Read on to find the best mindfulness journal for you…

Looking for more journalling inspiration? Find out how to begin a new mindful practice by starting a January journal. If you feel you need more guidance to get into mindfulness, take a look at our pick of the best mindfulness courses. You could also have a go at creating your own journal with our how to make a journal guide.

How to choose the best mindfulness journal

There's nothing we love more than picking out new stationery! Choosing a journal with a gorgeous cover and jotting your thoughts on the fresh white pages is immensely satisfying. Luckily most mindfulness journals out there are beautifully designed and writing in them feels like a real treat.

When you're choosing a mindfulness journal, it's a good idea to look for structure and a variety of prompts to inspire you. If each day follows the same format, you might find yourself getting bored and losing interest. There are a range of mindfulness journals available to buy, or you might prefer a happiness journal or a gratitude journal. There are even yoga journals if you want to make journalling a regular part of your yoga practice.

If a structured mindfulness journal isn't quite right for you and you're looking for more flexibility, you might want to try bullet journalling instead. Explore our what is bullet journalling beginners guide and check out Gathered's best bullet journal picks.

Best mindfulness journal notebooks to buy in 2023

This sturdy mindfulness journal is full of prompts and ideas for six months, which is great if you're looking for a journal that will keep you going for a long time. It contains 184 days of prompts, so you're bound to find lots of mindful wisdom here.

It's undated, so you can start your journal at any point in the year. The format of the journal is easy to use, with prompts to help you record the good things that have happened to you that day. There are also nine feel better pages throughout the journal to allow you to investigate your feelings more deeply. It also includes an introduction to explain how to use journal for best results, setting you up for journalling success!

Buy the Betterday journal from Etsy for £23.99

Bring a bit of magic into your life with this stunning journal from Papier. Use this mindfulness journal to take stock of your life, focus on your intentions and build positive habits.

This journal will help you to start and end the day in a mindful way, keep track of your habits and think about the things that bring you joy.

There are 12 weeks of pages to use to track your mindful goals and reap the wellness benefits.

Buy the Magic is in You journal from Papier for £24.99

This sweet little notebook from Papier is a great way to start practising mindful journalling. It has lots of fun prompts to help you appreciate what you love in life, such as encouraging you to list the things that you love about yourself or challenging you to listen to a favourite song with your eyes closed (so that you really appreciate the lyrics).

The Mindful Mind journal will show you how to slow down and really enjoy your life.

Buy the My Mindful Mind journal from Paperchase for £10

Looking for a happiness journal? This pretty wellness journal from Papier contains everything you need to start feeling happier from day one and is available in three pastel shades.

The Joy Wellness journal will help you to set your intentions for the future, begin and end every day with a fresh outlook on life and keep a record of things that make you feel good. There's room to keep your journal going for 12 weeks and three pages to use for intentions, feel-good goals or wishlists.

Use it to reflect on your wellness habits, such as whether you're drinking enough water, how much sleep you're getting and what you're grateful for.

Buy the Joy Wellness journal from Papier for £24.99.

Not sure if you can keep up with a daily diary? Don't worry, this mindfulness journal only needs to be completed once a week. Take 20 minutes to settle down with a cup of tea and reflect on your life. Over time, you'll find that it brings you a greater appreciation of the joys of life.

This journal includes lots of fun prompts and questions to help you explore your ideas and desires, jot down your thoughts and feelings and record your feelings. There's 52 weeks of inspiration to keep you going throughout the year.

Buy the Press Pause mindfulness journal from Not On The High Street for £25

This cheerful yellow happiness journal is bound to lift your spirits! The Positive Planner is a 12-week planner and journal that's designed to give you a brighter take on life – something we all need now and then.

It features beautiful inspirational illustrations and quotes, mindfulness prompts and art therapy exercises to help you focus on your wellbeing. The planner includes lots of useful sections to help you organise your life including meal planners, shopping lists, diary pages and a mood tracker – everything you need to build a happier outlook.

Buy the Positive Planner from Not On The Highstreet for £24

This stylish cloth-bound journal from Wearth London is filled with mindful prompts to help you develop a regular self care practice. This mindfulness journal offers lots of tips and inspiration to encourage you to build a more positive outlook.

This mindfulness journal includes plenty of gratitude, reflective and self care prompts alongside inspiring quotes to support your wellbeing. It's undated with 12 weeks of daily double-page entries for you to fill in at your leisure.

Buy the Give Yourself Kindness journal from Wearth London for £25

Practising gratitude is a great way to bring mindful journalling into your daily routine. This beautiful pastel journal contains space for you to record three things you're grateful for every day. You'll be able to record three things that you're grateful for each day in as much or as little detail as you want.

This gratitude journal also comes with a card of gratitude prompts for those days when you need a bit of inspiration to complete your journal.

Buy the rainbow gratitude journal from Tres Paper Co for £9.50

Look after your mind for six months with this sleek undated mindfulness journal from LSW London. This journal is designed to help you identify your habits and patterns of behaviour over time and encourage your gratitude practice. There are prompts for every week day with weekly review pages so you can reflect on how you're doing.

Over time you'll learn to be more positive and mindful with the help of the techniques you'll pick up from the journal.

Buy the LSW Mind Notes journal from Etsy for £23.99

Want to keep a long-term journal? The Today journal will keep you feeling inspired and mindful for three years! You can start at any time – simply flick through the pages to the current date and start writing.

There's a thought-provoking prompt for each day, so you don't have to worry about thinking up something to write about. The questions have been carefully chosen to make you think about your life and the values you hold. As you write the journal over three years, you'll be able to look and see if your thoughts and feelings have changed over time.

If you're planning to give this to someone as a gift, you can also have it personalised with their initials.

Buy the Today 3-Year Reflection journal from Etsy for £22