How to Journal Like Elena Gilbert

• Light a candle or sit by a window. This instantly sets a cozy vibe. Having the right setting will make it easier for thoughts to flow easier.

• Choose a notebook that feels personal. Pick one that’s your favourite colour, has characters on it that you like, just anything that makes it feel special to you.

• Write at the same time each day (morning or night). Having a good routine with journalling will make it easier for you to do over time. If you keep up with it, you will have so much more to look back on and read in the future.

• Let the mood guide you (music, silence, rain sounds).

• “Dear diary…” or just the date. Try not to spend too much time making the perfect first sentence.

• Mention how you feel right now, then, afterwards add the details of what led up to you feeling this way. Maybe you’re happy because you caught up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while? Or maybe upset because your favourite series was removed from netflix (i can relate).

• If you’re stuck on what to write about, use pinterest and search “journal prompts” I do this a lot and they always have really good suggestions.

• Just be authentic. For some reason, I actually used to lie in my diary because I felt like somebody was going to read it. It’s a hard habit to get out of, so just be 100% truthful in the beginning!

• Imagine your journal is a safe person and write as if you’re speaking to your closest friends. I cannot express enough just how amazing it feels to release all your thoughts and feelings.

• Be vulnerable, even dramatic. Any feelings, hidden thoughts? This is your place to get them out. Write down everything you wouldn’t normally say and just speak freely.

• Ask questions you don’t have answers to. You can always revisit them in future when you have your answers. And it’s a great way overall to keep track of progress.

• Focus on how things felt, not just what happened. Instead of “I saw them today”, linger on the feeling of it. The tension, the nostalgia, the confusion. Zoom into the emotional layer of life. This is where your writing becomes cinematic.

• Describe moments in a sensory way. What did the atmosphere feel like. Were the people around you stressed out? Scared of something?

• Notice small things (a look, a silence, a shift in energy). Did somebody look at you weird and left you feeling unsettled? Did someone lie to you and you could tell by their guilty expression? Keep track of all the details, you might be thankful you wrote them down later on.

• Use metaphors or dramatic phrasing. Elena’s journalling has a soft, almost lyrical quality to it. You don’t need to be a poet, just let your thoughts stretch beyond plain language. Complex emotions are hard to convey with simple words.

• Repeat words for emphasis. If something feels dramatic, exaggerate it on the page, rewrite it over and over if you have to. Let your page be your emotional outlet.

• Write in fragments if it feels right. There is no “correct” way of keeping a diary, write it in the way that makes the most sense and feels right to you, and you alone.

• Admit things you wouldn’t say out loud. As long as you keep your diary in a safe and hidden spot, you are free to write anything and everything that enters your mind.

• Write about confusion, guilt, longing. These emotions are so easily talked about because there’s so many secondary effects to them in your daily life.

• Don’t try to resolve everything. Journalling isn’t about solutions instead, its about witnessing yourself. Let your contradictions live side by side. Love and hate can exist next to each other at the same time. Not everything has to make sense.

• “I don’t know what happens next…”

• “Maybe tomorrow will make more sense.”

• “Why does this still matter so much?”

• Her entries often close on a lingering thought, like a scene fading to black. Instead of forcing closure, leave pace. A question, a quiet hope or even uncertainty keeps the emotional thread alive, like your story is still unfolding (because it is)

• Doodles, pressed flowers, or photos

• Song lyrics that match your mood

• Different pen colors for different emotions

• Your journal can become a time capsule of your inner world. Layer it with pieces of your life. A reciept from a new cafe you visited, a lyric that won’t leave your head, pressed flowers from a meaningful day. These artifacts make your emotions tangible.