I get it—you hate writing....
- Jill Grumbache
- Apr 15
- 7 min read
Or, the spoonful of sugar that helps the brain dump go down…
This is for women who'd rather scrub a toilet than pick up a pen—or who just think they would.
I get it. You hate writing.
Maybe it feels like homework. Maybe you think you're "just not the journaling type."
But I want you to benefit from the alchemy of this natural, holistic, and absolutely affordable tool. It's an asset to your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Here's the secret: forget the word "journal" entirely.
Call it a brain dump.
A daily jot.
Reminders before bed.
You don't have to write a single full sentence if you don't want to.
One word?
Fine.
A bullet list?
Perfect.
The only rule is that there are no rules—no grammar, no spelling bees, no judging.
Start tiny: one sentence about your day, or two minutes on a timer. Attach it to something you already do, like brushing your teeth or scrolling in bed.
The payoff isn't becoming a writer—it's getting all that mental clutter out of your head so you can actually think straight. Less overwhelm, better sleep, and a place to dump whatever's spinning around.
Grab a cheap notebook you like the feel of and a bright green fineliner (make the colour match your mood!), or just use the Notes app. The intention is that no one will ever read it.
And if writing still feels like a no? Speak it out loud, record a video selfie, or doodle your feelings. No candle or nightgown necessary.
You've got this. You are now a person who brain-dumps. And that, my friend, is worth more than all the perfect prose in the world.
Second thoughts...
Let me tell you something that might shock you.
You probably already know that I teach journaling for a living. It's literally my job. I teach it, study it, and help women find their own way in. And about half of them start the conversation with some version of: "But I'm not a writer."
Not, "I'm not good at writing." Not "I don't have time." I get the full-on, hands-on-hips, I-would-rather-eat-a-bowl-of-cold-spaghetti hate (fear) of writing.
And here's what I tell them every single time:
Good news. Journaling is not writing. It's thinking.
And if you can think, you can journal.
First, let's get honest about what you actually hate
Most women who "hate writing" don't actually hate putting words on a page.
They hate:
The pressure to be interesting
The memory of fifth-grade book reports
The fear that someone will read it and judge them
The voice in their head that says "That's not good enough," before the pen even touches paper
The vague idea that journaling requires complete sentences, correct spelling, and a profound point
None of those things is journaling.
So, let's separate the act of writing from the performance of writing. Because journaling is not a performance. It's an exhale. A much-needed pause. A life clarifier. It's a burp for your brain. It's a holiday for your heart. It's the emotional equivalent of taking off your bra at the end of a long day.
You don't hate any of that. You just forgot you were allowed to do it.
What if you just think you hate writing?
Oh, this is a fun one.
Sometimes we tell ourselves we hate something because we're afraid we'll be bad at it. Or because someone once made us feel stupid for trying.
If that's you, here's a little experiment.
Write one sentence. Any sentence. Even: "I hate this, and I don't want to do it."
Now read it back.
Did the world end? Did a red pen descend from the sky and correct your grammar? No. Hallelujah.
Do that five days in a row. One little sentence. By day five, you might notice you don't hate it anymore. You might even look forward to it. (Don't tell anyone I said that. You have a reputation to maintain.)
A quick word on the "I'm not a writer" cousin
If you hate writing because you think you're bad at it—spelling, punctuation, handwriting, all of it—let me introduce you to a revolutionary concept:
Your journal does not care.
My journal has entries that are literally just the word "ugh" repeated seventeen times. It has drawings that look like cat scratches. It has grocery lists. It has rants where I spelled "definitely" three different ways in one paragraph.
That journal has never once rolled its eyes at me.
Yours won't either.
7 ways to journal without "writing"
Pick one. Any one. I dare you. (Wink. But really.)
1. The bullet point brain dump
No sentences allowed. Just dashes and chaos.
so tired
Why did my boss say "per my last email" like that
need milk
I think my friend is mad at me but I'm too tired to figure out why
I want some Reeses Pieces
You just journaled. That took 47 seconds.
2. The one-word check-in
Write one word that describes right now.
Overwhelmed.
That's it. You're done. Close the notebook and go watch reruns of Schitt's Creek. You earned it.
3. The scream
Write the ugliest, pettiest, most unhinged rant you can muster. Use ALL CAPS. Swear if you want. No one is reading this. I promise.
I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE SAID THAT. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? I HOPE HER WIFI GOES OUT DURING HER ZOOM CALL.
You'll feel better in two minutes. Try it.
4. The list
Lists are not "writing." Lists are organizing. Your brain loves them.
3 things that annoyed me today
2 things I'm pretending not to worry about
1 thing that made me laugh, even though I didn't want to
Boom. Journal entry.
5. The doodle or the squiggle
Draw a sad potato. Scribble angry lines. Make a tiny stick figure flipping a tiny stick bird.
Visual journaling counts. Your brain doesn't know the difference between words and shapes. It just knows you let something out.
6. The 30-second sprint
Set a timer for 30 seconds. Write without stopping. Do not correct. Do not think. When the timer goes off, stop even if you're mid-word.
This is too short to hate. Try it right now. I'll wait.
(You back? See? Painless.)
7. The voice note that becomes a journal
Talk into your phone. Use the voice memo app. Say: "I'm so annoyed because..." Then later—or never—transcribe it. Or don't.
Here's the only rule for journaling when you hate to write:
Do it in a way that doesn't make you want to throw the notebook across the room. That's it.
If that means one word a day? Do that.
If that means voice notes? Do that.
If that means you never write another sentence after today, but you tried it once and it was fine? That's a win too.
You don't have to love writing. You don't have to be good at it. You just have to let your brain and heart exhale once in a while.
And what will you get in return?
Here are ten tight, sassy benefits of journaling for women—no fluff, no gratitude lists unless they're funny.
1. It lowers the volume on your inner critic. That voice that said you wore the wrong thing, said the wrong thing, and tipped the wrong amount? Journaling turns it from a scream to a mumble.
2. You stop carrying everyone else's feelings. Write down what your mother said, what your boss implied, and what your friend didn't text back. Now close the book. They live there now. Not in your chest.
3. It's cheaper than therapy. Not a replacement. But a very good bridge. And your journal doesn't charge a cancellation fee.
4. You remember what you actually think. Before you Google it, before you ask three group chats, before you let someone else decide for you. Your first opinion lives on the page.
5. The spiral stops. That thing you've been replaying for four days? Put it on paper. It stops spinning the second it becomes visible. Magic. (Not magic. Neuroscience.)
6. You get better at saying no. Journaling clarifies what you actually want. And once you know that, "no" comes out a lot faster.
7. Your anger becomes useful. Instead of crying when you're furious (classic), you write it down. Then you decide what to do with it. Suddenly you're not a mess. You're a woman with a plan.
8. You spot your own patterns. "Oh. Every time I'm tired, I pick a fight with my partner." "Oh. Every time I'm stressed, I buy candles I don't need." You can't fix what you can't see.
9. It gives you permission to be boring. Your journal doesn't need you to be interesting. Write about your grocery list. Write about your sore knee. Write "I have nothing to say." Still counts.
10. You finally meet yourself. Not the polished, performing, people-pleasing version. The real one. The one who's tired, funny, petty, generous, confused, and trying her best. She's worth listening to.
But don't take my word for it. Here's the science.
Journaling isn't just "woo-woo" self-help. It's backed by decades of research.
- It lowers blood pressure. A landmark study found that people who wrote about past traumatic experiences had measurably lower blood pressure and heart rates. A 2020 study showed a six-week journaling intervention reduced systolic blood pressure.
- It reduces stress hormones—especially in women. A 2024 study found that journaling lowered cortisol specifically in women. Your female body may respond uniquely well to this tool.
- It boosts your immune system. Pennebaker's research showed that expressive writing increases T-cells and lymphocytes. Holding it in hurts your immune system. Letting it out helps.
- It speeds up physical healing. A randomized trial found that people who journaled before a wound healed faster. Your words literally talk to your tissues.
- It reduces depression and anxiety. Studies show that journaling can be as effective as antidepressants for mild to moderate depression. A 2025 study on adolescent girls found that it reduced anxiety, stress, and depression. A 2022 meta-analysis of 20 trials found a 5% greater reduction in mental health symptoms compared to control groups.
And there's more: improved lung and liver function, fewer doctor visits, better sleep, and reduced physical symptoms in chronic illness. Your body keeps score. Journaling helps you settle the tab.
And you can get all of that without a single complete sentence.
Now, that should be enough to help you be released from your allergy to ink.
So, go be a hot, inky mess on paper. Your brain will thank you later.
Liked this? Want more permission to be a hot mess on paper? Check out my Morningtides Program. It's a glorious gaggle of women journaling together every Monday and Friday morning (or whenever they can make it!). I provide you with inspirational journaling prompts that some say, "...are the best, most clever journaling prompts I've ever seen!" Click below and learn more.
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