Journaling isn’t just another habit. It’s a relationship—and I’m in it for the long haul.

Have you journaled today?

No, me either. I probably won’t, if I’m being honest. I have a hard time interrupting my day to journal. I have an even harder time returning to my day after journaling. Like how I used to have to go back into the office after an in-person therapy session—it just feels wrong.

Sometimes I’ll jot down a few lines before bed, but that also doesn’t feel quite right. I love journaling stream-of-conscious because it puts me in touch with my deeper thoughts and feelings. In the mornings, this kind of writing helps me feel seen, supported, and more capable of facing the day ahead; at night, though, it makes it harder for me to fall asleep. There’s just too much swirling around in my head.

All of this to say: I prefer journaling first thing, ideally with my morning coffee in hand. If I miss that window, odds are it’s just not going to happen that day.

And that’s okay. Because journaling isn’t just another habit or task I’m trying to check off a list. It’s a relationship—with journaling, with myself—and I’m in it for the long haul.

That means I don’t have to show up every day for it to be worthwhile. I don’t have to show up perfectly, either. I definitely don’t have to end it just because I had an off day, or week, or month. (What’s a few days when you’re committed for the rest of your life?)

I just have to keep making little bids for connection on the page, acknowledging and growing from my mistakes, and working together with it (myself) to create a relationship that works for both of us. When I do, I build trust between me, myself, and my journaling practice—and like all my best relationships, it’s that trust that helps me show up even when things get tough.

So, no, I haven’t journaled today, and I probably won’t. But I know I will again soon, and I trust the page will be waiting for me when I do.

Yours will be, too.