Journaling
Writing to unload the mind, usually first thing or last thing
Putting the loop of thoughts onto paper, as unstructured morning pages or a short structured template. Not for insight, by the common description, but for clearing the buffer so the day can start. Ten minutes, a cheap notebook.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Chris BumsteadDoes it
Bodybuilder · Six-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia
He keeps a Google Doc and phone notes where he jots thoughts and reflections through the day, and says it is how he worked out his priorities for 2026. The recurring finding was that he is at his best when he is creative, and that creativity shuts off when life has too much friction.
Source: The Standard newsletter: Lessons I'm Taking Into 2026 - Chris WilliamsonDoes it
Host · Modern Wisdom
Splits the 6-Minute Diary across the day as a fixture, three minutes in the morning and three in the evening.
Source: Ben Greenfield Life podcast transcript - James ClearDoes it
Author · Atomic Habits
Three things he is grateful for, written down each morning before he reads, as part of a wake-up routine he keeps regardless of the rest of the day.
Source: jamesclear.com: how to read more - Jennifer AnistonDoes it
Actor · Friends and The Morning Show
Part of her morning ritual along with meditation and coffee, in whichever order the day allows; she told E! that missing her journaling is a bummer.
Source: E! News: Jennifer Aniston Is Sharing All Her Self-Care Secrets - Michael PhelpsDoes it
Olympic swimmer · Most decorated Olympian in history
Gets it all on paper, good, bad and ugly, and calls journaling a central part of looking after his head. His wife Nicole has picked up the habit too.
Source: Fortune: Michael Phelps does these 5 things every day to be his 'best self' - Oprah WinfreyDoes it
Talk show host and producer · The Oprah Winfrey Show
She used to open the journal at night and write out the five things. It is electronic now, and she notes a grateful moment whenever one turns up instead of sitting down to a fixed page, which is how she says she got the habit back after years of letting it slide.
Source: Oprah.com: What Oprah Knows for Sure About Gratitude - Rich RollDoes it
Ultra-endurance athlete · The Rich Roll Podcast
Writing is part of a morning practice, tied to the recovery habits that keep him steady.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #561 transcript“I go to bed around 9:00, and generally get up around sort of 5:00, between 5:00 and 6:00. And the early hours are really protected as my own time. So morning meditation, journaling, writing, creative projects, no meetings, no phone calls.”
The Tim Ferriss Show #561 transcript (opens in a new tab) · 7 Jan 2022 - Steven BartlettDoes it
Entrepreneur · The Diary of a CEO
Has kept a diary for years, built the show around reading from it, and that is where the podcast's name comes from.
Source: The Diary of a CEO: official episode feed - Tim FerrissDoes it
Author · The Tim Ferriss Show
Morning pages get the anxious loop out of his head, which he describes as caging monkeys on paper rather than seeking insight.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #557 transcript“I think journaling on that, even if it’s several days in a row in the morning, longhand, stream of consciousness, something along the lines of Morning Pages…”
The Tim Ferriss Show #557 transcript (opens in a new tab) · 26 Dec 2021
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under stress or productivity.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate discomfort
Choosing the thing you do not want to do, daily, as its own training
Backed by 3 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Accountability mirror
Telling yourself the blunt truth in the mirror every day, then fixing it
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Act on the thing causing stress
Make the first call or send the first email on whatever is nagging at you
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Lenten fasting
Forty days of giving something up, plus fast and meat-free days, in the Christian calendar
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Morning puttering
A slow, unscheduled first hour or two: coffee, the paper, breakfast, no meetings
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Saying I get to instead of I have to
Swap one verb in your self-talk and the daily grind reads as a privilege
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.