Journaling as a mindfulness tool: how to start

Bendigo locals began 2026 by picking up pens at kitchen tables along View Street and Mitchell Street to start daily journaling sessions aimed at mindfulness.

The practice gained traction after the July Telstra outage disrupted communications across regional Victoria, leaving many without quick access to apps or online guides for stress relief and prompting a return to paper-based routines that require no signal.

Spots that fit the habit

Walkers along the Bendigo Creek recreational trail often pause at the footbridge near the railway station to jot three lines about their surroundings before continuing toward Rosalind Park parkrun on Saturday mornings. The 8am start at the park draws more than 120 participants each week, and several now carry small notebooks in their running belts to record observations on the 5km loop.

Bendigo Health campus staff have also introduced a low-cost journaling circle that meets every second Tuesday in the staff lounge on Lucan Street, with the first session held on 14 July last year.

Evidence and next steps

A 2025 Australian Psychological Society survey of 1,800 adults found that 62 percent of those who journaled five days a week reported lower anxiety scores after eight weeks. Local stationery shops sell basic A5 notebooks for $4.50, and participants at the campus group pay nothing beyond bringing their own pen.

Anyone new to the habit can begin with five minutes each morning, writing one sentence about a recent walk on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail and one about how their body feels, then set the notebook aside without editing.