14 Best Journals For a More Mindful 2026

Any New Year’s resolution kick can be easily enhanced with one of the best journals. At the best of times, journaling is peacefully reflective—a way to take stock of your day, your week, or last night’s labyrinthine dream. Writers have long extolled the virtues of jotting things down: Joan Didion wrote of keeping a “notebook”—not a diary, she stressed—in which she detailed random impressions and memories, sometimes based in fact and sometimes not, to remember “what it was to be me.” Virginia Woolf believed that writing independently “loosens the ligaments.” David Sedaris has kept a diary since he was 20, publishing 25 years’ worth of entries in a 2017 volume called Theft By Finding. But journaling isn’t just reserved for best-selling authors scrolling their thoughts with fountain pens—take, for example, supermodel Alex Consani, who keeps a journal at the ready in her Birkin bag.

For those who more keen on functionality, a journal can serve as a tangible record for everyday note-taking and to-do lists. You can also get creative with it. There are plenty of journal formats for just about any interest—options with blank pages that double as a sketchbook (visual journaling, anyone?), guided journals for goal setting, gratitude journals to create healthy habits, recipe journals for the aspiring at-home chef, and far more.

Those with looking for a way to process anxieties might consider turning to journal entries as a form of self-care. Studies have linked 15 to 20-minute sessions of “expressive writing”—where you write about your deepest feelings without stopping or worrying about grammar—with better mental health, lower blood pressure, and improved sleep.

For whatever you’re registering, find a selection of the best journals—both traditional and guided, lined and dotted—to write your way into a better 2026. Take your pick of luxe options with high-quality paper bound in leather covers or price-conscious minimalist designs for everyday note-taking.

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