What to Write in a Diary: 60 Ideas for Every Day

Write what happened today, how it made you feel, and one thing you want to remember. That is all a diary entry needs. When that isn’t enough to get you going, use a prompt: a specific question like “What drained you today, and what filled you up?” gets far more out of an ordinary day than “How was your day?”. Below are 60 ideas, grouped by the kind of day you are having, and a short sample entry so you can see how little it takes.

What to write in a diary every day (for beginners)

Pick one or two of these each day. They work on any day, good or flat.

1. What made you smile today?
2. One thing you are grateful for, and why it mattered today.
3. Who you spent time with, and one thing they said.
4. Something small that went right.
5. What drained you, and what filled you up.
6. Today in three words, then why those three.
7. Where you were happiest today.
8. What you ate, and who cooked it.
9. Something you noticed on the way somewhere.
10. A kind thing someone did, or you did.
11. What would make tomorrow a little better.
12. What is on your mind right now, before sleep.

What to write in a diary about yourself

These are the entries you will love rereading in five years, because they capture who you were, not just what you did.

13. Describe yourself as a friend would describe you.
14. Your current favourites: song, show, snack, place, person.
15. What a normal weekday looks like for you right now, hour by hour.
16. Something you believe now that you didn’t a year ago.
17. Three things you are good at that nobody compliments.
18. What you would do with a free Saturday and no phone.
19. A habit you want to drop, and what it gives you.
20. Where you hope to be this time next year.

Writing about your feelings

A diary is the one place you don’t have to be fair, polite or reasonable. Write it as it is, then read it back tomorrow.

21. Name the feeling in one word, then where you feel it in your body.
22. What set it off, in as much detail as you can remember.
23. What you wanted to say but didn’t.
24. A worry, followed by: what is the most likely way this actually goes?
25. Something you are proud of that you haven’t told anyone.
26. A letter to someone you are angry with, that you will never send.
27. What you need right now that you are not getting.
28. What helped the last time you felt like this.

If the feelings are heavy or keep coming back, writing helps, but it shouldn’t be the only thing. Our guide on what to do when you feel lonely has small steps and helplines.

What to write in a diary when bored

Bored days are the best time to write the entries that need more than five minutes.

29. Your earliest memory, with every detail you can find.
30. The rooms of the house you grew up in.
31. A list of every place you have lived or travelled.
32. Ten things you want to do before you turn the next round age.
33. Your perfect day, from waking to sleeping.
34. A review of the last film or book, as if you were a critic.
35. What you would tell yourself at 13.
36. The story of how you met your best friend.

What to write in a diary as a student

37. The best and worst moment of the school day.
38. Something a teacher said that stuck.
39. What you actually learned today, in your own words.
40. Who you sat with at lunch, and what you talked about.
41. An exam or deadline coming up, and how you feel about it.
42. A friendship that is changing.
43. Something you want to try this term: a club, a sport, a person to talk to.
44. What you would change about your school if you were in charge.

Memories, lists and little things to keep

Not every entry has to be sentences. Lists are quick and surprisingly fun to reread.

45. Songs on repeat this month.
46. Things that made you laugh this week.
47. Funny things a friend, child or partner said.
48. Everything you did on a holiday, day by day.
49. The weather, and how it changed your mood.
50. A conversation, written down as close to word-for-word as you can.
51. Firsts: first day at a job, first snow, first time cooking a dish.
52. A “this month” page at the end of each month: wins, lessons, best moment.

Aesthetic diary ideas

If you like a diary that looks good, these turn an entry into a page you want to look at. Pinterest-style diaries mix a few lines of writing with things you stick in.

53. A ticket stub, receipt or wrapper from the day, with one line about it.
54. A photo of the sky at the same time every day for a week.
55. A pressed flower or leaf from a walk.
56. A colour of the day: fill a small square, and say why.
57. A mood tracker for the month, one dot or face per day.
58. Stickers that match the mood of the entry.
59. A quote you heard or read, in your best handwriting.
60. A doodle of something you saw, even badly.

A diary entry example

Here is a full entry using the three-part shape: what happened, how it felt, what to keep. It takes about two minutes.

Tuesday, 4 November. Mood: tired but okay.
Missed the 8:10 bus and had to walk in the rain. Got to work soaked and annoyed, then Priya had saved me a coffee without me asking. The rest of the day was meetings I don’t remember.
Keep: Priya and the coffee. Also: leave at 7:55.

Nothing clever, but in a year you will remember Priya and the rain, and forget the meetings, which is exactly what a diary is for. For the very first page, see how to start a diary.

What not to write in a diary

• Passwords, bank details or PINs. A diary is not a safe.
• Other people’s secrets in a diary that isn’t locked. Yours are your choice; theirs aren’t.
• Only the bad days. If you only write when upset, rereading will give you a darker picture of your life than the real one. Write a line on good days too.

Prompts and a lock in your pocket: Dearly

Dearly (“Diary with Lock: Dearly” on Google Play) is our diary app, made so you never face a blank page. It is on Google Play now; the iPhone version is in App Store review.

• A prompt every day on the empty page, from the first list above: “What made you smile today?”, “Describe today in three words, then why.” and 14 more, rotating daily.
• A mood with every entry, eight to choose from, which add up to a mood calendar and stats.
• Aesthetic without glue: photos, voice notes and 50+ hand-drawn stickers in any entry, on 20+ papers in 16 themes with 25+ fonts.
• A real lock: PIN plus fingerprint or face, no account, no ads, everything stays on your phone.

Writing, the lock, stickers, voice notes and stats are free with no time limit. Dearly Plus adds every theme, paper, font and mood face plus PDF export of your diary: $19.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, $2.99 a month, or $29.99 once, in the US.

Common questions

What should I write in my diary every day?
The date, your mood, and one thing that happened. If you want more, add how it felt and one thing worth keeping. That is enough for a diary you will be glad to have.

What do you write in a diary when nothing happened?
Use a prompt: what you ate, what you noticed on a walk, what is on your mind before sleep. “Nothing happened” days often make the most honest entries.

Is it OK to write the same thing every day?
Yes. Repetition is information: if you write “tired” every Monday, that is worth knowing. Change the prompt if it starts to bore you.

How do you write a cute or aesthetic diary?
Keep the writing short and add one visual: a photo, a sticker, a ticket stub or a colour of the day. Consistent pens and a few colours look better than lots of decoration.

Is there a diary app that gives you prompts?
Yes. Dearly shows a new prompt on the empty page every day, such as “What made you smile today?”, and asks for your mood with each entry. Writing and the lock are free, with no account.

What do you call writing in a diary?
Diary writing, journaling or keeping a diary. Someone who keeps one is sometimes called a diarist.