If you’re looking for couples’ journal ideas to get you out of a creative rut, we’ve got 31 of them. From fun, loving, and darn right cute, to practical and thought-provoking.
Ready to breathe life into your shared journaling habit? Let’s go.
Related Articles:
- 48 Relationship Journal Prompts to Help Rekindle the Spark
- 71 Journal Prompts for Emotional Connection With Your Partner
- How to Start a Relationship Journal
- 25 Activity Books for Couples (From Guided Prompt Journals to Quizzes)
Journal Ideas for Reflection
1. Share the Story of How You Met
Whether you met your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse through friends, or at a bar, you’ll each have a version of how that first meeting went. Notice how we say a ‘version’, not the ‘same version’. Because chances are, your interpretation of events will likely be different from your lover’s.
That’s what makes reminiscing about the earlier days so much fun. Write about how you knew you’d end up together. And all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that flooded your body at the time.
Who nervously spilled tomato soup down their shirt on the first date? How awkward was that first kiss? Who said the ‘L word’ first?
FROM THE SHOP
The Story of Us Journal
Share your sweetest, most loving memories together.
2. Write About Everyday Things You’ve Experienced
It’s the little things that make a love story unique.
The tinie-tiny everyday moments you don’t bat an eyelid at. Like the look your lover gave you when you got out of the shower. Or how your heart skips a beat whenever he or she wears that outfit you like.
They may seem insignificant at the time, but those moments each hold a special memory. Whether they make you feel loved, wanted, upset, or angry, make a journal entry about the everyday stuff.
3. Review Your Relationship on a Regular
It’s surprising how quickly a year can fly by – 365 days gone, just like that. And no matter how well you think you’ve managed your year, there’s always some area where you could have been more on the ball.
That’s where a relationship check-in comes into play. Use your journal to record how couple life is progressing – the obstacles you face as a couple, the triumphs you slay, the goals you conquer.
Make it a regular thing, say every week or at least every month.
Then at the end of the year you can look back and reflect on what worked.Preferably over a few glasses of wine, beer, coffee, or whatever beverage tickles your fancy.
FROM THE SHOP
Just Checking In Journal for Couples
Review your relationship and become more loving partners.
TELL ME MORE
Journal Ideas for Couples Who Plan
4. Create Goals and a Vision for Your Future
Have you had the talk? You know, the one where you discuss your future in its multicoloured glory. The next steps. what goals would you like to achieve within the next year? Or the year after that?
Maybe you want to start saving for a home, get married, have 2.5 kids, or adopt a sweet Golden Retriever pup. At least one of you is thinking about what couple life would look like a few years from now.
If you’re wondering what to write in a journal for a boyfriend or girlfriend who you’re serious about, start with your hopes and dreams.
5. Plan a Year’s Worth of Fun Date Nights
Not finding the time to go on dates? Or when you do eventually go on one, you end up doing the same thing you always do.
Reignite that romantic spark by planning intimate date nights in your journal. Then make them happen.
6. Start a Couples Bucket List
Do you crave fun, excitement, and adventure? Or do you long for cosy, romantic staycations with your best bud? Find space in your journal to write them all the things you want to do as a couple.
If you want a dedicated place to house your list, check out this couple’s bucket list journal. It’s got over 200 wild (and not so wild) unique experiences to explore. Now what was the name of that new restaurant you’ve been dying to try?
Practical Journaling for Couples
7. Habit Tracker
Want to stop eating snacks before bedtime? Bounce out of bed every morning without hitting snooze? Or, develop a regular workout habit?
We’re not making any promises, but if you added a habit tracker in your journal, you’d be able to keep tabs on your progress.
And of course, keep each other accountable too.
8. Create Checklists
Checklists. Are. Everything.
And you can create them for anything. Going on holiday? Whip up a list of things you need to organise, pack and do before you go. Throwing a party?
Make a list of who’s responsible for what, which invitations you need to send, and what booze to stock up on. Checklists. We love them.
9. Track Your Milestones As a Couple
Start a boyfriend/girlfriend diary where you can record the major milestones in your relationship, along with the respective dates.
Here are a few ideas:
- The day you went official/exclusive
- The day you met the parents
- Your first road trip
- Your first fight where your partner admitted they were wrong.
10. Keep Track of Your Finances
OK, this doesn’t sound very sexy, fun or cute.
But imagine, if you will. Your card gets declined at your favourite clothing store. That red coat with the poofy sleeves was perfect. On sale as well.
And so you’re standing at the till. Feeling confused, embarrassed, and angry that you don’t have the funds to buy the thing. Later you come to find that your beloved dipped into the account and maxed out the card with some random item. What?
If you share finances, you’ll want to share a log of the coins coming in, and the coins going out. Dedicate a few pages in your journal to this. Save yourself from those ‘hide your face moments’, and angry money rows.
11. A Running List of Relationship Advice & Tips
Throughout your relationship, you’ll have everyone giving you advice. From your mum to the friendly old guy at the post office counter.
Keep track of those snippets of wisdom.
Even if the ‘wisdom’ given wasn’t very wise. Or even requested.
Like your great aunt Nora’s well-meaning, but totally unsolicited advice. One day, you’ll look back on those words and share a moment.
12. Document the Stuff You’re Learning
Life’s a big ‘ole learning curve. So is coupledom.
Why not make a note of what you understand about yourself, your partner, and the relationship?
Does your partner get grumpy if woken before 10am on a Sunday?
Are you more of a neat freak (or slob) than you thought you were?
Are you becoming more Zen?
Learning how not to sweat the small stuff?
All good info to put into a journal for your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse.
Journaling Ideas for Showing Love and Appreciation to Your Partner
13. List the Reasons Why You Love Each Other
Do you remember the last time you looked at your partner and said in your head: ‘Man… I love this person’?
In that moment, you zeroed in on a quality or action that led to an overwhelming surge of gushiness.
If you took the time to list these little things, they’d really feel your admiration and love.Write about the sweet, silly, funny, and cute things you love about your significant other.
Consider this fun journal with fill-in-the-blank questions for couples.
14. Appreciation Lists
We often forget to thank our partners for the good stuff they do.
That’s easily fixed with an appreciation list. Add this to your journal as a reminder to acknowledge each other more.
15. Gratitude Lists
Your gratitude list could include people, things, and events that you as a couple are thankful for.
16. Write Love Letters
Finding a love note in your pocket, or a note on the mirror is all good, while it lasts. Then the mirror gets wiped, and the pocket note gets lost. But when you jot these down in your shared journal, you’ve got them for keeps. You can write about:
- Memorable moments you’ve shared
- Fun dates you’ve been on
- Comical happenings that made you laugh-cry
- How you make each other better humans.
Or, you could write long-hand thank you letters. That’s a great way to deeply acknowledge the specifics of what your partner brings to the relationship.
17. Give Compliments or Notes of Encouragement
This is a good one if you’re short on time, and want to share a quick, supportive note. Take a page, and write a compliment or something encouraging on it.
Here’s an example; your boyfriend or girlfriend has a big interview lined up.
They grab breakfast at the table and see a journal entry from you that reads:‘You’ve got this babe. You’re going to nail your interview today’.
Sweet, right?
Intimate and Sentimental Journal Ideas for Couples
18. Use Journal Prompts
Asking great questions is a way to reconnect with your partner on a more intimate level. The questions don’t have to be deadpan serious either.
A good mix of deep and meaningful, and playful probing, is all you need to spark interesting conversation.
Not sure what questions to ask?
Here are a few journal prompts to get you started:
- What, if anything. would you change about the way we met?
- Describe a time when you felt vulnerable in our relationship.
- How well do I express what I need from you in the bedroom?
- What does a happy relationship look like to you?
- How will our relationship change as we grow older?
- Describe the perfect way to start and end our day.
For more prompt ideas, take a look at these relationship journal prompts and these journal prompts for emotional connection.
19. List Your Strengths as a Couple
Together you’re strong. You complement one another.
As a couple, you just work. So write about your unique strengths.
What is it about your relationship that makes it so good?
20. List Things You Need to Work on as a Couple
Let’s be real, not everything is butterflies and daisies.
If you’re struggling to communicate in your relationship, writing about your issues is helpful.
And yeah, it’s scary focusing on the stuff that isn’t working so well. But it’s not about dwelling on the negative.
It’s about recognising what could be better and fixing that.
21. List Quotes That Have Impacted Your Life
Who doesn’t love a good, well-timed quote? From funny, to thoughtful, there’s likely been a quote that holds some meaning for one or both of you.
If you’re a bit artsy, you could even illustrate your favourite quote and write about why you love it so.
22. Share Old Family Recipes
You’ll use a notebook or journal to share so much of your life, so how about sharing your favourite family recipes?
What about grandma’s crunchy roast potatoes?
Or dad’s sticky toffee pudding.
Add them to your journal, along with other recipes.
23. Record Dreams
A vision about the future, or a recurring dream you had as a child, make good journal fodder. Yes, you might be a little worried telling your other half about that wild sex dream involving the hot guy from next door.
That’s understandable.
But what if you’ve both had the same dream (not about the neighbour)? That could be something to spark an interesting conversation.
24. Keep Mementos
The cinema stub from your first date. The menu from your most memorable meal. The pressed flower picked during a romantic stroll.
Do you have any mementos stuffed in the back of a drawer somewhere?
Fish them out and add them to your journal.
Fun & Creative Journaling Ideas for Couples
25. Create a Photo Collage
Being one of a pair you probably have a lot of photos between you.
You could add those cute pics to your journal. Along with funny captions. Maybe create your own memes.
26. Add Doodles & Drawings
Remember in school where you would doodle the name of the boy you liked in big bubble writing?
Try doodling your partner’s name in your journal. Over, and over again.
Not in a creepy way, but in a way he’ll know that he’s been on your mind.
You could also draw pictures of the two of you, or doodle his favourite things. If you’re feeling super creative, you could sketch a comic-style spread where you draw yourselves in the bodies of your favourite characters.
Okay, a little weird. But fun?
27. Write a Poem
It doesn’t have to rhyme. If it comes from the heart, it’ll be cherished.
28. Share Jokes and Riddles
Want a break from the deep and meaningful?
All romanced out, and want to make him laugh?
Stick an inside joke in your shared journal.
Or test his brain smarts with a riddle he’ll struggle to solve.
29. Share Funny Stories
These could be real-life stories from your childhood.
Or something funny that happened at work the other day. Or stuff you randomly make-up because you’re feeling like a goofball, and can’t contain your silliness.
30. Creative Top Five Lists
Everyone has a top-five list.
It usually goes along the lines of favourite movies, books, restaurants. The usual suspects, right?
So why not try creating lists that are a little different.
Making them specific, fun, and creative, will add an extra flair of interest.
Example:
- What are your top five female characters from 80’s sitcoms?
- Top five dog breeds
- Top five skills you’d use to keep us safe in the event of an apocalypse
- Top five jokes only the two of you find funny
- Top five songs that get you in the mood for you know what…
You don’t have to stop at five items. Make your lists as long as you’d like.
31. Throw Down a Challenge or Play a Game
Play a game. Some ideas to get you started:
- Spaceman (like hangman but minus the noose)
- Squares
- Tic-tac-toe
- Battleship
- Drawing with a blindfold on
- Would you rather?
- Finish the story – Mad Libs style
And there you have it – 31 couples journal ideas for you to try out.
We know you can’t wait to get started, so what are you waiting for? Grab a pen, a cute journal or notebook, and start strengthening that bond.
Team TGL
Written by freelance writers. Reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by Mena Joseph - founder of Thriving Good Life, avid journaler, and psychology postgraduate.
