By MBANUGO Stores | mbanugostores.com
If your For You Page, Pinterest board, or YouTube recommendations have been serving you aesthetic journal setups, people doing their morning pages, or satisfying pen-on-paper content lately — you’re not alone.
Journaling is having a serious moment. And honestly? It deserves every bit of the hype.
Because underneath all the aesthetic flat lays and beautiful handwriting, journaling is genuinely one of the most powerful habits a person can build. It clears your mind. It processes your emotions. It helps you set goals and actually follow through on them. It captures your life in a way that social media never could.
But here’s where a lot of beginners get stuck: they want to start journaling but they’re not sure what they actually need. Do you need fancy supplies? An expensive leather notebook? Fifteen types of pens?
The answer — and this might surprise you — is no. You don’t need much at all. But what you do need, you should get right.
This guide breaks down everything a beginner needs to start journaling, what to look for when buying, and where to get it all in Nsukka or online without stress. Let’s go. 🔥
First — Why Are So Many Young Nigerians Starting to Journal?
Journaling has always existed — your grandparents called it a diary. But a new generation of Nigerians is rediscovering it in a bigger, more intentional way. And the reasons make total sense.
We live in an era of constant noise. Social media, group chats, news, pressure, expectations, hustle culture — it never stops. Your phone is always buzzing. Someone always wants something. And in the middle of all that noise, most young Nigerians never get a single moment of genuine quiet to process what they’re actually feeling and thinking.
Journaling creates that moment. It’s you, a pen, and a page — with zero notifications, zero performance, zero audience. Just your thoughts, honest and unfiltered.
The mental health benefits are real and well-documented: journaling reduces anxiety, improves emotional processing, boosts clarity and focus, and helps people work through problems they’d otherwise keep carrying around silently.
And in a country where mental health is still under-discussed and therapy isn’t always accessible — journaling is a powerful, free, and deeply personal tool for taking care of your mind.
No wonder it’s trending. 📓
The Good News — You Don’t Need Much to Start
Here’s what the aesthetic journaling accounts on social media won’t tell you: the most important thing about journaling is not your supplies. It’s the habit of actually sitting down and writing.
The most life-changing journal entry you’ll ever write might happen in a ₦200 exercise book with a Bic pen. True story.
So don’t let the fear of not having the “right” supplies stop you from starting. Start with what you have.
That said — having good quality, enjoyable supplies genuinely makes you more likely to pick up your journal consistently. There’s something about opening a beautiful notebook and uncapping a smooth pen that pulls you toward the page. So yes, your supplies matter — just not as much as the habit.
Here’s what to get. 👇
📓 1. The Journal / Notebook — Your Most Important Choice
Your journal is the foundation. Everything else sits on top of this choice — so let’s get it right.
What Type of Journal Should You Get?
Blank / Unlined Pages
Pure freedom. No rules, no lines to stay inside. You can write, draw, sketch, paste things, make mind maps, do whatever you want. This is the most creatively liberated option. Great for people who like mixing writing with doodles, art, or visual thinking.
Best for: Creative types, bullet journalers, visual thinkers, mixed-media journalers
Lined Pages
The classic. Clean horizontal lines guide your writing so it stays neat and even. Most comfortable for people who primarily want to write prose — daily reflections, thoughts, letters to themselves, stories.
Best for: Pure writing journals, gratitude journals, personal reflection
Dotted / Dot Grid Pages
The journaling community’s favourite right now and for good reason. Dots give you a subtle structure — enough to guide your writing and drawing — without the visual heaviness of full lines. Incredibly versatile for bullet journaling, habit trackers, calendars, and free writing.
Best for: Bullet journaling, organisation systems, planners, creative journaling
Grid / Graph Pages
Square grid pattern. Great for structured layouts, calendars, charts, and people who love organisation and symmetry in their pages.
Best for: Planner-style journaling, habit tracking, structured layouts
What Size Should You Get?
A5 (half of A4) is the most popular journaling size for good reason — big enough to write freely, small enough to carry in your bag anywhere. This is the sweet spot for most beginners. Start here.
A4 if you like lots of space and primarily journal at a desk. Too big to comfortably carry around.
A6 / Pocket size if you want something you can slip into your pocket for capturing thoughts on the go.
What to Look for in Journal Quality
- Paper thickness: At least 80 GSM for pencil and ballpoint. 100 GSM or above if you want to use felt-tips, gel pens, or markers without bleed-through.
- Binding: Lay-flat binding is important — you want the journal to open and stay flat on the table without you having to hold it down while writing. Spiral-bound lays flattest. Quality sewn bindings also work well and last longer.
- Cover: Hardcover journals are more durable and give you a firm writing surface even when you’re not at a desk. Softcover is lighter and more flexible.
- Page count: For beginners, 100–200 pages is ideal. Enough to build a real habit without being intimidating.
MBANUGO Stores stocks a range of journals and notebooks in different styles, sizes, and page types — from everyday lined notebooks to premium hardcover dotted journals perfect for serious journaling.
👉 Shop journals at mbanugostores.com
🖊️ 2. Your Pen — The Tool That Connects You to the Page
Your pen is your voice. The right pen makes writing feel like a pleasure. The wrong pen makes it feel like a chore.
If you’ve ever had the experience of writing with a truly smooth, well-inked pen — you know exactly what we mean. It just flows. And when writing flows, thoughts flow. That’s the state you want every journaling session to start from.
Types of Pens for Journaling
Ballpoint Pens
The everyday workhorse. Consistent, reliable, and available everywhere. Great for quick journaling, everyday writing, and heavy daily use. Won’t bleed through normal notebook paper.
Best for: Daily journaling, beginners, people who write fast
Gel Pens
Smoother than ballpoint with richer, more vibrant ink. They glide across the page rather than dragging. Many journalers swear by gel pens once they try them. Slightly more expensive but the writing experience difference is immediately noticeable.
Best for: Anyone who wants a noticeably more enjoyable writing experience
Felt-Tip / Fineliner Pens
Clean, precise, consistent line width. Popular for journaling layouts, headings, bullet journaling, and any journaling with a visual/design element. Use paper with at least 100 GSM to prevent bleed-through.
Best for: Bullet journaling, headers and titles, decorative writing, layouts
Fountain Pens
The prestige option. A quality fountain pen with good ink is one of the most satisfying writing experiences available. It rewards slow, intentional writing — which is exactly the energy of deep journaling. Higher investment but transformatively enjoyable.
Best for: Serious journalers who want to invest in the experience
The One Rule About Journaling Pens
Get a pen that doesn’t skip, doesn’t scratch, doesn’t leak — and that feels good in your hand. That’s it. Don’t overthink this. Pick up a quality gel pen or ballpoint at MBANUGO Stores and start writing today.
👉 Shop pens at mbanugostores.com
🌈 3. Coloured Pens and Markers — For Those Who Like Visual Journals
If your journaling style includes colour-coding, creative layouts, mood tracking, or any kind of visual decoration — a set of coloured pens or fine-tip markers is your best friend.
You don’t need fifty colours. Start with a set of 6–12 colours that you can use to:
- Colour-code different topics or moods in your journal
- Create headers and section titles that pop
- Draw simple dividers and decorative elements between entries
- Make your habit trackers and calendars visually clear at a glance
Coloured journaling is genuinely more enjoyable for many people — and the more enjoyable your journaling experience, the more consistently you’ll do it.
What to look for:
- Fine-tip markers for writing and detail work
- Brush pens for beautiful lettering and headings
- Consistent ink flow across the set — no pens that skip or dry out quickly
- Paper-friendly ink that doesn’t bleed through your journal pages
👉 Shop coloured pens and markers at mbanugostores.com
✏️ 4. Pencils and an Eraser — For the Perfectionist Journaler
Listen — some people cannot write in pen directly because the thought of a permanent mistake on their beautiful journal page gives them anxiety. 😅
If that’s you, you’re not alone. And pencils exist for exactly this reason.
A good pencil (HB for light, 2B for slightly darker and smoother) lets you draft your layouts, sketch your bullet journal spreads, and plan your pages before committing to ink. And a quality eraser means corrections happen cleanly without tearing or ghosting on your page.
For bullet journalers especially — pencil for layout planning, pen for final entries. It’s a workflow that saves a lot of frustration.
📏 5. A Ruler — Small But Mighty
If you’re doing any kind of structured journaling — bullet journaling, weekly spreads, habit trackers, calendars — a ruler is non-negotiable.
Straight lines, neat boxes, clean dividers. Without a ruler, your carefully planned layouts look messy. With a ruler, they look intentional and satisfying.
A 15cm or 20cm ruler fits perfectly inside most journal bags and takes up zero space. This is a ₦200–₦500 purchase that significantly levels up the look of your journal. Get it.
🖍️ 6. Washi Tape and Stickers — Optional But So Fun
Okay, these are not essential — but if you’ve ever scrolled through journaling content online and wondered how people make their pages look so beautiful, a lot of it comes down to washi tape and stickers.
Washi tape is decorative paper tape in hundreds of patterns and colours. You use it to create borders, section dividers, highlight important entries, repair torn pages, and add personality and colour to your spreads. It repositions easily without damaging pages.
Stickers — functional ones like date circles, habit trackers, and page markers, or decorative ones for pure aesthetics — add visual interest and can make your journaling experience feel genuinely fun and creative.
These are the “extras” you add once you’re in the habit. But if they make you excited about opening your journal every day — they’re worth every naira. 🎨
📌 Your Beginner Journaling Starter Kit — The Simple Version
Don’t want to read everything? Here’s the short version:
Must-Haves:
- [ ] A5 lined or dotted notebook / journal — 100 GSM paper minimum
- [ ] 2–3 quality ballpoint or gel pens
- [ ] A pencil and eraser
- [ ] A ruler
Nice-to-Haves:
- [ ] A set of coloured fine-tip pens or markers
- [ ] Washi tape
- [ ] Decorative stickers
That’s it. That’s all you need to start one of the most powerful habits of your life. Total cost? Very manageable — especially when you shop at MBANUGO Stores.
💡 Bonus: What Type of Journaling Should You Try?
Not sure what to actually write? Here are the most popular journaling styles for beginners:
Gratitude Journaling — Write 3–5 things you’re grateful for every day. Simple, quick, and incredibly effective for shifting your mindset over time. Perfect starter practice.
Morning Pages — Three pages of uncensored, stream-of-consciousness writing first thing in the morning. No rules, no editing, no filter. Just write whatever comes out. Clears mental clutter like nothing else.
Bullet Journaling — A system combining planning, tracking, and reflection in one notebook. Uses symbols, lists, and spreads to organise your life and capture your thoughts. The most structured and visual journaling style.
Prayer Journaling — Writing your prayers, scripture reflections, and faith journey. Deeply meaningful for Nigerian Christians who want to deepen their devotional life. Pairs beautifully with a Bible and devotional book.
Reflective Journaling — End-of-day reflection on what happened, how you felt, what you learned, and what tomorrow holds. Great for emotional processing and self-awareness.
Start with whichever one resonates with you most right now. You can always evolve your style as you go.
Where to Get Your Journaling Supplies in Nsukka — and Online
Everything on this list is available at MBANUGO Stores — your one-stop stationery destination in Nsukka.
🏪 Walk Into the Store:
📍 3B University Market Road, Ogige Market,
beside Aludene Junction, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Browse the full stationery and journal selection in person. Pick up your notebook, test the pens, and leave with everything you need to start today.
📱 Order Online — Delivery Across Nigeria:
🌐 mbanugostores.com
Not in Nsukka? No problem. Shop the full stationery range at mbanugostores.com and get your journaling starter kit delivered anywhere in Nigeria. Your journaling journey is one order away.
Final Word — Your Story Deserves to Be Written Down 📓
There is a version of your life that only you can see — your private thoughts, your quiet dreams, your real feelings beneath the curated social media version. That version of you deserves a space to exist, to breathe, and to be heard.
That space is your journal.
You don’t need to be a good writer. You don’t need perfect handwriting. You don’t need expensive supplies. You just need to start — one honest sentence, one page, one day at a time.
Come into MBANUGO Stores at Ogige Market, Nsukka or order online at mbanugostores.com — and get the stationery that will help you begin.
Your story is worth writing. Start today. ✍️❤️
📍 Visit us: 3B University Market Road, Ogige Market, beside Aludene Junction, Nsukka, Enugu State
🌐 Shop online: mbanugostores.com
Know someone who keeps saying they want to start journaling but hasn’t yet? Share this post with them — this might be exactly the nudge they needed. 📓🔁